The growth of cloud computing resources will see remote surveillance cameras, previously only available to the largest construction companies, making strong inroads into the construction sector mainstream in 2019.

This is the view of IT solutions firm, Agmis, who have focused on the construction sector in their 'Tech Trends To Watch'.

Computer Vision analyses video footage from security or specialized video monitoring cameras. From this data, specialized algorithms can produce actionable insights according to company business needs.

"In layman's terms, if you can film it – you can analyse it, and make use of this data for better business operations," Simas Jokubauskas, Head of Products at technology company Agmis said.

Agmis develops EasyFlow CV software suite to make construction smarter, safer and more efficient. EasyFlow solution covers most analytical needs of the construction industry.

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Firstly, the solution ensures that workers are wearing the required personal protective equipment (PPE). EasyFlow can recognize hardhats, safety goggles, high visibility vests, protective boots and other required safety equipment. It can also recognize if workers are wearing protective harnesses when working at high altitude. If software detects a PPE violation, it can notify site safety officer in real time. Infringements are stored in a database with corresponding video footage. This data can be used for safety violation investigations and serve as preventative measures for better future compliance.

The solution can recognize certain worker actions. For instance, it can identify when an employee asks for assistance. In addition, it recognizes certain work processes. For example, welding process can be identified by specific light and sparks it creates. EasyFlow can measure how long welding process is conducted, establish benchmarks and estimate worker productivity.

The solution can be used to identify duration of manual work cycles. For instance, when construction scaffolding, EasyFlow can identify the start of building a particular section and when builders move on to the next one. This not only helps to ensure productivity, but also allows for realistic estimates for total work completion.

EasyFlow can track worker movement around the construction site and represent the tracks in spaghetti diagram. One extra step constitutes miles of distance the workers have to cover when the building materials are not optimally laid out. Furthermore it can track quantities of materials stored on site.