Suffolk, a construction-based company headquartered in Boston, has been developing a system that makes use of a deep-learning algorithm trained on construction site images and accident records. According to Technology Review, the system can be put to work monitoring a new construction site and flagging situations that seem likely to lead to an accident.
The project, a partnership between Suffolk and SmartVid, a computer vision company, demonstrates the potential for AI-enabled computer to track and predict workplace activity. This is especially important for the construction industry, which has adopted other machine learning technology relatively rapidly. A construction site is also one of the most dangerous places to work, with a fatal accident rate five times higher than that of any other industry.
While the project is designed to improve safety for workers, it is also an example of a much wider trend: using AI to monitor, quantify, and optimize work life.
“Safety is a huge problem for construction,” said Kit Kee Chin, VP of Suffolk, during a presentation at EmTech. “The standard way safety is managed today is you try to change behavior.”
Source: Technology Review