I-NASA inikeze ucezu lwe- $ 100,000 yabo I-3D-Printed Habitat Challenge imali emaqenjini amahlanu ngokungenela kwawo esigabeni sesi-3: Izinga loku-1 lomncintiswano. Lo mncintiswano uyingxenye yezifiso ze-NASA zokwakha indawo yokuhlala ephrintiwe ye-3D ukuze kuhlolwe indawo ejulile, okuhlanganisa nomzamo wabo wokuya ku-Mars.
Umncintiswano, owaqala emuva ngo-2014, uyingxenye ye izigaba ezintathu inselele egxile kubuchwepheshe bokwakha obudizayinelwe izixazululo zezindlu ezisimeme zoMhlaba kanye nangale kwayo.
Isigaba sokuqala sahlanganisa amaqembu avela ezikoleni zamabanga aphezulu ahlukene, amakolishi, namabhizinisi ukuthuthukisa izinhlobo ezahlukene zezakhiwo ezingasebenzisa amakhono ephrinta ye-3D anganikeza. Isigaba sesi-2 sahlukaniswa saba amazinga amabili, elokuqala kwaba uMqhudelwano Wamalungu Esakhiwo lapho amathimba ayejutshwe ukwenza izinto zokwakha kusetshenziswa izinto zomdabu kanye nezinto ezigaywa kabusha. Ileveli 2 igxile ekwakheni izindawo zokuhlala ezigcwele kusetshenziswa lezo zinto.
Isigaba sesi-3 sinamazinga amahlanu ahlukene, abekela amaqembu inselelo yokuthi akhe izindawo zokuhlala ezisezingeni eliphansi- ezintathu ezokwakhiwa, kanye namazinga amabili aklanywe cishe. Ngasohlangothini lwe-virtual, amaqembu asebenzisa i-Building Information Modeling (BIM) isofthiwe yokuthuthukisa izindawo zokuhlala ezinakho kokubili isakhiwo esibonakalayo kanye nezinhlelo ezihlukahlukene ezifakwe ngaphakathi kwazo. Emazingeni okwakha, amaqembu anikezwe umsebenzi wokuphrinta i-3D ngokuzenzakalelayo izakhi zezindawo zokuhlala, futhi ekugcineni enze i-1/3.rd imodeli yesikali yokungena kokugcina kwesigaba, esinephakheji yemiklomelo engu-$2-million.
Amaqembu amahlanu awine isigaba samamodeli abonakalayo, ngalinye lithole ucezu lwemali yomklomelo walesi sigaba. Abawine indawo yokuqala, iTeam Zopherus of Rogers, baklame indawo yokuhlala esebenzisa iphrinta ye-3D ehambayo ukuze kwakhiwe izakhiwo kuyilapho ama-rover etshalwa ukuqoqa izinto zokusebenza njengoba kuboniswe kuvidiyo engenhla. Njengoba umqhudelwano we-virtual usuphelile, amaqembu asenezinye izigaba ezine okufanele adlule kuzo ngaphambi kokuthi ufinyelele umvuthwandaba wokuphrinta kwe-3D phakathi kwabaphumelele kahle okuhlelelwe ekuqaleni konyaka ozayo.
