The Hadrian-X is a Bricklaying Robot That Can Lay Up to 500 Blocks Per Hour

Australian company FBR launched the Hadrian-X, a bricklaying robot that can work 20 times faster than human bricklayers. Hadrian-X is said to be the world’s first mobile robotic bricklaying or blocklaying machine that is fully capable of working outdoors under most weather conditions.

At first glance, the Hadrian-X looks more like a large dump truck rather than what it is. It has an extendable boom arm that can reach up to 32 meters and can handle blocks of up to 45 kilograms in weight and 600 x 400 x 300 mm in size.

One might think that with such heavy and large blocks, the Hadrian-X will move slowly but that is not the case. FBR reports that Hadrian-X has a top-rated speed of 500 blocks per hour, which means it can build a full-sized home in over two days or tennis-court-sized walls in just 4 hours.

While the Hadrian-X can work 24/7, this bricklaying robot is tablet-operated, so a human will still need to oversee and control it. It will also have to undergo a system before it can start laying out blocks or bricks. It will first need to learn the CAD plan so it can lay bricks with precision, and human workers will have to “feed” Hadrian-X with masonry blocks located at the back of the truck.

From there, the robot’s dehacker will cut the blocks into the desired size. Once they are cut into pieces, the blocks will be sent down to the boom arm so a special construction adhesive will be placed in each mortar. After which, the Hadrian-X can finally lay down the bricks into place where they will be dried and secured within 45 minutes.

Although, since the Hadrian-X is the first-gen model of FBR, this bricklaying robot still has room for improvement. While the Hadrian-X works swiftly, it may not be as precise as one may want it to be.

In the demo video posted, it can be seen at the 1:08 mark that there are some inaccuracies with its brick placement. Nevertheless, the performance and results are still impressive whether we are comparing the Hadrian-X with human bricklayers or noting that this is a robot that’s the first of its kind.

As of writing, FBR is already working on its second and third robots. The first and second of those units will be sent to the USA to help work in FBR’s Florida-based “Wall as a Service” business. Perhaps a collaboration between Hadrian-X and Frank can be in the mix soon to help humans build and construct more solid infrastructures at a faster but cheaper rate.