When drones were first introduced into the commercial sector, many perceived them more as a gimmick than a viable technology. Since that time, however, drones have become more widely adopted in the areas of law enforcement, emergency services, and search and rescue. More recently, doors have opened to offer even more exciting implications for drone technology, including industrial applications that could completely change the nature of construction work for the better.
The construction industry has historically been one of the most labor-intensive industries for human workers. But over the past decade, new tools have been developed that make construction workers’ lives easier snd streamline operations, making the process more efficient. This is primarily through machine learning and artificial intelligence, automating the more mundane (yet still labor-intensive) tasks of construction, allowing human workers to devote more of their time to the more complex tasks.
Drones in the construction sector
Perhaps the most exciting application of machine learning in construction is the implementation of drones in construction projects. Not only does this technology have the potential to make construction operations significantly more efficient, but it can also save lives. Studies have shown that construction is one of the world’s most dangerous occupations, mainly because workers often work in hazardous locations.
Drones in construction operations can significantly improve worker safety. No matter how many precautions a supervisor or project lead takes on a job site, there are bound to be accidents. However, properly utilizing drones as a tool in construction can prevent workers from entering dangerous situations. For one, drones can be operated by a human operator from a safe distance, keeping them away from any potential hazards. As a result, drone operators can survey a construction site for any danger before their team is dispatched to take action.
Drones can also help significantly during the project planning stages by allowing designers to collect much more comprehensive data. Features such as infrared imaging allow a much deeper, more detailed inspection of sites, and the birds-eye view of construction sites that drones can create enables workers to see the job site from angles the human eye never could without risking workers’ safety. This capability allows workers to create a much more detailed design and plan for any obstacles or challenges that may not have been visible from the ground.
Benefits in construction
One of the main reasons that construction companies have been gravitating towards implementing drones into their operations is their ability to reduce the strain on an already-strained workforce. Recent years have seen more open positions than employees to fill them, but the advantage of a drone-based workforce is the ability to complete mundane-labor intensive tasks with far fewer human work hours. A single drone operator can complete tasks much more efficiently than a team of several human workers.
These same concepts can be applied to assessing the job site status after construction is completed. Tests must still occur after the construction process to ensure there are no vulnerabilities in the completed structure — if a construction site is left in an improperly finished condition, there could be devastating consequences.
Drones are a solution to many issues that have plagued the construction industry since the advent of modern architecture. From making the job site safer for workers to making operations more efficient, the effects of implementing drone technology into an operation are almost unilaterally positive.
By eliminating the need for human workers to complete the more unsafe, laborious tasks of construction work, and enabling them to focus their attention on the more specialized aspects of their jobs, drones are poised to become the future of the construction industry’s workforce. Construction companies must embrace the advantages of this new technology not only for the sake of their workers, but also for their bottom line.
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