The construction industry was one of the primary sectors in which technology adoption has been slow. Moreover, the hazardous work environment is a threat that construction workers have been struggling to mitigate.

Reportedly, OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) says, out of five worker fatality among the different industries, one would be in construction. Which implies 20% is the worker fatality rate in this sector. 

Since the involvement of manual effort is more and the limitation of employing technology in such a vast manner across safety measures, the construction sector couldn’t efficiently experience the advantages of technology. 

However, the far-reaching capacity of today’s advanced technology overpowered all the weak points that the construction safety sector encountered in the past and empowered every aspect of the construction sector as well.

Let’s explore some examples of how construction tech is enhancing job site safety

IoT (Internet of Things):

The influence of IoT is visible in every sector that involves electronic machines and intelligent components. Hence, it rooted its prominence in construction technology as well. 

By automating the data collection and scheduling maintenance activities, IoT devices are playing a significant role in construction safety. It is the most critical mechanism in all the wearable used in a construction site. Also, IoT makes way for advanced Virtual and Augmented Reality in construction safety practice. 

To illustrate, an autonomous robotic machine that is operated remotely is driven by the signals triggered from and to the IoT devices. Plus, to analyze the environment from a control room and delivering proper guidance to the workforce in a remote area has also been done by IoT devices. 

An Australian firm tried IoT technology to improve the safety of the construction workers. They provide smart helmets that can monitor their safety and send data to the Cloud. Analyzing the day-to-day data, the supervisors could understand the frequency injuries, heatstroke, and hazardous work practice that they have been through at their worksite.  

Besides, IoT produces the real value of practicing safety recommendations evidently to the workers. This will reduce the tendency to overlook and iterate the mistakes and improve the safety program adoption rate considerably. Then, IoT helps to get clutter-free insights directly from the worksites with the help of wearables and machines.

Exoskeletons:

Construction workers are more prone to skeletal disorders and muscular strain. Lifting heavy loads and equipment cause much stress all across their body. Exoskeletons are helping them to reduce the impact of such works and improve endurance. It acts more like the workers’ internal skeletal frame.  This robotic metal suite supports them while lifting heavy tools and holding it for a long time. 

Moreover, exoskeletons used to reduce body fatigue and avoid unhealthy posture while working. It comes in two modes, electric powered and mechanical, that is designed for the purpose it serves on different occasions. In electrical power suits, the sensors to collect the data and supply adequate support to the wearer and in mechanical suits distribute the weight across various strength sources and make the work easy. 

However, these technologies are easing out difficult jobs into easy activities. Ekso Bionics is one of the companies that are taking this invention seriously and making enormous improvements in exoskeleton designs for the construction industry. There are different types of exoskeletons, such as mechanical and electro powered shoulder support, power gloves, back support, whole bodysuit, and crouching support types of Equipment. 

Worksite Sensors:

Worksite sensors are one of the practical components that help to analyze the different conditions of a worksite. A lot of companies are employing worksite sensors to trace the work condition of their labors such as temperature, chemical components, toxicity, air quality, noise level, and so and so. 

As we know, workers exposed to toxic environments such as Asbestos are causing more fatality in the construction industry. A report from asbestos exposure says that 125 million people around the world remain at risk of asbestos exposure in their industrial space. 

However, the implementation of worksite sensors is broadly helping companies to identify toxic substance presence in workplaces. These sensors were working in an automated setup and mounted all across the construction site. Some sophisticated sensors are using artificial technologies for effective safety practice.

Hence, as the prefixed software is set up, it will collect the data and send it to the destined destination for further analysis. In this way, worksite sensors are doing a great job of reducing workplace hazards. 

Site Survey Drones: 

Drones are accomplishing numerous jobs in the construction industry today. As a novice technology drone hasn’t had anything to do with the construction sector. However, construction sites make use of this advanced drone technology for site surveying, structural inspections, and mapping construction growth. Also, drones are used for monitoring worker safety all around the sites to identify hazards. 

The incredible mission that was done by drones in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear power plant enthralled everyone. Over that critical situation, drone led the data collection to manage the disaster. Likewise, in Mexico, a company deployed drones to inspect a 100-kilometer pipeline, which usually takes two weeks to complete with manual effort. Surprisingly, the drone finished it within one hour and delivered the critical data intact. Similarly, drones are participating in practical use-cases across different occasions to safeguard workforces.

Virtual Reality:

Virtual reality is not just a technology for entertainment and marketing industries. Today, it has a broader scope across multiple sectors, including construction. Globaldata says virtual reality is going to kick start safety training like never before. The construction sector adopted advanced technology to train their workers to handle new machine tools and even to perform safety procedures in emergencies. 

