This Texas Neighborhood Was Built by a 3D Robotic Printer
white collar: a job where people work in offices or do professional work that doesn’t involve physical labor
blue collar: a job where people do physical work, often in construction, manufacturing, or other manual labor fields
With the rise of AI threatening white-collar jobs, some have suggested that highly skilled blue-collar jobs are a safer career choice. Work that requires dexterity and mobility can’t be done by AI, but robotics are also advancing quickly.
A giant robotic 3D printer is finishing building a whole neighborhood of 100 houses in Texas. The printer, called Vulcan, is not like the small ones you see on desks. It is huge and heavy, able to build a house in about three weeks. Icon, the company behind this technology, says they have reduced the number of construction workers needed to build their houses by 80%.
These houses have strong walls that protect against bad weather and keep the inside cool, even in Texas heat. They cost between $450,000 and $600,000, and some are already sold. ICON hopes to use this technology on the Moon one day, working with NASA to build future lunar homes.
Sample sentences
Many white-collar workers spend their days in front of a computer.
Blue-collar jobs are usually more physically demanding, but they are also rewarding.
White-collar and blue-collar jobs can both be challenging work requiring creative problem-solving skills.
Origin
The expression “blue collar” comes from the early 20th century when manual workers often wore blue uniforms to hide dirt and stains. “White collar” refers to office workers who usually wore white shirts and worked in cleaner environments.
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World’s largest 3D-printed neighborhood nears completion in Texas