Overview
- Cornell researchers report steady tank trials using a 6,000‑pound industrial robot, producing multiple underwater print samples each week.
- The concrete mix is nearing DARPA’s high seafloor‑sediment target, a requirement intended to reduce cement transport at sea.
- Preventing washout remains a central hurdle, with anti‑washout additives raising viscosity and forcing a pumpability versus strength tradeoff.
- The fabrication group built a sensor‑equipped control box integrated with the robot arm to guide printing despite turbidity and near‑zero visibility.
- Teams are preparing for a March bake‑off to 3D‑print an underwater arch, as Cornell integrates materials progress with real‑time sensing and control.