Artificial intelligence (AI) is a combination of smart devices and deep learning tools. As a reader, if you stop taking a lighter view of the AI’s scope and potentials, then only you can understand the full potential of AI.
The construction industry is a labor-intensive sector where many workers are required to complete various tasks associated with a project. But the construction industry is also notorious for the high rate of accidents, almost five times more than the manufacturing sector.
With such a high rate of accidents, a construction project often experiences delays and cost overruns. To prevent accidents at construction sites by predicting their likelihood and putting in place preventive measures, construction firms can prevent potential accidents.
This idea was recently taken up by a construction company Suffolk and computer software company SmartVid. Suffolk later invited other construction companies to form a consortium work in this direction.
They planned to use deep learning tools and algorithms to accomplish the task. This prompted many software and construction companies to explore the options and possibilities to prevent accidents at construction sites before they can happen.
Can construction site accidents be prevented by using AI?
The short answer to this question is yes. AI includes various smart and connected devices, including sensors. Take, for example, road flares. In its smart digital form, a road flare can be equipped with sensors and GPS.
At the construction site, these road flares can mark off an area as dangerous. With its flares on, it can quickly warn workers from approaching that area and prevent potential accidents.
What’s more? The digital road flare can send an alarm to the control room when someone gets too close to the danger zone. Its motion detectors can detect any human movement in its vicinity. The GPS in the road flare can help the control room to know the exact location where a worker is approaching a dangerous area.
With the connected device, the worker’s location can be identified, and an alarm could be sent directly to him. In this way, a combination of AI tools can help prevent an accident at a construction site.
How can in-depth learning help prevent accidents?
Deep learning is part of AI where historical data and live data are analyzed to detect the trends and messages hidden there. This means if the data of all the accidents in a particular situation is analyzed, it is possible to identify and quantify the factors leading to accidents.
For example, the possibility of a particular kind of structure caving in during the construction process can be analyzed by studying tens of thousands of images, videos, and case studies of similar accidents at different construction sites all over the world.
This can give a clue about what exactly leads to a particular type of accident. Once the engineers know what causes a particular structure to cave in more easily and frequently, they can develop and build protection around it. This will help prevent the accident.
The construction company would know where exactly to place the safeguards against possible accidents. This insight and knowledge come from deep learning or big data analysis.[adsense]
Can robots and IoT help?
AI incorporates the use of robots and the Internet of Things (IoT). Robots used at construction sites come with several smart features, including automation and remote-control technologies.
They perform many of the hazardous tasks such as demolition, heavy lifting, excavation, etc. The IoT is at the core of artificial intelligence, and it helps prevent accidents at construction sites in many ways.
IoT works through a series of connected devices linked to a central server. It helps prevent accidents by spotting damaged machinery and preventing collisions. These are some of the most common reasons for accidents at construction sites.
AI helps identify problems as soon as they occur, and it allows the companies to take corrective measures to prevent any potential accidents. These days, several smart wearable products in the market can track and monitor vital information.
In workers at the construction sites, these wearable devices can set off an alarm as soon as a worker approaches a dangerous place or situation.
Final Thoughts
Artificial intelligence can go a long way in preventing accidents at construction sites. For example, a digital road flare can warn an unsuspecting worker from possible danger. Deep learning methods can forewarn about the possibility of an accident in a particular spot or situation at the construction site.
