# Colony-Building Robots The Driftbot Droid Constructs and Supports Futuristic Nomadic Settlements By Amelia Roblin | Published 2013-04-08 | Eco Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/driftbot References: [suckerpunchdaily](http://www.suckerpunchdaily.com/2013/04/08/driftbot/) & [linkedin](http://www.linkedin.com/pub/leah-zaldumbide/4a/306/981) As metropolises around the world become more and more built up, many people will reach a breaking point and yearn for a more nomadic way of life that would bring them out of the congestion of infrastructure and polluted air. The Driftbot concept proposes a way for future societies to form in previously uninhabitable areas such as desserts. Leah Zaldumbide and Alex Woodhouse dreamed up this avant-garde Noah's Arc that follows itinerant communities and helps by building them temporary shelters from locally found materials. The enormous android would crawl along the landscape -- specifically surrounding the Salton Sea -- collecting sand and rocks and water, and dispensing them along the earth with its robotic arm. The Driftbot could construct livable mounds that would later disintegrate back into the soil. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.7/10 - Popularity: 56% | Activity: 77% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Eco](https://www.trendhunter.com/eco) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Nomadic Settlements:** The rise of Driftbot could lead to increased demand for nomadic settlements in previously uninhabitable areas. - **Robotics in Construction:** Driftbot represents a disruption in the construction industry by replacing human labor with robots. - **Sustainable Architecture:** Driftbot's use of locally found materials presents an opportunity for sustainable architecture and design. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Construction:** Driftbot presents a significant disruption in the way construction workers work. - **Robotics:** Driftbot provides a glimpse to the future of robotics in areas previously reserved for humans. - **Architecture and Design:** Driftbot's use of locally found materials presents opportunities for sustainable architecture and design. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Mechanical Legged Mobile Homes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mobile-home-concept.md) - [Autonomous Emergency Drone Concepts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/polestar-duo.md) - [Coastal Erosion Prevention Robots](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sand-robot-concept.md) - [Solar-Powered Charging Robots](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/solar-mars-bot.md) - [Autonomous Aquafarming Robots](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cultivation-robot.md) - [Climate-Responsive Prefab Homes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/drop-pod.md) - [Compartmentalized Robotic Delivery Vehicles](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/buzzy-bot.md) - [Bio-Inspired Transforming Robots](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bioinspired-transforming-robot.md) - [Interactive Autonomous Cityscape Sweepers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/interactive-unmanned-sweeper-concept.md)