Robotic prefab 3D printing buildings in extreme environments toward Martian habitats

Abstract

Abstract This study integrates four complementary datasets—a global compilation of 100 extreme-climate hotel sites, 631 embodied carbon intensity comparisons buildings, 56 construction robotics firms, and 517 Martian habitat studies—to identify how climate-environment, artificial intelligence geometry design, and robotic automation construction technology jointly determine carbon efficiency across terrestrial and extraterrestrial contexts. Clustering analysis revealed distinct climate–design relationships, from compact insulated geometries in Arctic regions to expansive, ventilated forms in hot deserts. Random Forest regression showed that perimeter, surface area, and temperature range are the strongest predictors of embodied carbon reduction, confirming the geometric dependence of carbon performance. Global refurbishment-phase data further demonstrated that prefabrication consistently lowers absolute emissions, even where relative efficiency diminishes under extreme environmental conditions. Industrial mapping indicated a rapid global rise of robotic and 3D printing construction firms, concentrated in Europe, China, and North America. Bibliometric analysis of Martian habitat research identified additive manufacturing and in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) as dominant strategies, but also revealed limited integration with life support and human-centered design domains. Together, these findings establish a unified computational, AI-assisted, and systems-level approach framework connecting climate-environment-responsive geometry, prefabricated and additive manufacturing, and robotic 3D printing automation, offering a scalable pathway toward architecture on Earth, Moon, Mars and other off-Earth habitats/ extraterrestrial architecture.