Safety training is another area where the construction industry uses virtual reality extensively. Moreover, the workers who are required to work under controlled and elevated environments are making use of these training models to familiarize themselves with the conditions. 

Many big brands are using virtual reality training sessions to train their workforce. To illustrate, Walmart is conducting virtual reality training for its workers to deal with dangerous situations that they may come across. 

Wearable Devices:

Wearable devices are making an incredible change in construction safety practices. There is a wide variety of wearables, such as visual wearable, tactile wearables, sensing wearables, etc. Both hardware and software industries are thriving hard to improve these wearable devices to improve safety practices. 

In the construction industry, wearable devices are more like smart wearable with multiple purposes. It may be a clothing/equipment/sensor-enabled gadget. Also, the use of different wearables is mixed in the construction industry. 

Some wearable will inform the worker about the hazard that they are prone to. Also, it can warn them of taking dangerous movements and postures. Similarly, devices such as exoskeletons assist workers in reducing their stress during a job. 

Autonomous Heavy vehicles & Equipment:

Andrew Boushie, VP of partnership and strategy at Ainstein (developer of autonomous vehicles) says, unlike old days, today autonomous vehicles are practically getting successful in hazardous construction sites. Thanks to the advanced sensor technology and intelligent IoT devices. 

The new sensor technologies that can detect light and range with high-resolution radar serves as the eye for the machine/vehicle operators to prevent any sort of collisions across their range of visibility.

Also., heavy machine manufacturers such as Caterpillar and Komatsu have assembled machines that can be operated remotely. These innovations are ultimately helping workers to keep themselves away from potential harm.

Key Takeaway:

As the construction industry grows to new heights, technology is aiding it with exceptional efficiency and safety practices. The latest safety measures that give a lot of physical and mental advantages for the workers keep them efficient and equipped. This is a welcome change in an industry where safety is a critical requirement to ensure maximum productivity and job satisfaction. 

It seems nothing remains in this world without the streaks of digital footprint. As the world moves to the end of the decade, things are governed more by digital intelligence than manual efforts. It’s all turning native to the digital environment in fact; every sector is defining things digitally. Everything around human beings is getting time-stamped and acquiring a digital manifestation including emotions. 

Intelligent runabouts, robotic healthcare practice, predictive business analysis, and human-like machines are making human life far simple and smart. Within the last decade, earth has witnessed a lot of historical makeover across all sectors. Businesses gained an unprecedented advantage through new technologies. However, as new tech-trends are emerging, let’s check what the top technology trends are in 2020.

1. AI Technology and AI Security:

Of the most game-changing technologies of this decade, Artificial Intelligence is going to disrupt almost every sector going forward. The impact of simulated-intelligence is already visible across different business streams. To enhance enterprise experience and business models more closely to customer preferences, AI adoption is becoming a quintessential factor for every business.

However, owning an in-house developed AI systems cost a lot for enterprises. Therefore, it could be more visible in the form of Software-as-a-service. As its demand grows high and more use cases are deriving, AI might be a part of every technology hereafter. It can have a prominent role in the decision-making panel aiding the think-tanks. 

Along with these promising features, AI is prone to high-level security threats. In the coming decade, businesses have to take serious attention to tackle intelligent security challenges such, data poisoning, intelligent model theft, tricking adversarial examples in machine learning practices, etc.

2. Autonomous Technology:

The development of autonomous-things including robots, intelligence appliances, driverless cars, self-driven delivery drones, automated trucks, and ships are in the talk for years. Tesla has already equipped its vehicles with all the essential hardware to turn it into a fully autonomous wagon anytime.

However, by 2020 it is expected that autonomous technology will spread its grip beyond the controlled industrial environments. Despite the numerous failed public performance tests, autonomous technology in the transportation system has been on the move to reach its destination. 

Even though full-fledged autonomous transportation is still at far to reach, significant achievements have been made across this industry. A sister concern of Google WAYMO ferried 6299 passengers in its self-driving minivan in one of the Robo-taxi pilot programs in California. Thus, crossing the hurdles such as user tests, federal regulations and social acceptance autonomous technologies are growing its social and technical compliance. 

3. Distributed Cloud Architecture:

In 2020 businesses hear more about micro-cloud infrastructures. It refers to availing public cloud infrastructure outside the centralized cloud environment. Being so, micro-cloud environments can solve a lot of latency issues and data sovereignty problems prevailing in current scenarios. 

Being far from the cloud data center doesn’t mean the cloud administration will do by any external dealers. In a distributed cloud infrastructure the provider will take care of all operations. Including the delivery, deployment, service, and updates the providers will perform the service.  

