Patent ID: 7966159

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of constructing a structure, including: scanning into a computer memory a plurality of irregularly or randomly shaped blocks of building material, the blocks having no pre-existing required arrangement, to obtain scan data in a computer memory representing the respective size and shape of each of the blocks; uniquely identifying each scanned block and associating each scanned block with the corresponding scan data using a computer processor; determining a virtual structure, representing the size and shape of the structure to be constructed using a computer processor; processing with a computer processor, the scan data according to at least one predetermined criterion to choose at least one scanned block and determine a desired orientation and position of the at least one scanned block within the virtual structure; and outputting build data to an output device representing instructions regarding the desired position of the at least one positioned scanned block in the structure, wherein the scan data is three dimensional (3D) scan data representing the entire 3D surface configuration of each of the blocks, and wherein the at least one predetermined criterion is structural stability of the structure.