New construction technology releases: December 2022

Here are five recent announcements from software makers and other tech providers about new products or updates to existing products that are designed to smooth out construction for contractors:

PlanRadar

Digital construction platform PlanRadar has launched a full suite of QR code functionalities integrated with its proptech platform that covers everything from construction project management to BIM model design and facility maintenance.

QR codes can be placed around a site to track location-specific issues or assets. Users scan the QR code with their camera or the PlanRadar app and the linked ticket opens automatically. This makes it simple to reference specific details while at a construction site or when maintaining facilities, the company said in a release shared with Construction Dive.

The launch adds to the company’s existing capabilities in allowing NFC tags to connect with location-specific issues.

Eyrus

Eyrus, a jobsite intelligence platform for the construction and oil and gas industries, has launched Eyrus, Evolved, an end-to-end solution to help general contractors make better decisions related to progress, risk and safety.

Eyrus, Evolved’s new and expanded offerings include onboarding/self registration, integration with third-party background check providers, and hardware-free deployment. Workers’ mobile phones can now act as a “digital badge” for controlling site access, geo-locating workers in defined project work areas and ensuring workers are accounted for in case of a safety or emergency event, the company says.

In addition, jobsite teams now have the option to allow workers to view and edit their time sheets based on system permissions. This increases the transparency of data collected to the worker level.

Skydio

California-based drone manufacturer Skydio has announced the launch of its new product line, which includes the cloud-connected Skydio Dock and Skydio Dock Lite, powered by the firm’s new Remote Ops software.

Skydio drones housed in the lightweight base stations can fly autonomously or with a single off-site operator at a fraction of the cost, size, and complexity of existing solutions, the company says. In addition, the Remote Ops software enhances the drones’ AI-powered autonomy so operators can perform streamlined missions.

Built on AI models, Skydio’s Dock solutions give customers complete remote and autonomous visibility into tasks like site inspection and monitoring, mapping and situational awareness from anywhere in the world, the firm says.

Thinkproject

SaaS provider Thinkproject has released an audit-safe cloud archive for CDE and BIM software, to store a construction project’s information, best practices and accumulated experience.

Archive was designed to ensure that project information is always easily accessible and secured, even after the project is finished, according to the company. It also enables construction companies to comply with legal retention requirements and safeguards that project information is available for potential warranty claims and litigation.

The product can be enriched with best practices and lessons learned as a knowledge base to be available for future projects, the firm says.

Stereolabs

Stereolabs has launched the ZED-X, the first stereo camera designed for robotic navigation and process automation in indoor and outdoor environments. With new SDK and multi-camera control, the ZED-X is designed to bring 3D perception to robots in the agriculture, construction and logistics industries.

While traditional navigation systems rely on Lidar sensors and cameras with limited fields of view and low resolution, the ZED-X gives robots AI camera-based “surround vision,” according to the company. By fusing 3D spatial data from multiple stereo cameras, Stereolabs’ platform allows robots to navigate and detect obstacles in any complex environment while being more affordable and easier to install than Lidar-based alternatives, the company says.