The Crane WASP, also known as "the infinity 3D printer," uses locally sourced clay, mud or cement to 3D-print affordable homes. It can even use agricultural waste as aggregate. The system is now being used to build much-needed housing in Colombia.
I’m no luddite, if it makes sense to automate some menial task we should. Let’s do the napkin math.
It says it costs 180,000USD. A labourer in rural Columbia might cost 1USD per man-hour. If we assume it replaces two workers, and produces a house generously 3 times as good, that’s your investment back in 30,000 hours, or ~3.5 years.
Actually, that’s decent. I guess I was expecting it to cost millions. If you make less generous assumptions, you get a less generous result, but they have a shot.
I’m no luddite, if it makes sense to automate some menial task we should. Let’s do the napkin math.
It says it costs 180,000USD. A labourer in rural Columbia might cost 1USD per man-hour. If we assume it replaces two workers, and produces a house generously 3 times as good, that’s your investment back in 30,000 hours, or ~3.5 years.
Actually, that’s decent. I guess I was expecting it to cost millions. If you make less generous assumptions, you get a less generous result, but they have a shot.