Remix.run Logo
contingencies 5 days ago

I visited Re:frame Systems[1] in Boston last month and it was pretty cool to see their system which was apparently primarily comprised of a series of magnetic stops on an angled work-surface tended by a giant robotic arm. Cut to length lumber would be fed in on batched trolleys and the arm would compensate for non-square lumber while pinning individual pieces in place then finally nailgun them together in to a completed structural frame. These frames then moved flatpack-style to a second site in the factory for assembly then manual fit-out. I was quite surprised at how slow the arm was, but it didn't really matter because a human would likely take longer by the time they went up a ladder a few times, had a break, and took time off for weather interruptions. They had a pretty impressive team drawing experience from most of the larger US robotics applications and were moving from single level to double level housing, with more elaborate structures planned in future.

[1] https://www.reframe.systems/