Watch Spiderbots Defy Gravity to Wall-Walk and Create 'Impossible' Structures

Spiders are generally seen as alarming creatures when left alone in your house-- especially when you find one in your bedroom just as you're about to turn out the light. But what if a spider was actually building something extraordinary for you out of its web—and not just preparing for dinner?

Maria Yablonina, a graduate of University of Stuttgart’s Institute for Computational Design (ICD), has devised a new method of construction using spider-like robots that's cheap, fast, and capable of creating structures that would otherwise be impossible to build.

 

These mini robots follow the fabrication method called "swarm construction," which involves swarms of small robots working together to produce complex structures. In doing the tasks, these robots use sensors and suction to traverse any smooth surface, and then use carbon fiber to create complex web-like structures.

“We are only at the very beginning of exploring the true architectural potential of this fabrication system,” ICD director Achim Menges told Dezeen. "Working with many small robots rather than one or two big ones extends the design space significantly and allows us to tap into the unique possibilities of filament structures," he added.