Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/816045
April 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com 42 jobsite technology | continued T ools walk. It's a fact of life that handheld tools and things like ladders, generators, job boxes and other small items get misplaced, borrowed, stored where they shouldn't be or sometimes stolen. Milwaukee's new One-Key app allows you to track and man- age all your Milwaukee tools via computer or phone. The app enables you to manage inventory by giving you the tool's status and location. It will also alert you to the tool's performance and maintenance schedule, and you can assign each tool to a specifi c jobsite, person or vehicle. If a tool gets stolen, the app will notify you of its loca- tion the next time the tool comes within range of your phone. But for assets like ladders, generators, job boxes and other assets, Milwaukee's Tick device can be attached using screws, epoxy or straps. Products with a Tick attached are synched to the One Key app, and the tool's re- cords and locations are updated anytime it comes within 100 feet of your phone or device with the app. – Tom Jackson Cat investment in Airware to accelerate rollout of dealership drone program I n a move signaling the heavy equipment manufacturer's intent to more fully integrate drones and the aerial data they capture into the workfl ows of construction job- sites around the world, Caterpillar has invested in Airware, a company that offers end-to-end commer- cial drone solutions. The partnership builds upon a re- lationship forged between the two companies when Airware acquired Cat partner and French drone data startup Redbird last September. Cat and Redbird began collaborating in January 2016 on enhancing Cat's VisionLink telematics data with drone-captured maps that update daily progress. Based in San Francisco, Airware was founded in 2011 to develop an operating system for drones that allows businesses to plan, fl y and analyze aerial data. The company has raised $90 million in investments. Airware CEO Johnathan Downey said last year that his company ac- quired Redbird to provide an all-in- one drone solution for the construc- tion and mining industries. At the time of the announcement, Cat Vice President of Marketing and Digital George Taylor said the acquisition would be a boon to his company's gradual implementation of drone solutions, noting that the deal would "increase Caterpillar dealers' solu- tions offerings by enhancing their ability to provide an end-to-end enterprise drone solution globally." In regard to his company's invest- ment in Airware, Taylor says the col- laboration between the two compa- nies makes Cat "better positioned to offer drone services through indus- try-leading technology that helps digitize and optimize operations." When making the announce- ment, Cat said the primary motiva- tion behind its investment is to al- low Airware to roll out a program with Cat dealers that will "make drone services a core part of their business." Soon, Cat dealers will offer cus- tomers photogrammetry, mapping and volumetrics tools along with a suite of advanced analysis and reporting modules. These offer- ings include Airware's Redbird software, which allows custom- ers to monitor daily progress and worker safety and offers site-wide collaboration tools. –Wayne Grayson Take control of tool management with Milwaukee's One Key app and Tick tracking device Attach it and track it, Milwaukee's Tick tool tracker is about the size of a hockey puck and when affi xed to any asset allows you to track it with your phone. – Tom Jackson