The World's Advanced Saving Project, or WASP, is set to unveil what it calls the Big Delta, which is the largest delta 3D printer in the world.

The printer is 40 feet tall and was created with a goal of building next to zero-cost housing by using as little energy as possible and local materials. This could be a big help in disaster zones, where quick and inexpensive relief is needed.

Making buildings on a tight budget quickly is a very interesting concept and could have significant implications for things like settlement on other planets. The concept could allow us to create buildings with intricate designs that are unusual but very functional. Some of these designs simply wouldn't be possible to build in any other way.

On Earth, however, 3D-printed homes could also be useful, especially given the fact that the United Nations predicts that there will be a need for almost 100,000 new homes per day for the next 15 years. With the cost and energy requirements being so low in things like disaster situations, being able to 3D-print homes could change how we deal with disasters.

The Big Delta itself is supported by a large metal frame that is 20 feet in diameter and has rotating nozzles that double as mixers to keep the materials being used homogeneously without taking up too much energy. The materials used range from things like mud to clay that is structurally reinforced with chemical additives.

Currently, it seems like Iglesia, a town on the coast of Sardinia, will be the first to demonstrate the use of the new Big Delta. The Big Delta itself will be shown off in the region of Lazio.

Via: Gizmag