Autodesk is showcasing its vision to bring robots to work sites for on-demand, 3D printing of building parts. The design software company said the goal is to address the skilled labor shortage facing the construction industry, but also to help the industry keep pace with rising housing demands using newer manufacturing principles and practices. CNET: Best Black Friday deals 2018 | Best Holiday gifts 2018 | Best TVs to give for the holidays According to Autodesk, a rising global population will lead to increased demand for buildings. This demand, combined with the short supply of qualified workers, has pushed the construction industry to consider new building techniques, including the way parts of buildings are made. Autodesk's solution to this supposed supply and demand housing crisis is a sort of additive manufacturing "toolbox" for the construction industry, with robots and 3D printing systems coming together in a portable shipping container. TechRepublic: A guide to tech and non-tech holiday gifts to buy online | Photos: Cool gifts for bosses to buy for employees | The do's and don'ts of giving holiday gifts to your coworkers The idea is that various robots and printing systems -- capable of printing large, usable metal components -- can be packaged up in a shipping container and sent from job site to job site. This method, the company says, enables buildings to be built quickly, parts to be produced more accurately, and helps to fill the construction labor shortage. Autodesk said the robot stuffed shipping container will make its way around Europe this winter. Autodesk teams with Esri to integrate BIM, GIS tech The companies said the integration will give joint customers the ability to synthesize information from both BIM and GIS software. Autodesk, AWS team up to promote new AI-enabled design technology The two companies are giving new Autodesk Fusion 360 Ultimate subscribers cloud credits to try generative design, which leverages cloud computing and machine learning. Autodesk combines 7 toolsets into one new version of AutoCAD After fine-tuning different professional AutoCAD verticals for decades, the latest release includes access to 750,000 different features and functionalities.
Californian software development company Autodesk has combined robots and 3D printing technology to create an "additive manufacturing toolbox", which will help speed up housing construction amid a tightening labour supply. The new system, called the Additive Manufacturing Toolbox, is designed for use in factories that produce parts of buildings such as doors, windows or roofs. Autodesk said its tool is set to travel around Europe in the winter months.