I-Corps: Internet of things for Construction Safety

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of a system that fully integrates internet-of-things technology in the construction industry. The U.S. construction industry is one of the largest markets in the nation and makes up a substantial portion of the U.S. economy. In 2016, this sector attributed 6.1 percent of all industry employment and 4.2 percent of the gross domestic product. However, the construction industry is one of the least productive and most dangerous industries. In the past two decades, more than 28,000 U.S. construction workers have died at work. Internet-of-things-based technologies have been implemented as a solution to meet the many needs of the construction industry, but there have been many barriers that prohibit the full implementation of these technologies. The team has identified multiple deployment challenges, including 1) interoperability of internet-of-things components, 2) consistent operation within harsh environments typical of the construction industry, and 3) lack of service and other data quality issues inherent to remote environments. This I-Corps project is based on the development of an interoperable system that enables the data connectivity of an intelligent construction jobsite. Construction sites have been quickly implementing internet of things-based technologies to aid in the safety and productivity of their workers. This system networks these devices and data streams for optimal use. The most numerous sensors used in the field are vision-based systems for safety monitoring and hazard detection, and real-time worker physiological monitoring systems to prevent fatigue and heatstroke. This technology will bridge the output from the sensors and apply artificial intelligence and multi-access edge computing to optimize the input of data traffic that accumulates. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.