Hello friends of form and design, 3D printing already left the laboratories some time ago, but now it is beginning to cross a border that until recently seemed impossible, the bottom of the sea.

Researchers at Cornell University are developing a system capable of printing concrete structures directly underwater, using an approximately 2,700 kg industrial robot.

The objective is simple in idea and extremely complex in execution, because to build and repair oceanic structures without the need to bring ready-made structures from the surface.

The project was born after a challenge launched by DARPA that requested solutions capable of printing concrete in depth using largely sediments from the Seabed itself. The proposal seeks to reduce logistical costs and the environmental impact caused by the traditional transportation and installation of underwater structures.

Unlike the conventional method that requires pieces built on land and then positioned in the ocean, the team works with the opposite logic, bringing the construction directly to the site, causing the least possible disturbance to the marine ecosystem, but printing concrete underwater is not just a matter of taking a robot to the bottom of the sea, the biggest challenge is the material, the water tends to disperse the cement before it solidifies, totally compromising the structure.

To solve the above, the researchers developed a specific mixture that balances strength, stability and pumpability, preventing the concrete from falling apart during printing. Another critical point is visibility, fine sediments can transform the water into a practically opaque environment in seconds. That's why the team integrated advanced sensors and autonomous systems capable of guiding the robotic arm, even without direct visual contact.

Building infrastructure in hostile environments is already a huge leap, but the same combination of robotics and autonomy is also changing another area where error and reaction time make all the difference.

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