- I think that in the future there will be swarms of robots on construction sites doing certain repairs and inspections.
So there will be ecosystems of robots on construction sites, says Mirko Kovač, professor of aerial robotics and research leader of the project at Imperial College London.
To begin with, there are two different types of drones that Mirko Kovač and his colleagues have tested.
One is a construction drone, which prints in soft material that then solidifies and becomes hard like cement.
The other is a control drone, which scans the building to make sure everything is going right.
In the study, the drones built structures that were just over two meters high.
Flexible construction robots of the future
The drones' freedom of movement means they can also build in places that are difficult or dangerous for humans to access.
These include high altitudes, or places that have been affected by natural disasters.
- It is difficult to take the first step and build trust in the drones' ability.
But as soon as the business gets going, I imagine it will skyrocket quite quickly, says Valentin Polishchuk, drone researcher at Linköping University.
Inspiration from the animal kingdom
The idea for the design came from the animal kingdom.
Many animals use impressive logistical solutions to build efficiently.
- It is something that we often see in nature, that the bigger the structure, the more animals build it together.
The drones we made resemble wasps and bees in that way, says Mirko Kovač.
Play the video to see how the drone is built.