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Google to use robot-crane hybrids to construct new ‘hackable’ Mountain View headquarters

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According to a recent report from Architects Journal, Google is looking to use a robot-crane hybrids to assist in building its new Mountain View headquarters. The report includes several mock-ups of the machines, which will be used to lift and shift the “pre-fabricated” components inside the structure.

The machines, referred to as “crabots,” are a mash-up between flexible cranes and robotic machinery. The crabots will reportedly play a crucial role in the internal design of Google’s new headquarters, designed by Bjarke Ingels and Thomas Heatherwick. Google has researched the construction process of its new headquarters extensively, according to documents obtained by Architects Journal.

The interior of the building will take advantage of an “integrated” system of steel columns and monocoque floor plans. More from the documents:

“We have studied different options to create a lightweight, flexible and “hackable” system for the building of the interior structures. Our objective is to create a solution that can be assembled efficiently and economically within pre-erected canopy structures by means of small, easily maneuverable cranes. Through the life of the buildings this will allow reconfiguration and maintenance of the canopy envelope from within. The monocoque system has been tested in each of the buildings of this submittal and has proved a flexible and resilient system to various degrees of ‘hacking’ and customizing.”

This information comes from a set of design papers submitted by Google to the City of Mountain View Council this week. Google’s new headquarters will house 20,000 Google staff. Earlier today it was reported that Google hit a major roadblock in the construction of its new headquarters.

(via Engadget)

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Avatar for Chance Miller Chance Miller

Email: Chance@9to5mac.com

Chance currently writes for both 9to5Google and 9to5Mac, in addition to 9to5Toys.