Building a wall by precisely stacking randomly shaped boulders could almost be the definition of hard work – both physically and mentally. It's the sort of thing we might want robots to do one day, so it should come as no surprise that one has in fact just done it.

Robotic excavator builds a giant stone wall with no human assistance::undefined

    • pdxfed@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      2 years ago

      My first thought actually was how will this incredible technology respond when it’s supposed to start construction and there are environmental protestors at a site or whatever? Just one less human between big power and regular people.

  • Treczoks@lemmy.worldEnglish
    8·
    2 years ago

    Wonderful. This is actually some technology that some desert countries in the middle east could use. Those loosely-stacked walls are perfect to take water out of the air in the chill of the morning. Walls of this kind have been used for ages in that region for this purpose. Having an autonomous building system would allow to spread this use.

    • Star@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
      1·
      2 years ago

      I don’t understand what that means. How does a wall take water out of the air and why is that wanted?

      • Treczoks@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        2 years ago

        Condensation. Stone wall is cold in the morning, humid morning air passes through it, water condenses on the large, cold surface, and drips down.

    • neonred@lemmy.worldEnglish
      11·
      2 years ago

      Problem is that does not generate water. It just takes the water away which is then missing somewhere else and fucks up the other areas which would otherwise be in healthy equilibrium.

  • hltdev@lemmy.worldEnglish
    11·
    2 years ago

    perfect, now it can learn to stone sinners in like the Romans did