At the height of summer, builders get busy on jobsites to get the most out of long days while they can. But working longer isn’t the only way to get a leg up on projects while the sun shines. Technology can help contractors work smarter, too.
Here are seven recent announcements from software makers and other tech providers about new offerings or updates to existing products that are designed to smooth out construction for contractors:
Canvas
The little drywall robot that could just got littler.
San Francisco-based Canvas, which has made waves in the world of construction robotics with a machine it claims can cut drywall job times from five days to two — one for applying mud and one for sanding — has just released its newest model. The 1200CX has a more compact design than the firm’s 1550 model, allowing it to finish right up to corners and ceilings.
Years of development and customer feedback, Canvas says, have resulted in a smaller, lightweight and highly maneuverable machine that construction pros can use in tighter spaces, including multifamily and tower construction jobs.
The machine measures 30 by 34.5 inches and weighs 1,200 pounds. It has all-wheel steering, runs a full workday on a single charge and can complete Level 4 and Level 5 finishes, according to Canvas. The company says its robots are easy to use and give workers in the drywall trade skills for the future while reducing fatigue, injuries and 70% of repetitive motions.
But it’s not just the machine’s physical footprint that has gotten a makeover. Canvas uses over-the-air software updates — a method popularized by electric carmaker Tesla — to refine the robots’ capabilities even after they’re deployed on site.
GeoCue
Geospatial solutions provider GeoCue has added a scanning system to its product lineup, with features that enable users to generate digital twins in real time as they walk through indoor and outdoor environments.
The TrueView GO series, featuring the 16-channel 116S and the 32-channel 132S models, integrates survey-grade LiDAR scanning, cameras and visual SLAM technologies. It produces real-time georeferenced point clouds displayed live on the tablet, allowing for instant adjustments and ensuring thorough coverage, the firm said in a release.
Now available for pre-orders, TrueView GO is designed for pros across various industries, including surveying, civil engineering, construction, urban planning and forestry, the company said. It can operate even in areas without satellite signals, ideal for indoor and urban surveys.
Buildots
Construction technology company Buildots announced the release of a new feature to further enable unified tracking of automated and manually recorded tasks within a single platform on both mobile and desktop devices.
The feature allows project teams to leverage artificial intelligence for automated progress tracking, while enabling professionals to log and verify tasks requiring human oversight, such as confirming the presence of electrical wiring in conduits or completion of tasks like quality assurance checks and inspections.
Integrated tracking bridges the human/machine gap by addressing the critical challenge of scattered data from manually recorded activities, Buildots claims. By incorporating both manually recorded and automated activities into a single platform, the new feature helps to ensure that the data set used for progress and performance tracking is as comprehensive as possible, the company said in the news release.
“Following our recent Delay Forecast feature launch, Integrated Tracking is the next step forward for us,” said Aviv Leibovici, Buildots co-founder. “By merging the precision of AI with the indispensable expertise of field teams, we're providing a tool that enhances more aspects of project management. This is just the latest stop on our journey, as we move toward offering a fully integrated and holistic tracking solution."
One Click LCA
Software provider One Click LCA has launched a tool designed to help developers and builders in California to comply with new sustainability benchmarks for non-residential buildings and schools. The new embodied carbon reduction regulations in the California Green Building Standards Code became effective July 1.
The One Click LCA CALGreen Tool simplifies CalGREEN compliance by tapping into Revit and energy models, according to the release. It provides a robust framework for building reuse, performance and prescriptive compliance, ensuring a comprehensive approach to sustainability.
The CALGreen tool features the world’s largest database of material environmental product declarations and automates the calculation of embodied carbon reductions, making it easy to document and report compliance, the release said.
Sage
Sage has announced new native-cloud innovations for bid leveling, collaboration and insight in its Sage Estimating cost estimating software for the construction industry.
The Sage BidMatrix native-cloud platform helps estimators effectively manage the chaotic nature of the subcontractor selection process and makes it easy to compare subcontractor bids, evaluate project risks and optimize bid strategies for greater success, according to the firm.
In addition, a new web interface with slice-and-dice capabilities leverages standard business intelligence tools including Microsoft’s Power BI, enabling customers to analyze and gain insight from having all their estimating data centralized in the cloud, Sage claims.
“With the addition of real-time collaboration, deep bid analysis capabilities and robust reporting and analytics on a scalable native-cloud platform, we are poised to deliver more innovations that take Sage Estimating customers into the future,” said Julie Adams, Sage senior vice president of construction and real estate, in the release.
IMAGINiT Technologies
Baltimore-based consulting firm IMAGINiT Technologies, which helps architects and engineers become more proficient in the use of 3D technologies, said it has integrated Bluebeam’s software solutions into its offerings to provide a one-stop shop for customers who are also using Autodesk products.
Bluebeam’s software helps architects, engineers and construction pros coordinate their field and office teams to keep them on the same page. The firm’s tools enable users to create, mark up and share PDF documents, streamline project workflows, reduce paper usage and improve communication for project stakeholders.
IMAGINiT’s new integration with Bluebeam’s tools will help users gain more insight into how to leverage them via a self-paced learning management platform, according to IMAGINiT.
The firm said that by combining Bluebeam’s collaboration tools with expert knowledge of Autodesk’s products, it can improve customers’ project outcomes across the AEC industries.
Samsara
San Francisco-based Samsara, which helps organizations with physical operations leverage Internet of Things data, unveiled a slew of new products at its user conference in Chicago earlier this summer. They include:
Connected Training: Targeted to customers in the transportation sector, the firm’s data-driven training experience is designed for continuous, remote learning via Samsara’s Driver App. Managers can upskill their workforce by consolidating all training within the Samsara platform and connecting with existing workflows for a seamless employee experience.
Connected Workflows: Building on its Connected Forms product that digitizes paper processes for physical operations, this program orchestrates multi-step workflows. Connected Workflows can automatically assign forms, manage approvals and create tasks based on contextual insights, like entering a geofence or detecting a vehicle crash, according to the firm.
Asset Tag: As sensors get more sophisticated, it’s now possible to connect virtually anything to the cloud, whether it’s trailers, tools or equipment. Asset Tag was designed to meet customer demand for tracking and managing small, high-value assets. It leverages the Samsara Network of millions of devices to help organizations minimize their downtime spent searching for lost or stolen items, reduce associated costs and simplify inventory management.
Smart Trailer features: The firm’s Trailer Telematics allows fleets to diagnose anti-lock braking system issues and electrical power failures. As a result, the company says, operators can optimize trailer maintenance, keep drivers safe and maintain compliance, safety and accountability scores.
