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Zyter, Qualcomm, and Everguard Bring IoT to Bear On Construction Safety

Sept. 29, 2021

In yet another example of IoT's burgeoning ubiquity, a quintet of companies is putting the technology to the test in the interest of improving safety on construction job sites.

David Maliniak

Related To: Microwaves & RF

The Overview

Zyter’s SmartSpaces platform, analytics, and front-end dashboard is being integrated with Everguard.ai’s Sentri360 AI platform, which is made possible through Qualcomm’s Smart Cities Accelerator and IoT Services Suite, in a beta test of the combined solution’s ability to enhance construction job-site safety using AI-based Internet-of-Things (IoT) technology.

Who Needs It and Why?

Construction sites are inherently dangerous places to work. Job-site incidents and accidents can result in serious injuries and costly property damage, which in turn cause ballooning job-site insurance rates. Rudolph Libbe Group (RLG), a provider of construction and facility services, is currently beta-testing the collaborative solution at one of its job sites. RLG’s insurance provider, Zurich North America, is monitoring the impact and evaluating the solution for use by other construction firms.

The five companies are bringing together advanced technologies and risk knowledge to provide construction managers with a 360° view of construction sites and real-time alerts regarding workers’ adherence to safety regulations. The collaboration represents the next step forward in propelling construction safety from a reactive to a proactive approach.

Under the Hood

Each of the three technology partners brings different capabilities and expertise to the project:

Qualcomm’s Smart Cities Accelerator Program and Qualcomm IoT Services Suite are the enabling technologies. The IoT Services suite comprises comprehensive, end-to-end, IoT-as-a-Service (IoTaaS) solutions, enabling the digital transformation of smart cities, connected spaces, and experiences globally.

Zyter serves as a collaborator with the Qualcomm Smart Cities Accelerator Program ecosystem members. The company’s smart construction solution runs on the Zyter SmartSpaces platform, which is used to break down silos of information by integrating and consolidating data from IoT devices and applications in a seamless interface. Zyter also provides advanced analytics.

Everguard’s Sentri360 platform ties together industrial sensor technologies using sensor fusion, edge computing, and AI algorithms, enabling them to learn dynamically “on the job.” This has the potential to lower incidents, injuries, and corresponding costs.

Using a continuous stream of real-time data from IoT devices on workers and building materials, this collaborative solution will deliver a seamless, up-to-the second view of what is happening across the entire construction site to the Zyter dashboard. Additionally, through state-of-the-art data visualization, analytics, and intelligent insights, construction companies will be able to easily monitor and address events, operational issues, and incidents. Advanced analytics will help construction companies determine worker productivity and safety scores, as well as gain insight into other metrics related to construction site management.

Initial efforts will focus on using AI and computer vision (CV) to enhance safety protocols already in place on construction job sites for initiatives such as personal protective equipment (PPE) compliance and geofencing of restricted areas.

About the Author

David Maliniak | Executive Editor, Microwaves & RF

I am Executive Editor of Microwaves & RF, an all-digital publication that broadly covers all aspects of wireless communications. More particularly, we're keeping a close eye on technologies in the consumer-oriented 5G, 6G, IoT, M2M, and V2X markets, in which much of the wireless market's growth will occur in this decade and beyond. I work with a great team of editors to provide engineers, developers, and technical managers with interesting and useful articles and videos on a regular basis. Check out our free newsletters to see the latest content.

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About me:

In his long career in the B2B electronics-industry media, David Maliniak has held editorial roles as both generalist and specialist. As Components Editor and, later, as Editor in Chief of EE Product News, David gained breadth of experience in covering the industry at large. In serving as EDA/Test and Measurement Technology Editor at Electronic Design, he developed deep insight into those complex areas of technology. Most recently, David worked in technical marketing communications at Teledyne LeCroy, leaving to rejoin the EOEM B2B publishing world in January 2020. David earned a B.A. in journalism at New York University.