Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/1245531
I DA U N I V E R S A L M ay -J u n e 2 0 2 0 41 replace all other forms of security, but to add another layer. The company's system of bees, hives and sunfl owers is an easy fi t for construction sites, where theft and trespassing at odd hours can be an issue, but the tools can do a lot more than safeguard vacant sites. When a Sunfl ower Labs drone buzzes above a construc- tion site, it can deploy computer vision-enabled analytics tools for volumetric measurement to convert an image of a pile of gravel into a prediction of total on-site material. Then tools from computer vision startups like Pics 4D, Stockpile Reports and Drone Deploy can provide object detec- tion, 3D renderings of properties for tracking construction progress and other image analysis tools. Companies like Delair take a combination of data from IoT sensors, drone footage and stationary cameras from a construction project to create a 3D rendering that Delair calls a digital twin. The rendering is then used to track progress and identify anomalies, like cracks or structural issues. Major construction compa- nies around the world are increas- ingly turning to technology to reduce construction project delays and accident costs. The 2019 KPMG global construction survey found that within the next fi ve years, 60 percent of executives at major construction companies plan to use real-time models to predict risks and returns. Indus.ai is one of a handful of companies making computer vision systems for tracking progress on construction sites. "We can observe and use a segmentation algorithm to basically know every pixel – what material it is – and, therefore, we know the pace of your concrete work, your rebar work, your form work and [can] start predicting what's happening," Indus.ai CEO Matt Man told VentureBeat in a phone interview. He envisions robotic arms being used on construction sites to accomplish a range of tasks, like creating materials or assembling prefabricated parts. Digitization of data with sensors in construction environments will enable various machine learning applications, including robotics and the management of environ- ments with a mix of working humans and machines. For large projects, cameras can track the fl ow of trucks entering a site, the number of fl oors completed and the overall pace of progress. Computer vision could also follow daily work production and help supervisors determine whether the work of individuals and teams follows procedure or best trade practices. "Imagine a particular robotic arm can start putting drywall up, then start putting tiles up, all with one single robotic arm. And that's where I see the future of robotics [...] To be able to consolidate various trades together to simplify the process," Man said. "There could be armies of robot- building things, but then there is an intelligent worker or supervisor who can manage fi ve or 10 robotic arms at the same time." Man thinks software for directing on-site activity will become more critical as contractors embrace robotics, and he sees a huge opportunity for computer vision to advance productivity and safety in industrial spaces. Stanford University engineers have explored the use of drones for construction site management, but such systems do not appear to be widely available today or capable of coordinating human and robotic activity. "Having all these kinds of logistical things run together really well, it's something I think AI can do. But it's defi nitely going to take some time for the whole orchestration to be done well, for the right materials to get to the right place at the right time, for the robot to pick it up and then to do the work or react if some of the material gets damaged," Man said. "In the current construc- tion methodology, it's all about managing surprises, and there are millions of them happening over the course of the whole construc- tion plan, so being able to effec- tively manage those exceptions is going to be a challenge." One construction robotics platform to rule them all Boston Dynamics, known for years as the maker of cutting- edge robots, also entered Continued on page 43 Robots continued from page 39