A new autonomous robotic system named “Charlotte,” developed by Crest Robotics and Earthbuilt Technology, is designed to construct homes using locally sourced raw materials, offering a potential solution for rapid, low-emission building on Earth and in future space habitats.
The spider-like robot is a lightweight, modular 3D printer that can be folded for transport and deployed on uneven terrain. Its core innovation lies in its ability to gather materials like sand, soil, and construction waste on Earth, or lunar regolith on the Moon, and use them to fabricate structural walls without traditional cement or fired bricks.
How the Technology Works
Charlotte operates through an integrated process:
- Material Collection: The robot autonomously gathers local raw materials from its immediate environment.
- Fabric Sleeve Integration: The collected materials are placed into fabric sleeves within the robot.
- Compression and Layering: The system compresses the filled sleeves to form solid layers, which are then stacked precisely to build walls strip by strip.
This method replaces the conventional supply chain of processed cement and transported bricks with a single, on-site process. By using readily available materials and avoiding high-carbon industrial products, the system operates with near-zero emissions during the construction phase. It produces no material waste, such as offcuts or unused bricks.
Performance and Capabilities
The developers aim for Charlotte to complete a 200-square-meter (approximately 2,150-square-foot) home in a single day. The robot is guided by digital design files, which enable high accuracy, consistent results, and reduced measurement errors as it prints a structure layer by layer.
Its agile, flexible legs are crucial for operating on challenging surfaces, such as the uneven lunar landscape, making it a candidate for extraterrestrial construction.
Current Status and Future Development
Charlotte was presented at the 76th International Astronautical Congress in Sydney, Australia, from September 29 to October 3, 2025. Crest Robotics and Earthbuilt Technology are currently seeking collaborators to develop, test, and scale the autonomous robotic 3D printing system.
The technology represents a significant step toward addressing housing shortages through rapid, sustainable construction and extends its potential application to the foundational needs of future planetary exploration.
