About FBR
FBR’s cutting edge dynamically stabilised construction robots have brought the speed and precision of indoor robotics into outdoor, uncontrolled environments for the first time. FBR is commercialising products for the construction sector together with DST® enabled solutions for other industries.
What is the Hadrian X®?
The Hadrian X® is the world’s most advanced construction robot, offering significant improvements in speed, safety, accuracy, waste and ultimately cost over traditional block construction methods. The Hadrian X® takes the precision and efficiency of indoor robotics into outdoor, uncontrolled environments for the first time thanks to Dynamic Stabilisation Technology™, or DST®.
What is Dynamic Stabilisation Technology™?
DST® is a system for measuring dynamic interference and movement in real-time and counteracting this movement to maintain stability and deliver unprecedented precision in variable conditions. It is the technology that allows the Hadrian X® to place product with such precision through a 32 metre boom.
What type of blocks can the Hadrian X® lay?
The Hadrian X® can lay blocks of any typically used materials, and is designed to handle blocks up to a maximum size of 600mm x 400mm x 300mm.
How many blocks does the Hadrian X® lay per hour?
The Hadrian X® can lay over 300 blocks per hour. Using the largest format blocks the Hadrian X® is designed to handle, this equates to over 70 square metres of wall per hour.
What type of mortar or adhesive system does the Hadrian X® use?
The Hadrian X® applies a special construction adhesive to each block as it is laid, which cures in approximately 45 minutes and is much stronger than traditional mortar. This allows for continuous high speed building without having to wait for mortar to dry, and has significant environmental benefits too.
Can a Hadrian X® work on a standard home building site?
Yes, the Hadrian X® will be able to work on most standard home building sites, thanks to its 32 metre boom reach which gives it the ability to build from the roadside.
How long will it take to build the walls of a standard home?
The Hadrian X® can build the walls of a standard free-standing, single storey, four bedroom two bathroom home in as little as a day.
How many homes per year can the Hadrian X® build?
It is anticipated that the Hadrian X® will build up to 150 homes a year.
Will the Hadrian X® make it cheaper to build a home?
The benefits of building a home with a Hadrian X® are numerous. By building structures faster, safer and more accurate, while producing less waste, the overall cost of construction will naturally reduce.
How do I get my house built with the Hadrian X®?
Talk to your builder about using the Hadrian X® today.
What are the advantages of building with the Hadrian X®?
The Hadrian X® builds block structures faster, safer, more accurately and with less waste than traditional manual methods, ultimately leading to lower construction costs. The Hadrian X® can also be a much more environmentally friendly way of producing block structures, as offcuts are reused, or it can lay blocks using sequenced pallets so no on-site masonry waste is produced at all. The precision of the Hadrian X® enables offsite parallel manufacture of finishing items such as roof trusses and even prefabricated kitchens and bathrooms, and a homebuyer can move into their new home faster than ever before.
Can the Hadrian X® be utilised for both residential and commercial construction projects?
Yes, the Hadrian X® can be utilised for both residential and commercial construction projects.
Can the Hadrian X® build multi storey?
The Hadrian X® can build up to four storeys wall heights in some conditions, and three storeys for a standard residential home.
Can the Hadrian X adapt to various construction designs and materials?
Yes, the Hadrian X® is designed to adapt to various construction designs. The Hadrian X® uses a Computer Aided Design (CAD) model as its set of instructions for each structure that it builds. Builders can submit wall plans within certain parameters and the Hadrian X® will build them. In terms of materials, the Hadrian X® can lay blocks made from an array of materials such as clay and concrete masonry units, as well as sustainable building materials such as AAC and calcium silicate blocks providing versatility in its applications.
Are there limitations to the types of structures the Hadrian X® can build?
While versatile, the robot may have limitations in extremely complex or unique structures that require specialized construction techniques.
Can I buy a Hadrian X®?
The Hadrian X® is not for sale. Instead, customers can order erected block walls on site with clear visibility of cost and delivery date through a commercial offering called Wall as a Service®. This allows builders access to the benefits of robotic construction such as improvements in speed, accuracy, safety and waste, without having to build robotics capability into their businesses.
Is the Hadrian X® safe?
The Hadrian X® is very safe, both through the building process and after the structure is completed. The Hadrian X® will extend of the careers of bricklayers by removing manual handling, extended sun exposure at the dangers of working at heights from the erection of structural non-cosmetic wall.
FBR has a very strict set of safety measures to ensure that everyone goes home safe at the end of each day. FBR utilises a SHEQ (Safety, Health, Environment and Quality) framework. Safety measures include ensuring our operators are trained in safe work methods, hazard detection and injury prevention. Additionally, the robot utilises special sensors such as LiDAR, that can detect humans in the vicinity of the boom and lay-head.
How many people are required to operate the Hadrian X®?
The Hadrian X® deploys to a building site with a crew of two to three people, depending on the size and complexity of the job and the regulations in that jurisdiction.
Are there specific tasks that still require human involvement alongside the robot?
Humans are still involved in the operation of the Hadrian X®. Tasks include oversight of the initial build plans, site surveying, aspects of machine operation and any troubleshooting required, ensuring a collaborative approach to construction.
What does the Hadrian X® mean for bricklayers?
The bricklayers of the future will use the Hadrian X® as a tool, much the same as they use trowels and saws now. The Hadrian X® is designed to improve the working conditions of bricklayers, allowing them to stay in the trade longer and avoid the health and safety impacts of manually handling blocks.
Being a robot, the Hadrian X® can handle heavy, repetitive tasks such as block laying, potentially mitigating injury risks, which are common in the construction industry. The Hadrian X® is designed to lay structural masonry rather than specialised masonry or ‘face brick’. In this sense, the Hadrian X® complements human labour, as skilled masons are still required to complete intricate work.
How does the robot contribute to addressing labour shortages in the construction industry?
The Hadrian X® addresses labour shortages by automating repetitive tasks, allowing human workers to focus on more complex and strategic aspects of construction.
What efforts are being made to address public concerns and scepticism surrounding the use of robots in construction?
Efforts include public education on the benefits and safety features of the Hadrian X®, transparency in its implementation, and ongoing dialogue with governments and key stakeholders.
How does the Hadrian X® contribute to sustainability in construction practices?
The Hadrian X® contributes to improved sustainability in the construction process by optimising material usage, which mitigates over-ordering. As the Hadrian X® builds from a CAD model, the robot knows exactly how many blocks it will use, and can cut blocks to various lengths as required for use later in the build. This drastically reduces on-site waste generation while reducing the cost of over-ordering or waste removal.
How does the Hadrian X® compare to 3D concrete printing technology?
The Hadrian X® shares some similarities with 3D concrete printing technology in terms of erecting structures from a 3D CAD model in a similar way to a CNC machine, except the Hadrian X® is a fully mobile system with a long boom reach, and it can lay existing off the shelf blocks rather than a bespoke material, and the resulting structures are certified as meeting applicable building codes and standards.
How well is the technology protected?
FBR has global patent protection for the Hadrian X® and associated technologies.