An Italian company built a 40-foot tall 3D printer to help solve the global housing crisis

An Italian engineering company is taking 3D-printing to new heights, literally.

World's Advanced Saving Project (WASP), which is a company that builds 3D printers, has created a 40 foot tall, 20 foot wide printer that uses locally sourced, eco-friendly materials like clay or dirt to construct low-cost houses.

The massive machine basically consists of a metal frame with a nozzle in the center that rotates forming a structure layer by layer all while consuming very little energy.

WASP built the gigantic printer, called the Big Delta, with the aim of providing housing quickly and efficiently to those in need.

For example, this technology could be used to provide housing in developing nations or to provide relief to those in disaster zones who have lost their homes.

Adequate housing is global problem plaguing millions of people. And the problem is expected to get a lot worse in the coming years due to rapid urbanization and poor urban planning.

According to the United Nations, by 2030, approximately three billion people will need proper housing and access to basic infrastructure like water and sanitation systems. 

Printers like the one WASP created could potentially provide some relief to the housing crisis.

WASP was not the first company to think of using 3D-printing for construction, though. For example, a Chinese construction company used similar technology to construct modular homes and a design firm in Amsterdam is using robots to 3D-print a bridge over the Amsterdam Canal.

The company is hosting a 3D printing event over the weekend in Italy where it is debuting its working prototype by building a house. A drone will be capturing the progress and the company will also be posting updates about the project on its website.

Check out the video below to see the giant printer set-up.