The Robotic Beehive: How ERLEtek’s Swarm of 3D Printing Robots Could Transform Construction

In 2023, NASA announced their plans to begin building on the Moon by 2040, and autonomous robots are one of the primary engines to do the construction. At that time, Pablo Alberdi Pagola was a PhD student at DTU, and while on a construction site with his thesis supervisor Gregor Fischer, the news hit. The news sparked an idea in the minds of the now-founders, both of whom had previous experience as construction site managers. They quickly concluded that if we are expected to build autonomously on the Moon, we better start by automating tasks here on Earth.

That conclusion became the seed of ERLEtek, a DTU spinout founded in 2023 with a bold mission: to revolutionise construction using swarms of mobile 3D-printing robots. Inspired by the decentralised logic of a beehive, ERLEtek’s robots are designed to work collaboratively, printing concrete structures directly on-site. Faster, safer, and with far less waste.

From Concrete Boots to Cutting-Edge Bots

Before entering academia, Pablo spent years managing large-scale construction projects, overseeing several workers labouring in physically demanding conditions. That hands-on experience gave him a deep understanding of the inefficiencies and risks that plague the industry. His PhD research at the Technical University of Denmark focused on the structural integrity of oilwell cement sheaths, an exploration of how materials behave under pressure, crack, and fail. That same precision and systems thinking now underpin ERLEtek’s approach to robotics.

A Sector in Crisis

The construction sector is the world’s second-largest industry, contributing around 13% to global GDP. Yet it remains heavily reliant on manual labour, with labour costs accounting for up to 30% of total project budgets. In Western Europe, the U.S., and Asia, a growing shortage of skilled workers is becoming a critical bottleneck. A bottleneck that threatens both productivity and quality.

Unlike manufacturing, which has embraced automation, construction remains stubbornly analogue. ERLEtek sees this as both a challenge and an opportunity.

A Swarm-Based Solution

ERLEtek’s vision is to automate key construction tasks currently performed by manual labour. In the near term, that means focusing on one high-impact process: 3D printing of structural concrete walls using mobile, autonomous robots. These compact units operate as a coordinated swarm, each printing a different section of a structure simultaneously.

This decentralised approach offers a radical departure from traditional 3D printing systems, which rely on large gantries or fixed robotic arms. ERLEtek’s robots are designed for agility, ideal for tight urban sites, post-disaster zones, or even extraterrestrial environments.

Next Steps for the Beehive

ERLEtek is still in early development, and the path forward isn’t without obstacles. Regulatory frameworks for autonomous construction are still emerging. ERLEtek is not the sole provider on the market, but sees other similar companies as allies,

“Actors like, for instance, ICON and COBOD, are making a good effort in this sector. We see them not as competitors, at least not in the next 10 years. Right now, we are rowing in the same direction, together,” Pablo concludes.

ERLEtek is currently building and testing its first robotic prototype at the Developer Hall at DTU Skylab. The bigger aim is to prove that swarm-based systems can match, or even outperform traditional construction tech. The swarm-based approach could unlock entirely new ways to build on construction sites all over the world, and perhaps, even on the moon. 

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