Starting Off:
Last Friday, the ConTechTrio aired episode 44 of the podcast in which James Benham (@jamesmbenham), Rob McKinney (@conappguru) and Josh Bone (@bim2thebone) discussed the latest construction tech news. Headliners last week include autonomous scooters, OSHA’s updated fall protection standards, supercapacitor batteries and much more! Special guest Marc Okicich (@marcokicich1), Director of US Sales at Seek Thermal (@seekthermal) also joined to discuss thermal imaging technology.
Listen to “ConTechTrio Episode 44 – Interview with Marc Okicich from @seekthermal” on Spreaker.
Tech You Should Try:
Milwaukee One Key LED Light – The new Milwaukee M18 Radius LED Compact Site Light with One Key is the world’s first high output cordless site light on the market, and has the ability to provide light in task, area, and overhead applications.
Weekly ConTechTrio Twitter Poll:
Last Week’s Poll: Does your company employ a Common Data Environment (CDE) to collect, manage & share project information?
This Week’s Poll: Does your company use thermal imaging cameras on the construction job site? Visit the ConTechTrio Twitter page and simply answer “Yes” or “No.”
ConTechTrio News:
Registration Open for Atlanta ConTech Roadshow
We’re excited to announce that the JBKnowledge ConTech Roadshow will make its debut in Atlanta, Georgia on December 6, 2016! The one day event will be held from 8am to 6pm at the Georgia Tech Learning Center. We will have educational sessions lead by the ConTechTrio on technology solutions, strategies and best practices for construction professionals and if you’re a SmartBid user a special track for training and education on the software.
Construction Tech News:
Industry Education, Insights & Trends
OSHA Updates Fall Protection Standards
OSHA has issued its final rules for its walking-working surfaces and fall protection standards, which is expected to affect 112 million workers at 7 million job sites. OSHA predicted the revised rules will allow the industry to avoid at least 29 fatalities and more than 5,800 injuries.
Autonomous Vehicles
Autonomous Scooters Hit the Sidewalks
MIT has created the first autonomous sidewalk scooter and it’s a success! MIT predicts its new scooter will be utilized for minuscule transportation tasks, such as getting from your front door to your bus stop.
New Partnerships
Microsoft Partners with D-Link to Provide Faster Wi-Fi in Rural Areas
Microsoft is partnering with networking equipment manufacturer D-Link to deliver faster Wi-Fi to rural regions around the world. Named “Super Wi-Fi,” the wireless framework will utilize unused bandwidth in lower-frequency white spaces between TV channel frequencies where signals travel farther than at higher frequencies.
3D Printing
Markforged Releases $3,499 Chopped Carbon 3D Printer
Markforged announced the release of two new systems that are less expensive and provide an entry point into the world of carbon fiber 3D printing. At $3,499, the Onyx One does not lay down continuous carbon fiber, however 3D prints chopped carbon fiber filament with the same precision as the other systems.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
100-Year Stanford Study of AI: Robot’s Won’t Try to Kill Us!
The formal Stanford University Study name is “One Hundred Year Study on Artificial Intelligence.” This is an ongoing project, and its goal is for a committee of scientists to regularly produce reports that take expansive looks at how AI will impact different aspects of daily life. The first of those reports was just released, relating AI to the modern smartphone.
Google, Facebook, and Microsoft Are Reconstructing Themselves Around AI
Learn how the world’s biggest tech companies are remaking themselves around artificial intelligence!
Emerging Technology
New Battery Lasts for Days & Charges in Seconds
Professors from the University of Central Florida have developed a supercapacitor battery that works like new even after being recharged 30,000 times, lasting over 20 times longer than a conventional lithium-ion cell.
Innovative Paint Turns Heat Into Electricity
Future homeowners may be able to save on electric costs just by buying a can of paint! This new paint is thermoelectric and produces electricity by harnessing the waste heat from hot surfaces.
Apple HomeKit Now Enabled in Two Silicon Valley Communities
KB Home has implemented a series of home automation features controllable through Apple’s HomeKit platform in two of its new communities in San Francisco. Potential homeowners will be able to use their iPhones, iPads or Apple Watches to control features including lighting, HVAC, security elements and more!
“Minority Report” Human Computer Interactions Expected in 5 Years
A new study expects that by 2020 there will be as many as 492 million gesture and motion tracking devices in use. According to researchers these gestures and motions will become vital for certain types of human-computer interaction.
Marc Okicich, Director of US Sales at Seek Thermal, Discusses Thermal Imaging Technology
In the second half of the podcast, Marc Okicich, Director of US Sales at Seek Thermal joined the ConTechTrio to discuss thermal imaging technology. Marc grew up in Seattle, later joining the Marine Corps where he became exposed to thermal imaging technology. He eventually learned of Seek Thermal and was blown away by the technology’s applications, joining the company as the US Sales Director. On the podcast Marc reviews the construction use cases for thermal imaging cameras, including detection of energy loss caused by air leaks, missing/damaged insulation, inefficient HVAC systems, poor construction and more. Marc wrapped up the interview with his thoughts on the future of Seek Thermal products and the thermal imaging industry as a whole.
Tune into the ConTechTrio podcast again this Friday for Episode 45, featuring Allen Angle, VDC-FM Integration Manager at JLL! Until then, you can catch up on past episodes of our construction technology podcast and even check out some bonus episodes via the links below!
Listen: Spreaker, SoundCloud , YouTube, iTunes
Follow On Twitter:
JBKnowledge: @JBKnowledge
ConTechTrio: @ConTechTrio
James Benham: @jamesmbenham
Rob McKinney: @conappguru
Josh Bone: @bim2thebone
