“Impact Printing” wins 3D Pioneers Challenge

"Impact Printing" is the winner of this year's 3D Pioneers Challenge in the architecture category with a prize money of 2.5 K. It has also received a special mention from Autodesk Technology Centers. The judges stated, “This technology provides a fast technique for producing structures with soil and has the potential to reinvent the way we construct buildings sustainably, while also reducing CO2 emissions by 50% compared to low carbon concrete walls.”

Impact Printing is a novel, efficient and sustainable robotic construction method based on the discrete deposition of earth-based materials at high speed for larger structures. The project is a collaboration between Gramazio Kohler Research, the Chair of Sustainable Construction and the Robotic Systems Lab at ETH Zurich. The project is associated with the NCCR DFAB and supported by grants from ETH Zurich, the ETH - Foundation Partnership Council for Sustainable Digital Construction and the Circular Building Industry Booster funded by Innosuisse.

The 3D Pioneers Challenge is one of the world's most prestigious competitions for innovation, additive manufacturing and cutting-edge technologies. The focus of this year's Challenge was: "RESILIENCE. NOW. Advanced technologies for a sustainable tomorrow."

Credits:
Gramazio Kohler Research (GKR), Chair of Sustainable Construction (CSC), Robotic Systems Lab (RSL), Dr. Lauren Vasey (project lead), Dr. Coralie Brumaud, Julie Assunção, Kunaljit Chadha, Grzegorz Malczyk, Victor Leung, Ananya Kango

Kunal Chadha, team member at Gramazio Kohler Research at the Award Ceremony with Mrs. Carina Lebsack, Head of Corporate Sustainability & Circularity at Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG © Christian Seeling.