A MetaPrinter with a silver-gray appearance like a space capsule appeared at the World Robot Conference 2022 on August 18, attracting the attention of visitors. The research and development of the printer was led by Professor YUAN Feng’s research team from the College of Architecture and Urban Planning of Tongji University. Their patent helped FAB-UNION to turn their research result into a MetaPrinter. The conference was co-sponsored by the Beijing Municipal People's Government, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the China Association for Science and Technology.
MetaPrinter at the World Robotics Conference 2022
The MetaPrinter is the integration of the Metaverse environment and 3D printing technology. It showcased the achievements made through combination of architectural intelligent design and construction, and robot equipment manufacturing technology platform of Tongji University. As a mobile robot printer for customized production of Metaverse architectural art works, the MetaPrinter integrates the concept of virtual reality symbiosis and takes blockchain data storage and low carbon intelligent construction as its core technology. It features production and construction integration, online and offline real-time interaction, and mobile and multi-site printing. In this way, the built objects can coexist in both virtual and real life, and achieve "producible as you wish". It has become an important facility for intelligent construction in the Metaverse era. The chairs provided for the audience on site were also products printed by the MetaPrinter.
The chairs printed by the MetaPrinter
Aiming at the national development strategy of Digital China, the Tongji team took the advantages of the subject strengths of architectural intelligence, and did research on independent intellectual property control system, generic technology of architectural robots, and processing of the architectural robots. They developed the 3D printing software control system of FURobot for the hardware of large-flow and high-precision 3D printing robots with recycled plastic materials and for the blockchain data encryption algorithm for customized mass digital production.
The team was active in promoting the transformation of digital production, and joined hands with Shanghai high-tech enterprises for the implementation and transformation of research achievements. Through patent empowerment, the team accelerated the transformation and industrialization of technological innovation. So far, Tongji University has completed 11 patent conversions with FAB-UNION, including "large-scale robot 3D printing equipment and process", "a rapid grid forming tool and method applied to mechanical arms", which directly enable the research and development of the robot equipment technology platform for the construction of the MetaPrinter. With the help of FURobot software independently developed by Tongji University, the product realizes the integrated services of building intelligent design, digital twin simulation optimization and robot printing in virtual and real life.
According to YUAN, his research team will focus on the major needs, develop key technologies, and provide academic support and technical demonstration for the promotion of domestic digital transformation in the future. They will also strengthen the development of standards of the industry, possess independent intellectual property rights, and continue to promote the high-quality development of China's digital construction industry.
