New technology for self-assembled buildings: They could help in the exploration of other planets

Scientists at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Ames Research Center have created and tested self-assembling robotic buildings that could help humanity settle other planets.

As described in a study published on the official website of the space agency, the technology called “Automated Reconfigurable Mission Adaptive Digital Assembly Systems” (ARMADAS, Automated Reconfigurable Adaptive Digital Assembly Systems for Missions) is an 8-sided frame (voxels) assembled by two types of robots: The first one carries the voxel from place to place, and the second one slides along structures, fastening building elements together.

The shape of the parts makes it possible to attach them at different angles, while maintaining structural strength. According to engineers, voxels can be made right on the spot - from various materials that are on the surface of the planet being developed or, for example, the Moon.

During the experiments, the robots built a shelter of 256 voxels in 4.2 days of work. According to NASA experts, if ARMDAS were sent to the Moon a year before humans landed there, the automatic system would have time to build 12 similar shelters by the time the astronauts arrived.

Now engineers are working on designing a power supply system for robots. In the future, they will be able to either charge autonomously at stations or receive energy wirelessly.