Behokh Khoshnevis Wants To 3D Print Your Next House

Image Source: Behrokh Khoshnevis, Anders Carlson, Neil Leach, and Madhu Thangavelu

 3D Printing

In a recent TED talk, Behokh Khoshnevis from the University of Southern California discussed the benefits of 3D printing for architectural applications. His technology, Contour Crafting, could potentially be used for low-income housing, and building contruction on the Moon or Mars.

Professor Behrokh Khoshnevis is a professor of Industrial & Systems Engineering and is the Director of Manufacturing Engineering Graduate Program at the University of Southern California (USC).

Khoshnevis is active in CAD/CAM, robotics and mechatronics related related research projects that include the development of novel Solid Free Form, or Rapid Prototyping, processes (Contour Crafting and SIS), automated construction of civil structures, development of CAD/CAM systems for biomedical applications (e.g., restorative dentistry, rehabilitation engineering, haptics devices for medical applications), autonomous mobile and modular robots for assembly applications in space, and invention of technologies in the field of oil and gas.



His research in simulation has aimed at creating intelligent simulation tools that can automatically perform many simulation functions that are conventionally performed by human analysts. His textbook, Discrete Systems Simulation, and his simulation software EZSIM benefit from some aspects of his research in simulation. He routinely conducts lectures and seminars on invention and technology development.

Contour Crafting (CC) is a layered fabrication technology developed by Dr. Khoshnevis of the University of Southern California. Contour Crafting technology has great potential for automating the construction of whole structures as well as sub-components.  Essentially the system uses a robotic system like a giant 3D printer, excreting concrete-like material.

Using this process, a single house or a colony of houses, each with possibly a different design, may be automatically constructed in a single run, embedded in each house all the conduits for electrical, plumbing and air-conditioning.  The forms of the houses can be conservative or very different from traditional architecture.  For instance, sculptor Bathsheba Grossman recently had one of her pieces constructed via a similar technology from D-Shape.

The potential applications of this technology are far reaching including but not limited to applications in emergency, low-income, and commercial housing.

The research also addresses the application of Contour Crafting in building habitats on other planets. Contour Crafting is potentially one of the feasible approaches for building structures on other planets, such as the Moon and Mars, which are being targeted for human colonization before the end of the new century.





SOURCE  TEDx Talks

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