Robotically assembled building blocks could make construction more efficient and sustainable

New research suggests constructing a simple building from interlocking subunits should be mechanically feasible and have a much smaller carbon footprint. Adam Zewe | MIT News Publication Date: April 28, 2026 Press Inquiries Press Contact: Abby Abazorius Email: [email protected] Phone: 617-253-2709 MIT News Office Media Download ↓ Download Image Caption: A robot carries three voxels as it walks across a voxel structure. Modular Inchworm Lattice Assembler robots, or MILAbots, use grippers on each end to place voxel building blocks and engage the snap-fit connections. Credits: Credit: Courtesy of the researchers ↓ Download Image Caption: The MILAbot’s unique legs, seen here in close up. “The robots can assemble the voxels by dropping them into place and then stepping on them to have the pieces interlock,” Miana Smith explains. Credits: Credit: Courtesy of the researchers ↓ Download Image Caption: The team studied the embodied carbon needed to fabricate their new voxel designs using three materials: plastic, plywood, and steel. The steel and wood voxels, pictured here, offered significant environmental benefits. Credits: Credit: Courtesy of the researchers ↓ Download Image Caption: Two robots work together to build a voxel structure. Credits: Credit: Courtesy of the researchers ↓ Download Image Caption: A researcher works in the CBA fab lab. Researchers want to perform larger-scale fabrication experiments to expand upon the lab-scale demonstrations in this study. Credits: Credit: Courtesy of the researchers ↓ Download Image Caption: Left to right: Yeshey Wangmo Lepcha, Tshering Wangzom, and Miana Smith stand under an arch created with voxels, as part of a working visit from the Bhutanese team to MIT. Credits: Credit: Courtesy of the researchers *Terms of Use: Images for download on the MIT News office website are made available to non-commercial entities, press and the general public under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives license. You may not alter the images provided, other than to crop them to size. A credit line must be used when reproducing images; if one is not provided below, credit the images to "MIT." Close Caption: A robot carries three voxels as it walks across a voxel structure. Modular Inchworm Lattice Assembler robots, or MILAbots, use grippers on each end to place voxel building blocks and engage the snap-fit connections. Credits: Credit: Courtesy of the researchers Caption: The MILAbot’s unique legs, seen here in close up. “The robots can assemble the voxels by dropping them into place and then stepping on them to have the pieces interlock,” Miana Smith explains. Credits: Credit: Courtesy of the researchers Caption: The team studied the embodied carbon needed to fabricate their new voxel designs using three materials: plastic, plywood, and steel. The steel and wood voxels, pictured here, offered significant environmental benefits. Credits: Credit: Courtesy of the researchers Caption: Two robots work together to build a voxel structure. Credits: Credit: Courtesy of the researchers Caption: A researcher works in the CBA fab lab. Researchers want to perform larger-scale fabrication experiments to expand upon the lab-scale demonstrations in this study. Credits: Credit: Courtesy of the researchers Caption: Left to right: Yeshey Wangmo Lepcha, Tshering Wangzom, and Miana Smith stand under an arch created with voxels, as part of a working visit from the Bhutanese team to MIT. Credits: Credit: Courtesy of the…

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