If the S.M.A.R.T. tower appears to be in constant motion, it’s only because the structure is covered by a swarm of 100,000 robot bees.

S.M.A.R.T. stands for Swarm Manufacturing and Augmented Reality Technology. Using CAD and LPS (Local Positioning System) data, the bees can be programmed to augment the structure virtually, turning virtual information and data into physical realities. The concept is the vision of Seoul, Korea architects Yoon H. Kim and Yang-Kyu Han.

These bees aren’t interested in honey: these workers will actually build a structure. Each robot is capable of using cartridges filled with agents that enable them to construct literal physical material, which the designers dub “augmented synthetic material.” An amassing of this material forms skyscraper that is conductive, allowing electricity and data to flow throughout the skin of the structure which enables the pulses to be directed to very specific locations.

The structures the bees build are covered in aerial spikes that have, on the end of their spikes, high-definition video cameras that receive and process data and then display it back to users on the interior. The data displayed can be that of the user’s choosing, and can even be requested and controlled via the user’s mobile device. And, because the bees create structures that receive data in the same way and are conductive, information can be shared between S.M.A.R.T. buildings instantly, providing an unprecedented level of information sharing. The bees of the future work not to build honeycombs, but giant data towers.

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