Dive Brief:
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Skanska USA is expanding deployment of Smartvid.io machine-learning tools for organizing and analyzing photo, video and voice data collected from drones, smartphones and other Internet-connected devices on construction sites.
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The collaboration is a result of a partnership developed under the Skanska Innovation Grant Program, a Skansa-run tech incubator and accelerator. The expanded pilot program will build off initial successes seen in analyzing data from photographs and video shot in the field.
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Smartvid.io technology uses speech and image recognition to identify safety, productivity, quality assurance and efficiency improvements on the job site revealed by visual and audio data collected by UAVs and other smart devices. The technology also has project management, planning and security applications
Dive Insight:
Drone analytics are becoming a hot market as major AEC firms, software providers and drone flight service companies look to tap into the visual and environmental data provide by UAVs. In September 2016, San Francisco–based drone giant Airware purchased drone analytics provider Redbird to add data capture for mining and construction clients. This week, Intel acquired Germany-based MAVinci with a similar intent to own analytics within the drone vertical.
Beyond drones, the Skanska–Smartvid.io partnership can access video, photographic and voice data from a full roster of connected job site devices including cameras and worker smartphones and tablets. If analytics can indeed be used to improve equipment and technology in motion, machine learning could begin to achieve additional efficiency, productivity and safety milestones for AEC firms.
The Skanska partnership isn’t Smartvid.io’s first foray into construction tech. In October, the firm announced integration into the Procore app marketplace, providing image and voice recognition smart tagging to assist data managers with organizing photo and video data.
