Construction Technology and Software Rundown: Week of Oct. 30, 2017
Technology meets equipment with autonomous bulldozers, a tool inventory app and AOBRD/ELD. Two surveys report that contractors worry about cyber and data breaches and important technologies to implement include AR, BIM and 3-D imaging laser scanning.
Apps
DEWALT® Tool Connect™ App for Inventory Management
An update to DEWALT’s free Tool Connect™ mobile app is now available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Compatible products include Tool Connect™ tools and batteries. For assets that don’t have integrated Bluetooth® capability, users can still connect by using the Tool Connect™ Tag (DCE041) or the 20V MAX* Connector (DCE040). Tool Connect™ features a 3-part inventory management solution that encompasses the Tool Connect™ Inventory Manager web portal, the updated Tool Connect™ mobile app and connected products.
PlanGrid Full Sheet Search Available for ios, Coming soon to Android Devices
PlanGrid’s Full Sheet Search enables users to search sheets on mobile devices while offline in the field on iPad and iPhone devices and will be available on Android and Windows app stores soon. Users can search for text across all the sheets on a project. PlanGrid’s enhanced search algorithms now recognize related words, e.g. a search for “architecture” would show sheets with the term “architect” or “architectural.”
Software & In the Cloud
Gorilla Safety Offers $10 Per Month AOBRD for ELD Mandate Transition
To help bridge the gap between the Phase 1 and Phase 3 deadlines for Electronic Logging Devices (ELD), Gorilla Safety is offering affordable AOBRD (automatic onboard recording device) technology for fleets in transition to help ensure they meet the initial deadline. The FMCSA ELD ruling allows drivers to use an AOBRD from December 18, 2017-December 16, 2019 on the condition that it was installed prior to December 18, 2017. Gorilla Safety is offering its AOBRD for $10.00 per month, including hardware, with a typical turnaround time of approximately 3-4 weeks.
Zinc Push to Talk 5 Provides All Modes of Communication in a Single Enterprise Platform
Zinc 5, an All Mode Communication Platform for deskless workforces offers messaging, voice, video, broadcasts and integrated push-to-talk. With Zinc, mobile devices become globally connected two-way radios or walkie-talkies; management gains insight into cross-functional communication patterns to uncover problem areas and better understand communication by location, department or topic to drive change and improve performance; and employees stay connected while driving safely, troubleshooting or simply staying available for a customer.
Partnerships & Acquisitions
3rd Eye Teams Up with Gorilla Safety on ELD Technology
3rd Eye, developer of vehicle safety cameras and radar, and Gorilla Safety, provider of innovative software solutions that automate fleet and safety management, are partnering on an Electronic Logging Device (ELD) solution that integrates into 3rd Eye’s fleet management platform. The 3rd Eye ELD offering is part of its Enhance Vehicle Behavioral Analytics™ – a complete suite of information captured by 3rd Eye cameras, collision avoidance radar, body sensors and chassis data – transmitted in real time via 3rd Eye’s Hurricane Gateway to fleet owners to help better manage and protect their assets.
eSUB Announces Integration Partnership with Autodesk
eSUB Construction Software is partnering with Autodesk to provide subcontractors with direct access to building information modeling (BIM) from the eSUB project management solution. The eSUB Field Works mobile app enables field personnel to document jobsite activity and access project information. eSUB customers will be able to access 3-D plans and files from Autodesk BIM 360 directly from the eSUB platform for a holistic view of a project. The eSUB integration with BIM 360 was developed on the Autodesk Forge connected developer cloud platform that enables customers and partners to create customized, scalable solutions for engineering, construction and manufacturing challenges. Viewing 3-D models in eSUB is the first phase of the integration between Autodesk and eSUB. The Forge BIM 360 API provides additional integration points to connect eSUB and BIM 360 for stronger collaboration on projects, reducing duplicate work and manual entry and improving overall construction workflow.
Video & Cool Stuff
Travelers Risk Index Finds Disconnect with Cyber Risk Fear and Response Planning
The 2017 Travelers Risk Index found that despite recent data breaches and the fact that 36 percent of construction leaders reported they worry about cyber and data breaches and 15 percent of construction leaders report having experienced a data breach, only six percent have created a cyber/data breach incident response plan. As the industry increases its reliance on IoT technologies, the risk is growing.
Leica Survey Offers Insights on Technology Tools in AEC
According to a survey by Leica Geosystems, AEC pros anticipate the latest technologies such as augmented reality (24 percent), BIM (14 percent) and 3-D imaging laser scanning (48 percent) will have a significant impact on their jobs over the next three years. Drones and robots were also on the list of technologies, coming in at nine percent and five percent respectively. Yet they have concerns about the return on investment and learning curves associated with the adoption of these technologies, including unknown timeframe for return on investment, steep learning curves and finding qualified employees to use the technology. The survey was conducted in August 2017 among AEC professionals that had reserved a BLK360, the world’s smallest 3-D imaging laser scanner.
Autonomous Bulldozers May be on the Market Soon
Built Roboticsfleet of autonomous earth movers may be moving dirt soon following a startup that raised $15 million to hire engineers and get the product to market. The company is adapting sensors from self-driving cars, retrofitting them into proven equipment from the job site and developing a suite of autonomous software designed specifically for construction and earthmoving. Operators program the coordinates for the size hole that needs digging, then stand off to the side and watch the vehicle do all the work. Another company, Cyngn, may be gearing up to convert loaders, excavators and other construction vehicles to become fully autonomous, according to reporting by Recode.