The Weekly Show, April 8, 2021: SPOT the autonomous robot, and Woods Bagot's in-house 'futurist'

This week on The Weekly show, BD+C editors speak with AEC industry leaders from Procon Consulting, Virginia Tech, and Woods Bagot about:
• SPOT, the autonomous robot for construction progress monitoring applications
• How Woods Bagot's new "futurist" is promoting innovation at the international design firm.

Thanks to our episode sponsor

THE WEEKLY SHOW HIGHLIGHTS FOR APRIL 8, 2021

BD+C's Group Director Tony Mancini runs down the highlights from this week's show.

SEGMENT #1

Meet SPOT: The autonomous robot for construction progress monitoring
BD+C's David Barista talks with AEC tech experts from Virginia Tech and Procon Consulting about their collaborative research project on jobsite applications for SPOT, the four-legged autonomous robot developed by Boston Dynamics. Walid Thabet and Keresh Afasari from Virginia Tech, and Stephen DeVito and John Serdakowski from Procon Consulting outline the applications, advantages, and obstacles with using SPOT on construction jobsites. The first application the team is studying: using SPOT to capture construction progress photos and video at several jobsites on VT's campus, a task that typically would require a project manager/superintendent to walk the site several times daily.

SEGMENT #2

Gazing into the future, with Francesca Birks of Woods Bagot
BD+C Senior Editor John Caulfield interviews Francesca Birks, Woods Bagot's new Global Insights Leader, who discusses her role as a futurist and facilitator for ideas generated by the firm, its clients, and other thought leaders.

WATCH ‘THE WEEKLY’ EVERY THURSDAY AT 1 PM EASTERN

“The Weekly” is a presentation of Horizon TV, the online broadcast arm of SGC Horizon LLC, publishers of Building Design+Construction, Multifamily Design+Construction, Professional Builder, ProRemodeler, and Construction Equipment.

The Weekly premieres May 18 on Horizon TV

Aligning the BIM model with the owner’s asset management system is the crucial first step in creating a Digital Twin. By following these guidelines, organizations can harness the power of Digital Twins to optimize facility management, maintenance planning, and decision-making throughout the building’s lifecycle.

Woman on treadmill in healthcare facility

Designers | Jul 25, 2023

The latest 'five in focus' healthcare interior design trends

HMC Architects’ Five in Focus blog series explores the latest trends, ideas, and innovations shaping the future of healthcare design.

Digital Twin | Jul 17, 2023

Unlocking the power of digital twins: Maximizing success with OKRs

To effectively capitalize on digital twin technology, owners can align their efforts using objectives and key results (OKRs).

Standards | Jun 26, 2023

New Wi-Fi standard boosts indoor navigation, tracking accuracy in buildings

The recently released Wi-Fi standard, IEEE 802.11az enables more refined and accurate indoor location capabilities. As technology manufacturers incorporate the new standard in various devices, it will enable buildings, including malls, arenas, and stadiums, to provide new wayfinding and tracking features.

Virtual Reality | Jun 16, 2023

Can a VR-enabled AEC Firm transform building projects?

With the aid of virtual reality and 3D visualization technologies, designers, consultants, and their clients can envision a place as though the project were in a later stage.

Rogers-O'Brien's safety manager utilizes the Polar armband to monitor his biometrics while on the jobsite.

AEC Innovators | Jun 15, 2023

Rogers-O'Brien Construction pilots wearables to reduce heat-related injuries on jobsites

Rogers-O'Brien Construction (RO) has launched a pilot program utilizing SafeGuard, a safety-as-a-service platform for real-time health and safety risk assessment. Non-invasive wearables connected to SafeGuard continuously monitor personnel to prevent heat exhaustion on jobsites, reducing the risk of related injuries. RO is the first general contractor to pilot this program.

Contractors | May 26, 2023

Enhanced use of data is crucial for improving construction job site safety

Executives with major construction companies say new digital tools are allowing them to use data more effectively to reduce serious safety incidents and improve job site safety.