BILL-E robot can build structures block by block

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a new robot called BILL-E, named after WALL-E, which could revolutionise how the construction industry works.

BILL-E (short for Bipedal Isotropic Lattice Locomoting Explorer) has small arms with tools at the end of each to clamp down on structures - called voxels. The robot and the voxel work together as a system to navigate 3D space without sensors, cameras, or algorithms, Engadget reports.

Without all the complex systems, BILL-E tracks its position by counting its steps on the structure it is tasked with building. As it works together with the voxels, it is easier to fix damaged parts.