Starting Off:
Last Friday, the ConTechTrio aired episode 85 of the podcast in which James Benham (@JamesmBenham), Rob McKinney (@ConAppGuru) and Josh Bone (@BIM2theBone) discussed the latest construction tech news. Headliners last week included the Harness Hero mobile training app, Amazon and Microsoft joining forces, Fitbit’s ionic smartwatch, Autodesk’s AEC Collection updates, and much more! Special guest, Peter Lasensky, Founder of NoteVault, also joined to discuss the importance of collaboration in the AEC industry.
Shameless Plug:
Registration is OPEN for the third stop of the 2017 ConTech Roadshows on October 24th in Dallas, Texas! Join us for this one-day tech event at the Irving Convention Center to grow your network of local contractors and learn about the tech that can improve your construction workflows and projects. Register here by October 1st for Early Bird pricing!
Tech You Should Try:
The ConTechTrio discussed the gamification of construction with the Harness Hero mobile app from Simcoach Games. Tune into last week’s ConTech Tuesday video to learn more about this engaging training app for construction professionals.
Construction Tech News:
Industry Education, Insights & Trends
Amazon and Microsoft are Combining their Robotic Assistants
This article from Futurism, discusses how Amazon and Microsoft are joining forces and combining the features of their digital assistants, Alexa and Cortana.
Construction Technology & Software Rundown
Marla McIntyre from Construction Executive discusses the top construction technology trends in this week’s rundown. Topics included NIOSH’s free lifting equation app, Assemble System’s mobile app, Cosential CRM and Procore’s integration much more!
Caterpillar has introduced two new rugged smartphones, as well as, the Cat T20, a Windows 10 tablet that has an 8-inch display and is waterproof.
House Approves Bill to Speed Autonomous Vehicle Development
Last week the U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill to advance the development of connected and autonomous vehicle technology. Learn more here!
Fitbit’s Ionic Smartwatch Will Help Diabetics Track Glucose Levels
Fitbit is working with a company that develops continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices in hopes to help people with diabetes with their new Fitbit ionic smartwatch.
Drones & UAV’s
After Harvey, Drones Take Flight Over Houston
Local agencies and business around the Houston area flew commercial drones over Houston, Texas to assess the aftermath damages of Hurricane Harvey and speed up the cleaning process.
DJI and National Geographic are partnering up to give people the opportunity to rent new Mavic Pros. All you have to do is simply sign up and fill this form out.
Emerging Technology
Virtual Reality, Fabrication and Other Capabilities Come to Autodesk’s AEC Collection
Autodesk announces new additions to their AEC Collection software portfolio in this recent blog post. Updates include, Revit Live, Dynamo Studio, Advance Steel and much more!
Canvas’ Robot Cart Could Change How Factories Work
TechCrunch explains in the video below how Canvas Technologies new autonomous cart could change the way factories conduct their day to day activities. This adaptable, computer-vision cart has the ability to work in tandem to create maps of complex environments, which reduces the prep time to reroute the cart to move goods to and from places.
[INTERVIEW] Peter Lasensky, Founder of NoteVault, Discusses the Importance of Collaboration in the AEC Industry
In the second half of the podcast, Peter Lasensky, Founder of NoteVault, joined the ConTechTrio to discuss the importance of collaboration on construction job sites. Peter was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As a teenager, Peter started his first construction company, after working there for almost a decade, he moved to California to co-found several technology companies including NoteVault.
In the interview, Peter defined NoteVault’s Crew productivity app and explained how it works with the NoteVault Notes app to better their clients experience. Peter and the ConTechTrio discussed the biggest changes and evolution of construction project management, explained how NoteVault assists clients with rollout technology, as well as, announced NoteVault’s new products and scholarships.
Tune into the ConTechTrio podcast this Friday for Episode 86, featuring Danny Owens from Holder Construction discussing the process of building R&D programs for construction.
Listen to the Podcast: Spreaker, YouTube, iTunes, SoundCloud
Follow On Twitter: @JBKnowledge, @ConTechTrio
