Apps

BUILD1x platform helps contractors and workers get paid, pay others and post or find jobs. BUILDBoard helps contractors connect with interactive profiles and a searchable directory for individuals and companies that serve the construction industry. BUILDComm features project locations and information, project communication, bid requests, documents and messages. BUILDPay streamlines payment with instant digital payments with automatic lien waiver execution and project funding powered by Blockchain Technology utilizing smart contracts. BUILDCash is a Security Token built on the Ethereum Blockchain and has the ability to be traded among members of the BUILD1x mobile platform for products and services.

Products

Twentytwo, a 62 story building in London, showcases new construction solutions in challenging historic and densely populated urban environments. One is Otis Elevator’s SkyBuild® elevator system that moves the 1,100 workers and tools eight times faster than a standard goods lift. A hydraulic piston system enables the lift’s mechanical system to climb one floor at a time as the building rises. Each time it ‘jumps’ up as a floor is being completed. When construction is complete, the SkyBuild elevators will transition for service as SkyRise® elevators.

Software & In the Cloud

Periscope Holdings’ new government bid experience for suppliers, BidSync™, is powered by artificial intelligence. Smart enough to automatically filter out bids that are irrelevant to each supplier’s individual business, the new BidSync boasts a host of new features that save subscribers valuable time finding and evaluating bids, including: a savvy user interface, an AI-powered relevance engine, expanded bid details, powerful search capabilities and a visual relevance indicator.

IngeniousIO, with funding led by American Family Ventures, is launching an AI-driven platform that makes data available for AI processing, going beyond digitization and into intelligent management. All parties can view jobsite information in real time, accountants can see costs accruing as they happen and contractors can be paid faster since data is available for immediate review within the platform. The IngeniousIO initial launch will include an application for architecture and engineering firms to streamline internal operations for external collaboration followed by the owner /owner representation and contractor applications.

NavVis indoor spatial intelligence technology automatically converts E57 point cloud files into interactive, realistic 360° walkthroughs, following a software upgrade to IndoorViewer. The web-based application displays realistic digital twins using 360° panoramic images, point clouds and maps generated by 3D scanning devices. Users can move around digital twins of scanned spaces as if they are on a jobsite and use the interactive functionality to add, search for and route to geo-tagged information and take accurate measurements.

DroneDeploy commercial drone software platform now offers new AI features in the Analytics Suite that detect and count objects in seconds or scan jobsites to identify stockpiles of material and calculate volume. DroneDeploy now integrates with Procore to automatically sync drone photos, maps and other files. Also new is "Projects," location-aware UI designed to automatically group drone flights, photos, maps and reports by site. It includes reusable flight templates and "Map Alignment" that automatically aligns maps of the same site.

Partnerships & Acquisitions

InEight has acquired BASIS, a company that develops an artificial intelligence planning software tool for capital projects. Designed to complement existing CPM scheduling tools, BASIS uses AI to assist and guide planners through the process of building a project plan. The software captures insights and learnings from prior projects and uses the stored knowledge to make informed suggestions during the planning process. BASIS also allows project team members to give their expert opinion through a very simple-to-use scorecard.

Prophix’s CPM software joins Viewpoint’s Strategic Partner program. Prophix’s CPM software automates financial budgeting, reporting and forecasting processes, streamlining key workflows within construction organizations. It integrates with data from Viewpoint’s Spectrum® and Vista™ ERPs as well as more than 200 other data sources to give users improved financial reporting and visibility and the ability to manage equipment and resources across multiple jobsites.

Video & Cool Stuff

TechCrunch reports that HRP-5P, a humanoid bot that can handle a variety of construction tasks, including installing drywall, has been developed by Japan's Advanced Industrial Science and Technology Institute researchers.

GPSInsight’s Insight 2018 User Conference included sessions on Elevating the Customer Experience, Toast and Telematics and Cybersecurity: From Fear to Trust along with interviews from industry experts.