As technology continues to advance by leaps and bounds, innovations find their way into just about every aspect of our lives and every industry out there. Even an industry that’s fundamentally straightforward, such as construction, is experiencing a surge in tech.
Here are some ways in which the worlds of high-tech and construction are merging.
Safety Vests
Construction sites are a veritable cornucopia of potential accidents. There are so many people, vehicles, and activities going on, that it’s easy to lose track of what’s what, and before you know it, someone gets hurt. When you take highway construction into consideration, it gets even worse, because then you add motorists to the mix.
The InZoneAlert vest, being developed by Virginia Tech, features things like GPS and radio sensors that connect the wearer with wireless networks, enabling easy communication and location. The system is designed to alert the wearer of a collision, and there’s even talk of making the vest broadcast a dashboard warning to motorists, thereby reducing the risk of roadway accidents with construction personnel.
Apps
Yes, there are apps for anything, and that includes the construction site. According to the article “Thought Leader Series: 5 Apps to Help Construction Workers Get More Done”, contractors can avail themselves of a broad range of construction-related apps.
There is everything from sharing and editing AutoCAD drawings, to team management, to performing calculations, to a means of managing your entire team’s mobile devices, and let’s face it, everyone these days seems to have a mobile device.
The app selection is huge, covers all the main platforms, and ranges from free to around $25 per user per month. Unsurprisingly, the apps that do more are the ones that cost a little more.
Halo Lights
A Halo light is a personal active safety system (otherwise known as PASS), consisting of a high-powered wearable light. This light makes the wearer visible for up to a quarter of a mile away and offers 360-degree illumination.
Inspection Cameras
Sometimes, construction workers need to check out hard-to-reach places to snap some photos and analyze the materials or construction in question. Inspection cameras are small gadgets that can get into those tight places, and are connected to larger cameras using tubing.
Smart Headsets
Back to wearable tech again. Originally designed for the military, this Motorola-produced headset is a hands-free computer that sends alerts and warnings about safety issues and malfunctioning sensors, as well as allowing construction workers to access user manuals. Furthermore, it has voice recognition command capability. This is the perfect device for making sure that construction workers stay connected to the office while still being free to work at the same time.
Climate-Controlled Clothing
We end on an amazing note. One of the worst things about construction is working outdoors and being at the mercy of the weather. Yes, there is now in fact such a thing as clothing that will heat up or cool down based on the wearer’s body temperature. Now you don’t have to waste time adding or removing layers!