As construction developers and contractors continue to adopt Internet of Things (IoT) solutions to cut costs and build faster, one industry-wide goal is to ensure workers are aware of how to effectively automate the process.
This is why groups like Versatile Natures, a company that provides on-site data-collection technology to construction sites, aims to make construction work more like a typical manufacturing process. To do this, IEEE Spectrum says the company uses a “sensor-packed” device mounted to a crane to track the flow of materials on site. The company also monitors environmental factors such as wind speed, to make sure the crane isn’t pushed beyond its limits.
“We’re looking at the most fragmented and nonstructured process ever, but it is still a manufacturing process,” Meirav Oren, CEO, told IEEE Spectrum. “The focus is on turning construction into a regimented process that can be better understood and optimized.”
Another construction-tech startup, Pillar Technologies of New York City, wants to reduce the impact of on-site environments on workers’ safety and schedules. To do this, Pillar makes sensors that measure eight different environmental metrics: temperature, humidity, carbon monoxide, and particulates. The company then evaluates the data, and makes predictions about potential hazards and delays.
Alex Schwarzkopf, cofounder and CEO of Pillar, hopes that one day Pillar’s devices will use data to monitor construction progress, and inform general contractors of delays in advance.
Source: IEEE Spectrum
