Researchers from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab and the University of California, Merced, are testing a drone-mounted methane-detection device that sports a miniaturized version of the NASA Mars Curiosity Rovers’ sensor array.

Technology for true augmented reality—with 3D models and metadata floating before a user’s eyes and mapping to the environment in real time—is still in development. But technology firm Scope AR is trying to get augmented reality into the hands of industry professionals today, providing the tools to build their own AR visualizations.

A three-day conference providing demonstrations, presentations and networking by firms inventing, piloting and implementing technologies to address construction’s future left attendees bullish on tech prospects for the construction industry and heading home with ideas to deploy.

Software that can show a video of a construction project assembling itself has been around for years, but an important change is afoot, say a wide range of industry leaders.

Initial results from a new ENR study of information technology investment trends among contractors shows that firms still are spending lightly on IT and are underresourced in staffing the function.