With the new year upon us, we thought it’d be appropriate to take a moment to look back at some of the great technology breakthroughs in 2018. We know things are rapidly evolving in the construction management space, but there were a few things that especially,”wow’d” us this past year. Take a look…
1. Humanoid Bot Installs Drywall Independently
Installing drywall just isn’t fun. But it’s obviously a necessary part of about every new construction management project. Well, what if a bot could help relieve the drywall headaches by tackling this sometimes daunting task? Sounds pretty good, right? Even better, think of all the other work that could be accomplished simultaneously while the bot was knocking out drywall.
Well, Researchers at Japan’s Advanced Industrial Science and Technology Institute this year announced the development of HRP-5P. This is a bot that can pick up drywall boards, put them in place and fasten them with a screwdriver without any help from human workers. Development is very early on and the bot isn’t said to be exceptionally speedy, but it does have far more range of motion and fields of vision than a human. We’ll consider that a plus from a safety standpoint as well!
Learn more in this press release
2. HUGE Leaps in VR & AR
Virtual reality and augmented reality is impacting just about every industry out there. Construction management is no different. Clients and workers now have the ability to see through walls, floors and ceilings to visualize projects like never before. Earlier this year, we announced our partnership with Matterport. Matterport has established itself as a company that knows how to create, implement and support the type of 3D and virtual reality technology that is perfect for the construction industry. ICM will be taking part in the training offered to utilize Matterports’ offerings to their full capabilities. When properly implemented, this type of technology and training has been shown to go a long way in building an increased level of trust that every last detail of the project is exactly as the client desires. As this technology continues to evolve, we couldn’t be more excited about the possibilities that we’ll be able to showcase for our clients.
3. Smart Hardhats to Monitor Worker Safety
Employee safety is a big deal at Impact Construction Management. We want everyone we work with to feel safe on the job site. Whether it’s our own employees or sub-contractors, in order for everyone to do their best work they must feel like they’re being taken care of from a physical/safety standpoint.
One big advancement that we read about this year is the concept of a “smart” hardhat that is connected to sensor technology allowing companies to keep an eye on physical well being of workers. This could be huge in monitoring things such as light-headedness, overheating and falls. If these could be better monitored or even all together prevented, it could really help lessen some of the common safety hazards we see in the industry. While aimed at preventing safety incidents, the kit can send automatic alerts when a worker is at risk.
This is just the tip of the iceberg for what’s to come in the construction management industry as new technology is introduced and existing tools continue to be enhanced. At Impact Construction Management, we remain committed to evaluating each new technology for out clients and implementing only what we feel will bring additional value to each project we take on as a company.
About Impact Construction Management
Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, Impact Construction Management is a full-service construction management firm. Founded by Louis Buonaiuto and Richard Bowlin, Impact Construction Management has been managing construction projects for clients throughout the Midwest and South for over 10 years. From our very first project to today, our focus has been on delivering the results our clients want by providing responsive service, up-front pricing and the highest-quality workmanship.
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