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The UN is testing a 3D printer it says can build small modular homes, with the smallest single-room units costing just $1,000. (newatlas.com)

submitted 1 week ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Another good point- lets fix poverty by replacing local labor with a 3d printing machine!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago

I'm no luddite, if it makes sense to automate some menial task we should. Let's do the napkin math.

It says it costs 180,000USD. A labourer in rural Columbia might cost 1USD per man-hour. If we assume it replaces two workers, and produces a house generously 3 times as good, that's your investment back in 30,000 hours, or ~3.5 years.

Actually, that's decent. I guess I was expecting it to cost millions. If you make less generous assumptions, you get a less generous result, but they have a shot.