Babcock Ranch showcases cutting-edge robot in home construction

Neighbors, friends, and students gathered Wednesday morning to witness a groundbreaking event in their community.

A construction robot, Hadrian X, is building homes at Babcock Ranch, showcasing cutting-edge technology.

Ben Crisafulli is the vice president of sales for PulteGroup. He said that few of these machines exist in the world.

“So the machines look behind me. There’s three of them in the world,” said Crisafulli. “It’s an Australia-based company. They brought this over. It’s only around the US. They brought it over in August, and they’re doing 10 test homes here in the US. So we’re very fortunate to have you here at Babcock Ranch.”

The Hadrian X can construct walls in as little as one day, operating at twice the speed of traditional methods.

Dan McKrill is the director of construction business development for FBR.

“In the build we’ve at the moment, we’re running it anywhere from 280 to 320 blocks an hour, in comparison to a good mason, or a mason out in the field who’s laying 250 to 300 a day.”

This robot is the third of its kind, and Crisafulli hopes it paves the way for more development.

“Hopefully, this goes somewhere, but even if it doesn’t, just getting the entire team together and getting to see some new technology is really special,” said Crisafulli.

Developers addressed questions about the technology’s readiness, emphasizing its reliability.

“We’ve had some questions about that. Hey, how do you know the quality hasn’t been tested? All we’re doing is substituting labor force using the same type of Cinna block, reusing epoxy, which is actually two times stronger than the normal mortar that would be used on a home, but the epoxy itself is something that’s been around in the industry for a long time,” said Crisafulli.

The event also attracted students from Babcock Neighborhood School who were eager to learn about advanced technology.

“This is their wheelhouse. So some of them are really into this part. Then we’ve got other kids who are really into learning how to use, how do I use a skid steer, an excavator? So they’re getting a chance to see what their passions are. There are opportunities to be successful,” said Rico Moreno, a teacher at Babcock Neighborhood School.

Moreno hopes these opportunities inspire his students to become future changemakers.

“I learned so much from what’s going on in class because of their experience. So I think if I can continue that, and we can continue to share and learn together, that the classroom will be a better place if they know that it’s not just coming from me,” said Moreno.

The home is expected to be completed between mid-June and July.