You can 3D print almost anything these days. We see electric bikes and entire homes created with all types of different materials. Speaking of houses, researchers from the University of Maine think it found a solution to the national housing shortage. 3D-printed homes using all-natural materials.

The University's Advanced Structures and Composites Center (ASCC) recently shared details on what it's calling the world's first 3D-printed home made entirely of bio-based materials. We're talking about all-natural wood fibers, bio-friendly resins, and claims the house is entirely recyclable.

While we've seen wild homes manufactured with a 3D printer using clay or a unique concrete process, this house doesn't use any of that. Instead, the team created four "home modules" from wood fibers, 3D-print each module, then transported those modules to the housing property.

Related: I Mean, Who Wouldn't Want a $300,000 3D-Printed House?

The 600-square-foot prototype "BioHome3D" features 3D-printed floors, walls, and roofing. The team even used 100% wood insulation, meaning it'll stay warm in the winter and cold in the summer.

Interestingly, this 3D-printed wood home only takes a few hours to build. Once those main modules were printed and transported, a team assembled the house in the morning, and one electrician took two hours to get the place up and running. I don't know about you, but that's pretty impressive. Thanks to a precision printing process, nothing goes to waste. There are no leftovers once construction is completed, and anything remaining is usable on the next home.

According to The University of Maine's ASCC, BioHome3D could eventually help address the US housing shortage, not to mention help in its home state. Maine has an ever-expanding need where it's short about 20,000 homes. Things are even worse when you look for affordable housing. This house could solve both.

Considering that all the materials used are 100% recyclable, in 100+ years, our great-grandchildren could fully recycle and rebuild one of these homes. Unfortunately, we didn't get more information about what's inside, or how much one of these will cost to make. Either way, this is one more example of technology pushing innovation in all aspects of our lives.

via Engadget