Initial Research Pathway

Description of large-scale mobile construction 3D printer (ICON Vulcan Construction System)

• The team brainstormed on interesting advances in civil engineering.
• The team selected '3D printed structures' as the research idea.
• The team prompted ChatGPT 3.5 with the following prompts: "Hi, please brief me on 3D printed housing technology.", and "I see. Are there examples of specific companies or brands involved in the development of this technology?". The printouts by ChatGPT 3.5 from these two prompts gave the team a concise understanding on 3D printing housing technology, and the organizations involved in the field.
• The team selected the US-based company, ICON, to conduct further research on.
• The team visited ICON's website, and determined ICON's 3D printing system as the Vulcan Construction System.
• The team continued their research to understand the capabilities and real-world applications of the Vulcan Construction System, through reading materials on ICON's website, external news articles, and academic journals. The specifications of the system, as well as examples of buildings constructed by the system, were gathered and recorded.