Austrian startup Printstones has been developing robotic 3D-printing robots since 2017, and has just pulled back the curtain on its latest prototype, a mobile multi-tasking construction bot called the Baubot.

Like machines from Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Fastbrick Robotics, the Fraunhofer Italia Innovation Engineering Center, and others, the Baubot is being developed to assist and automate the construction industry, improving site safety while lowering overall costs as it rolls along.

The electric-drive robot gets to where it needs to be on tank-like all-terrain tracks at a maximum speed of 3.2 km/h (2 mph), and can be controlled manually using a smartphone interface or set to follow pre-programmed commands. It’s reported capable of climbing stairs, can navigate through doorways, and has a per-charge operation time of up to eight hours.

The Baubot’s multi-function robot arm has a reach of 1,000 mm (39 in), has an accuracy of under 1 mm, and can accommodate a number of different tools to help with construction tasks such as milling and drilling, driving in screws, plasma cutting, welding, laying bricks, sanding and painting surfaces, and more. The robot can also haul a payload of up to 500 kg (1,100 lb) on its back, so it can transport materials to where they’re needed too.

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