4. Democratization Trend:

Enabling common people to leverage advanced technologies as easy as possible is called democratization in technology. Democratization opens access to design and develop applications using technical tools with little training. Going forward new forms of democratization can be visible across the business and social sectors. 

To illustrate, website development was a complex process that involves perplexing codes and strings back then. However, today, a school student can build a sophisticated website without any technical expertise. 

Providing data accessibility to the business sectors could democratize data and analytics for a broad business development prospects for small scale businesses. Plus, democratizing tech development enables people to upscale the reach of advanced technology across society. It further increases the knowledge of people and results in tech-enabled social empowerment. 

5. Advanced Edge Computing (Empowered Edge):

Delivering computing power to the end network and devices are going to be the trend in cloud computing in 2020. To reduce latency and improve computing performance with service, an empowered edge serves as an exceptional technology. This redefined cloud computing model is also called as device-democracy. 

Within a few years, the world will have to deal with more IoT devices than the human population.  The major challenge that is would pause would be the effective governance of the decentralized and interconnected network. Hence, by providing computing power and security at the end devices empowered edge can ensure secure and effective operation. 

As it facilitates the business to be settled at the edge itself, more electronic devices are attracted to adapt this technology. Thus, by next year the adoption of edge computing can be more visible cross internet-enabled devices.

6. Human Augmentation Technology:

Leaving the limitations behind, technology is advanced to support human beings to chaise beyond their capabilities. Thus, technology is ready to help people to push their limits and break the fences.  Through smart wearable, artificial implants, exoskeletons, human-machine interfaces, augmented reality, gene editing, smart drugs, big data technology s amplifying human capabilities by far. 

The different forms of augmented technologies such as sensory augmentation, functional augmentation (biological), brain augmentation and genetic augmentation are about to take off its reach by 2020. Cognitive augmentation already made the movement by employing big data technologies. It also involves ethical and social implications. Hence, augmented decision making and productive tools would unroll a new scope for humanity in the coming age. 

7. Hyper-automation Tools: 

Hyperautomation is the advanced version of automation technologies. Applying Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to production, manufacturing, business operation process this technology augment productivity. This technique can be made use in all streams in a productive process including robotic machinery in industries, smart business management processes and interconnect data, software, and tools. 

The features that hyper-automation offers are tremendous in different industries. It enables industries to realize the revenue inflow and expense early. Plus, it helps to achieve the maximum impact with an uninterrupted working channel. Besides, using cognitive process automation techniques, businesses can build a predictive system along with smart management systems.

8. Immersive Experience Technology:

Immersive experience redefines the way users perceive the world. It is going to supercharge the experience, especially in the entertainment field. Additionally, the scope of immersive experience is growing high and spreading across different business sectors as well. 

It is expected to amplify online shopping experience, design building, architecture, and other consumer experiences. The advanced computer sensors that can take our senses to the virtual world are gaining popularity across industries. It uses Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Mixed reality and sophisticated sensory technologies to deliver such an immersive experience in reality. 

As it promises enhanced and more engaging experience for all users, businesses are moving to a broader perspective. Hence, in the coming decades, immersive experience will overtake business and marketing tactics intact. 

9. Data Transparency and traceability: 

Tons of data are exchanged across the network each moment. Enterprises are turned out to be data-driven business practices and customer-centric commerce. And people are getting aware of the value of their data. Therefore they are more concerned about the way data has been handled and used.

The data policy issues stirred among the Facebook and Google users are an observable example. 

The importance of data transparency and traceability is more involved in the accountability, integrity, and ethics of data processing. Customers are very vigilant about their data and they need accountability. Hence, businesses are paying more attention to ensure data transparency and traceability.  

10. Extended Blockchain Use cases:

The practical scope of Blockchain technology is evolving with advanced uses cases. Once it serves as a distributed ledger for the fair transaction of bitcoins alone. However, today, the incredible features of Blockchain are changing the game quite loudly. 

Transparency and security are the prominent features of Blockchain technology. As it works as a distributed ledger, each data is recorded in a block and secured with a digital signature. And every block will be sequenced in its chronological order. The nodes/computers in a network can access the data blocks but cannot alter its value. Hence it became a promising digital ledger for many business sectors.

In the coming days, the application of Blockchain can be perceptible in supply chain operations, asset management process, insurance claim processing, money lending platforms, IoT devices, healthcare management, federal document processing, public organizations and so on. 

12. Predictive healthcare Practice:

The era of smart healthcare has been in practice for years. Tele-medicine is a popular example of the smart healthcare model. Technology has facilitated to take healthcare to new modes as telecommunication and robotics ensured reliable support. Today, technologies fuel the end-to-end healthcare system to achieve maximum efficiency.

