If you follow technology, especially if you follow our news feed often, it will be no surprise to you that drones once again hit the construction scene, but this time, as your boss. That’s right. Boss. Construction on the Sacramento Kings Stadium, a $500 million project, in California has showed the construction world that automation isn’t only coming, but that it is here.
In an effort to make the project more efficient, drones have been brought in onsite. Their main purpose is to monitor the progress of the workers, as well as the progress of the site. And, what’s more impressive, is that these drones are automated. That means no human interaction required.
The drones are scheduled to patrol the construction site once a day, autonomously. While on their runs, the drones collect data via a camera that records what the robots see. Connected to the hardware of the drone is software that allows the video footage captured to be transmitted back to project leaders and stakeholders who can then monitor the progress of the site in real-time.
The data tells the project leads if the construction of the stadium is moving ahead as scheduled or if certain areas have fallen behind. The software will automatically indicate what particular areas are progressing slower than expected, notifying the higher ups that the guys on the field are not performing as efficiently as they should be.
One of the developers of the software and an assistant professor at the University of Illinois, Mani Golparvar-Fard, explains,
“We highlight at-risk locations on a site, where the probability of having an issue is really high..We can understand why deviations are happening, and we can see where efficiency improvements are made.”
What Does this Mean for Construction?
With drone technology becoming so popular, and the cost of drones decreasing, the now readily available technology is going to make a huge impact in the construction industry. Drones can tackle a number of tasks from surveillance and monitoring of site progress to transportation, surveying, and more. The technology’s efficiency and accuracy is proving itself in the field as many construction firms are moving towards using the technology.
Drones tackle the issues of efficiency and safety far better than human workers, and they can perform the same tasks at a fraction of the cost. Because of this, there will ultimately be an increase in the activity of drones on the construction worksite.
Looking Ahead
This large scale project is one of the first of many to start implementing such technologies onsite as the trend towards automating the construction site continues. Other technologies such as robotic superintendents, driverless bulldozers and trucks, and robotic workers have already been implemented in construction sites around the world.
Still, the high tech construction choice can be added to the list of super smart technologies this smart structure is boasting. With technologies that will recognize you as you walk in without the need for a ticket, cater to you, guide you to your seat, know what food you want, one thing is absolutely clear: technology is invading every facet of business from the construction process to the experience of buyers.
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