Brick-bot Hadrian X gets to work building homes in Australia
The combination of AI and Machine Vision are helping robots break new ground and take over more jobs and tasks from human workers.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2019) 'Brick-bot Hadrian X gets to work building homes in Australia', 311 Institute, 13 August. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/brick-bot-hadrian-x-gets-to-work-building-homes-in-australia/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
Recently there have been a flurry of developments in the construction industry that are revolutionising how we build our cities and communities, from the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms that can design cities so humans don’t have to, through to the emergence of autonomous drones that will act as site foremen controlling and directing fleets of autonomous construction vehicles and cranes, and autonomous 3D printing robots as they print everything from 80 storey skyscrapers, family homes, military barracks, and entire communities in just days - as well as settlements on Mars and the Moon. And that’s before we discuss how the arrival of 5G is now helping construction workers control equipment in one location while they themselves are thousands of miles away.
Now though two Australian firms, Fastbrick Robotics (FBR) and Australian material supplier Brickworks, have added a modern twist to traditional construction that could one day signal the end of the road for human brick layers and unveiled Hadrian X, a brick laying robot that now means the company can offer “Wall as a Service.”
FBR has already run numerous trials and in November last year they managed to build their first house in just three days using the tech, which was then followed up with a $2 million investment from Caterpillar.
“We are very pleased to have a joint venture partner with the reputation and scale of Brickworks to jointly offer Wall as a Service to the [Australian] market. The joint venture will demonstrate the capabilities of the Hadrian X and test our business model for the commercialisation of Wall as a Service,” said Mike Pivac, FBR’s CEO, adding that they plan to commercialise the technology later this year.
What this means for your organisation
Walls become a service.
Builders can buy finished walls rather than hire bricklayers. That shifts construction towards outcomes. Developers should compare robotic services with current costs.
Speed changes the schedule.
A house was built in just three days. Faster build times cut finance and holding costs. Housing leaders should model how speed changes project returns.
Skills will shift.
Robots take on repetitive laying work. People move to setup, supervision and finishing. Plan training for site teams now.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
- Could robotic walls cut our build times and costs?
- How would faster builds change our project finance?
- What new skills will our site teams need?
The trends and technologies behind this story
From the 311 Starburst, the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit’s map of the technologies and trends shaping the next 50 years.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit, from Matthew Griffin’s article and 311 data. First published on Fanatical Futurist.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
The combination of AI and Machine Vision are helping robots break new ground and take over more jobs and tasks from human workers.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, President and Futurist, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
Read full bio
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 17-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder, President and Futurist of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
What future do you need to see?
Choose one to get started on robotics and the future of your organisation.
Sources and further reading
- Construction industry 311institute.com
- Artificial intelligence 311institute.com
- can design cities 311institute.com
- drones that will act as site foremen 311institute.com
- Israels autonomous crane takes aim at the fully automated construction sites of the future 311institute.com
- A quarter of dubais new buildings will be 3d printed by 2030 311institute.com
- Family france first family live in 3d printed house 311institute.com
- The us marines are 3d printing barracks with the worlds largest 3d printer 311institute.com
- entire communities in just days 311institute.com
- settlements on Mars and the Moon 311institute.com
- 5G 311institute.com
- construction workers control equipment 311institute.com
- Fastbrick Robotics fbr.com.au
- Brickworks brickworks.com.au
- Caterpillar caterpillar.com
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 13 August 2019. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2019). Brick-bot Hadrian X gets to work building homes in Australia. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/brick-bot-hadrian-x-gets-to-work-building-homes-in-australia/
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