Architecture and construction are always quietly at the forefront of technology and material trends. Therefore, especially in famous technical universities such as ETH Zurich, it is found that a project using artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics is being carried out. The automated design and construction they are experimenting with shows how homes and offices may be built in a decade. It is understood that the project is a huge sculpture flowerpot. This "sky garden" is inspired by the legendary architecture of the ancient city of Babylon. Semiramis (named after the queen of Babylon) started in 2019 is a cooperation between human and artificial intelligence designers. Of course, the overall idea comes from the creativity of its creators - Architecture professors Fabio gramazio and Matthias Kohler. The design is realized through a set of computer models and machine learning algorithms. For example, during the design process, the team may adjust the position of a large "pod" constituting a 70 foot structure or change the layout of the panels constituting its surface. Then, the software they created will immediately adjust the overall structure and the geometry of other panels to adapt to these changes, so as to ensure that it can still safely bear its own weight. Structural rendering of Semiramis sky garden Although there are many automated processes in the construction field, the project pushes the boundaries away from the final level of control it seems to give them. After all, the point is to make it a real collaboration, not just an architectural spell check. "Computer models have allowed us to subvert the traditional design process and explore the full design scope of the project. This has brought new and often surprising geometries," Kohler said in a news article by ETHZ. After the final design is obtained, the construction is completed by another human automation team: a group (four) mechanical arms work together to fix multiple heavy parts in place, while human beings apply the resin used to maintain the relationship between them. This is a higher level than what we saw a few years ago when the same team used robots as automatic assistants. Semiramis is being built in the workshop and then transported piece by piece to its final home in tech cluster Zug. It should be fully assembled and ready to receive soil and seeds next spring, so if you are in this area, you can go to the site. (Xinhua News Agency)