AMSTERDAM – London-based start-up Ai Build presented “Daedalus Pavilion,” a 3D printed architectural installation built by robots, as part of the GPU Technology Conference in Amsterdam during the end of September.
Ai Build teamed up with Arup Engineers for this project to showcase how the future of construction will be transformed by robotics and artificial intelligence.
Daedalus Pavilion measures 5m wide x 5m deep x 4.5m high, and it consists of 48 pieces that are 3D printed using a KUKA industrial robot. All pieces were 3D printed within three weeks, using 160 kg of biodegradable filament material supplied by the Dutch manufacturer Formfutura.
Ai Build made use of Nvidia GPUs for running a combination of computer vision and deep learning algorithms to increase the speed and accuracy of larg- scale 3D printing. Jack Watts, Nvidia’s Deep Learning Start-up business manager for Northern Europe, said: “We’re tremendously excited to premiere Daedalus Pavilion at our first GTC in Europe. This collaboration between Ai Build and Arup is a strikingly tangible taste of how even established industries like construction will be transformed by artificial intelligence.”
James Griffith and Henry Unterreiner of Arup commented on their collaboration with Ai Build: “The Daedalus Pavilion has been an incredible opportunity for Arup to collaborate with a promising start-up, AI Build. Our structural engineering expertise, combined with the latest large-scale 3D printing technology, have enabled us to create an elegant and structurally efficient form with an optimized distribution of material. Digital manufacturing is becoming increasingly common in the construction industry. Arup is committed to help lead innovation in this area: using our expertise to aid the development of new technologies; ensuring benefits are seen by both the industry and by clients; and promoting the environmental benefits that digital fabrication could provide.”
Following the conference, the pavilion will be dismantled and returned to London for future events to showcase the future of construction.