On the heels of a successful Forge DevCon developer's conference, it was great to stop by a few of the Forge partner booths in the AU Expo Hall at Autodesk University 2018.
HoloBuilder's motto is that they are the "street view" for construction sites. Their reality capture solution is a secure web-based platform that brings the construction site virtually to anyone on any device. Using their JobWalk app, a user identifies his location on the site, snaps a picture or video with a handheld camera, and their platform records the media indexed by the site location. This capturing and visualization process unlocks site-based knowledge and provides decision-makers with mission-critical insights. By using the app on a daily basis, rich history of a project's development is created. This history can be accessed by those not onsite.
Smartvid.io is a Boston-based software company focused on leveraging machine learning to improve safety, productivity, and quality in the AEC (Architecture, Engineering, and Construction) industry. Their SmartTag Engine leverages deep learning to listen to (voice recognition) and watch (image recognition) what is seen in a video or photos and then automatically tags it according to defined terms and alert conditions. The platform results in significant risk reduction, saves time for field personnel, improves owner communication, tames the challenge of enterprise-wide media management, and creates an alert and analytics framework for key aspects of project delivery.
Grit Virtual recognizes that on AEC projects, timing is everything. They say "Welcome to agile construction." Their solution uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to manage project schedules that are as dynamic as the job site. Their Master Scheduler creates or imports a Gantt style CPM (Critical Path Method) schedules. Using their Last Planner, a project's foreman then breaks down the master schedule by breaking apart model objects and adding detailed tasks. Grit Virtual AI then combines CPM and Last Planner to re-constrain construction sequence. The result is a detailed schedule that optimizes the workflow for the overall project.
In the words of former Microsoft CEO, Steve Balmer, part of Autodesk's strategy about the future of making is about developers, developers, developers.
Forge demos are alive in the lab.