New methods of precision medicine and personalized treatment approaches are available today. Through the advancements in artificial intelligence and genomics doctors cloud drive a more sophisticated data-driven diagnosis and treatment. This patient data-oriented approach enabled the practitioners to carry out better predictive healthcare practice. 

Therefore, leaping forward, new applications will further enhance the treatments and facilitates more affordable healthcare for everyone. 

13. 5G Network Technology: 

One of the most awaited technologies that are going to disrupt every business sector is the 5G network. Promising unmatched mobile internet connectivity with 20 times faster data exchange than the current network, 5G is expected to make a lot of wonders across all walkways of life. 

However, it is not sure, how affordable it would be from the user perspective. Yet, it seems the enthralling features offset the cost factors. 

The possibilities that 5G offers are unseen and the potential it holds for businesses and end-users is generous. Unfortunately, our world today is not equipped to explore the potential of this technology. It needs to revamp the existing infrastructure, device capabilities, and network environment. 

Conclusion:

The technology trends that the world is going to witness are not limited to this list. As technology grows to new peaks, new modes of solution would replace the trends. Anyhow, 2020 would be an amazing year to explore and more digital tools and trends would escort us to the new decade. 

Business, the word that sums up all wealth in the world, started from its not so complex predecessor Barter or exchanging goods, that later gave way to the invention of money.  Money was the game-changer, but not the last one in the business landscape. The ultimate pivotal change that transformed businesses is technology, and it continues to make work as we know it easier,  more efficient and more error-free. With Artificial Intelligence amassing a crazy following in the last couple of years, more non-technical professionals are accepting the boon of tech in terms of productivity, but that’s not all there is to it. Here are some ways that tech will transform businesses in the foreseeable future.

1. Inexhaustible machine workers 

Automation has already reached sophisticated levels,  from the comfort of smart homes to the dexterity of robotic arms building cars piece by piece.  With automation, robots can perform all sorts of tasks like manufacturing, warehouse operations,  order processing, software development and of course, replace trashy drivers on the road. Automation is expected to save the colossal cost of hiring,  training, errors, and wages and bring greater precision and less frailty to work. Think about it, a robot neither needs a lunch break, nor a holiday so work never stops,  and the revenue keeps flowing!  

2. Blockchain bandwagon will blow up

With Blockchain technology hitting the front lines,  the world has a new digital medium for the value that can be moved, stored and managed with safety and privacy, using a complex code and mass consensus over a secure network.  With this ledger technology permeating businesses, the hauls are many. Smart contracts will implement a more secure financial landscape, reducing cases of fraud and cyberattacks significantly.  It will also help track assets, manage records that change too many hands using a chain code of data where changes are duly observed and accounted for. Blockchain will also cut out the hassles of delayed payments stemming from traditional contracts where payment will be enforced when pre-agreed terms are met from both parties.  Data compliance and security are some more of its innumerable advantages. 

3. User mapping 

This technology studies the behavioral patterns online,  navigational footprints, demographic information and personal details derived from the user’s data to understand what makes them splurge.  Companies like Target and Walmart are already using less sophisticated versions of user mapping to understand the buyer so well that the companies can use AI to predict what they will need before they even know it! The future of selling is to give consumers exactly what they need,  by studying them through their purchases and digital activities. User mapping is also used to target highly personalized ads to people. 

4. Augmented reality 

 The synergy of technical support to aid complex business operations is what has created a global economy,  where businesses operating from a basement can reach millions of people and work with people living in any part of the world.  With Augmented reality, this communication will become even more ‘real’. The business will soon use AR to attract customers in a way that content and graphics can’t.  AR is a niche technology but soon, it will be a truly compelling way to bring in more clients and retain them. Businesses inclined towards virtual teams will also benefit from AR owing to the advanced communication channels it will open up.

5.  Wearable and implanted devices 

We already wear contact lenses to enhance our sight and our fitbits warn us to snap out of a lazy afternoon on the couch.  It is not surprising then, that the future has a lot of wearable and implanted devices meant to enhance our performance or predict and even prevent health risks.  Wearable patches that keep you cool on a hot day, or glasses that display a map right in front of your eyes when you need it- are just two of hundreds of innovations being worked on RIGHT NOW that will change our lives dramatically. Wearable devices will transform businesses by providing all the features of smartphones and more,  but with a handsfree delivery. Wearable technology will also aid advertisers with valuable consumer habits and patterns, and closer monitoring of the experiences that they enjoy.  

The future of business is exciting,  as modern-day tech has begun to catch up with the stuff Sci-fi movies were made of!  Which other technologies do you think will disrupt business as usual?