May 4, 2017 --Imagine: At the push of a button a team of machines jumps into action, taking a digital blueprint and transforming an empty lot into one with a physical home in just days. They finish on time, on budget, and with zero waste. This Jetsons-like vision of an automated future has come largely true for car manufacturing. Now engineers hope buildings will be next. From Apis Cor's 3-D printed house to the MIT Media Lab's new multipurpose robotic arm, startups and research teams alike aim to spark a digital revolution in an analog industry that has thus far proved resistant to disruption.

It could be the end of seemingly neverending delays and arguments with builders. A San Francisco startup has revealed a future where homes are built in just 24 hours. Apis Cor unveiled a 400-square-foot house in a town outside of Moscow, Russia that was constructed using a mobile 3D printer. The technology printed the walls, partitions and building envelope from a concrete mix - the entire project was done in a single day and amounted to $10,134. A San Francisco startup foresees a future where homes are built in just 24 hours.