Starting Off:
Last Friday, the ConTechTrio aired episode 36 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 cab-less self driving haulage vehicles, self-lacing shoes, “Immortal” software, the world’s first 3D printed laboratory, DJI Drone Goggles and much more! Special guest Peter Lasensky, Founder and CEO of NoteVault (@NoteVault) also joined to discuss the power of voice in technology.
Geek Out Product Of The Week:
DJI Mavic Pro – The new DJI Mavic Pro drone folds down as small as a bottle of water, making it small enough to bring with you anywhere. Other features include obstacle avoidance, 4.3 miles of transmission range and flight speed up to 40mph.
Weekly ConTechTrio Twitter Poll:
Last Week’s Poll: Does your company have any full-time VDC/BIM staff?
Results: 60% Yes and 40% No
This Week’s Poll: Are you using voice to text applications on the job site? Visit the ConTechTrio Twitter page to answer “Yes” or “No.”
Construction Tech News:
Construction Videos
Construction Process of World’s Highest & Longest Glass Bridge
If merely walking across the bridge can strike fear into visitors, imagine what it’s like for the construction workers dangling from their harnesses as they build it. See the behind the scenes footage…
World’s Largest Demolition Fail…Explained
Six Scottish high rise buildings were imploded simultaneously last year, however only four of them actually fell completely. Find out the main issues behind this epic demolition fail.
Drones
DJI Releases Drone Goggles
The goggles utilize DJI’s new OcuSync technology to deliver live 85-degree video from the drone’s on-board camera to both of the headset’s two 1080p displays.
Self-Flying Drones Map & Manage Construction Sites
Check out this self-flying Boomerang Drone currently being used to map and manage construction sites.
3D Printing & Scanning
World’s First 3D Printed Laboratory
Dubai announced that they have awarded the contract for the design and construction of the first 3D printed laboratory to Convrgnt Value Engineering. The laboratory will also be the first building in the UAE to be fully 3D printed onsite, instead of printed in segments elsewhere and assembled onsite.
New Software, Solutions & Programs
D-Wave Plans to Release 2,000-qubit Quantum Computer by 2017
The 2,000-qubit computer will have double the processing power of its current 1,000-qubit version, and will be 500 to 1,000 times faster, potentially revolutionizing fields like engineering, software and machine learning.
Trimble Launches Wireless IoT Sensors for Water Monitoring
Trimble’s new wireless, battery-powered sensors remotely measure and monitor water, wastewater and groundwater systems including water pressures, flows, levels and rainfall volumes. (Side Note: Flint, Michigan city planners…you may want to give Trimble a call.)
Aetna Finances Apple Watch Purchases to Promote Health
Healthcare insurance giant Aetna, says it plans to subsidize Apple Watch purchases by its customers to promote wellness and manage care and use of medications.
Facebook, Amazon, Google, IBM & Microsoft Partner on AI
These five companies came together to announce the launch of the new partnership on AI. The group is tasked with conducting research, promoting best practices and discussing advancements in artificial intelligence.
Raytheon & DARPA Plan to Develop “Immortal” Software
Raytheon and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) are working to make updating apps a thing of the past. Under the new BRASS Program, software could be usable for 100 years despite technology changes!
Emerging Technology
Adidas Reveals Its First Robot Manufactured Shoes
Adidas has unveiled the Futurecraft M.F.G., a shoe assembled completely by robots in its Speedfactory facility in Germany.
Self-Lacing Shoes Have Become a Reality
Yes, you read that right…Marty McFly’s power-laces from Back to the Future: Part II are real! Nike announced that its self-tying shoes, the HyperAdapt 1.0, will hit stores by November this year.
‘LightFolding’ Creates 3D Images in a Box
Looking Glass, a Brooklyn and Hong Kong-based startup, launched a brand new display technology that enables a 3D experience without headsets or glasses. The technology employed is called “lightfolding,” which is a new method for creating 3D images in a volumetric display by channeling light.
Autonomous Cars
Tech Firms Race Against Car Orgs to Map the World’s Cities
Uber and Google are competing with large car companies like Ford to map the world in the detail required to get driverless cars on the road. On your mark, get set….map our world.
New Cab-Less Self Driving Haulage Vehicle
Komatsu unveiled their newest autonomous haulage vehicle at the 2016 MINExpo. Without the cab, the truck will be equally balanced while it’s loaded and unloaded.
Obama Admin Plans to Invest $80M in Smart City Technology
The $80 million investment will focus on autonomous vehicles and sensors that can warn residents of natural disaster or extreme weather conditions.
Peter Lasensky, Founder & CEO of NoteVault, Discusses the Power of Voice in Technology
In the second half of the podcast, Peter Lasensky, Founder and CEO of NoteVault, joined the ConTechTrio to discuss the power of voice in technology. Peter grew up in Philadelphia with a “hammer in his hand,” devoting his entire life to building and construction. While working as a contractor (28 years), Peter discovered project management and reporting challenges affecting the construction process and aimed to solve this productivity dilemma, ultimately founding NoteVault. NoteVault is a live reporting system that enables teams to communicate, collaborate and escalate issues on any construction project, helping to keep everyone on track and on budget. On the podcast, Peter discussed the primary benefits of voice to text on construction sites and the feedback he has received on the technology. The ConTechTrio and Peter wrapped up the interview by reviewing NoteVault’s keyword alert feature and the systems ability to decipher multi-language dialects.
Tune into the ConTechTrio podcast again this Friday for Episode 37, featuring Kris Lengieza, Director of Virtual Design and Construction at Stiles Construction! 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:
Listen to the ConTechTrio Podcast on Spreaker, SoundCloud , YouTube, iTunes
Follow On Twitter:
JBKnowledge: @JBKnowledge
ConTechTrio: @ConTechTrio
James Benham: @jamesmbenham
Rob McKinney: @conappguru
Josh Bone: @bim2thebone
