Construction technology

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Two new software products for rapidly converting collections of photos into 3D models and rapidly creating realistic environments for those models—one called ContextCapture, the other called LumenRT—demonstrate technical sophistication, data management techniques, rendering speed and ease of use that has reviewers taking notice but asking for more validation, too.

The future of wearable technology for the construction industry conjures up images of workers covered in clunky machinery—hydraulically powered exosuits multiplying the wearers’ strength, while gleaming visors with information-dense heads-up displays block their vision.

The potential of virtual- and augmented-reality headsets is seen not only in the design world but also among major equipment makers, as well.

The Federal Aviation Administration on Nov. 3 convened a 26-person task force to develop ideas for a system to register unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones.

Two recent projects for helicopter hangars on U.S. military bases, one in Colorado and one in Kentucky, offer examples of how out-of-the-box thinking about crane design can overcome some big construction obstacles.

Recent growth in the use of BIM and model-based processes has spawned an enormous increase in offsite and near-site prefabrication, a trend that could be transformative for the construction industry.

Many firms and startups are trying to apply the techniques of 3D printing to building construction, including upscaling the tech to 3D-print entire structures from the ground up.

Tags can be color coded to identify workers by trade, while protecting each individuals privacy. Motion data is captured for analysis.