MIT has created a robot that is capable of printing the entire basic structure of a building. Most importantly, the system can be powered with solar panels.

Recently, physicist Stephen Hawking shared his belief that within 100 years, humans will need to colonize nearby planets – such as Mars – to survive. He cited climate change and overpopulation as two major contributors to this necessity. With the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) new 3D solar printer, building structures on other planets could be easier than once thought.

MIT has created a robot that is capable of printing the entire basic structure of a building. Most importantly, the system can be powered electrically with solar panels. 

To show the technology off, the Institute constructed a 12-foot-high, 50-foot wide dome out of foam insulation framework, reports Inhabitat. In just 14 hours, the structure was completed. Said engineering graduate Steven Keating, who worked on the project:

"The construction industry is still mostly doing things the way it has for hundreds of years."