Researchers at the Schulich School of Engineering at University of Calgary have developed an advanced system that uses remote sensing technology to enhance safety on construction sites.
The system monitors the movements using tracking tags, enabling it to keep track of the exact location of building material, equipment and personnel in real-time. The remote sensing system will thus help reduce accident rates and ensure that materials are not placed in locations from where they may get displaced or fall.
The system was developed by the professor of civil engineering, Farnaz Sadeghpour along with graduate student Reza Maalek. The new tracking solution, which is still under development, employs Ultra Wideband signals. Ultra Wideband radio technology is increasingly used for high accuracy radar imaging, precision tracking and locating applications.
Alarm capabilities will be added to the system to ensure that an alarm is triggered if any personnel or building material is near the edge or if anybody is in the proximity of certain equipment. The alarm capability will notify the workers through an announcement at the worksite or send an alert to the mobile device. Furthermore, an alarm will be triggered if someone makes an unauthorized removal of an item from the construction site.
Sadeghpour stated that the majority of accidents at construction sites are due to objects or people falling off the edges or clashes between equipment and workers. The tool will monitor both the scenarios and enhance the safety of construction sites.
Source: http://www.schulich.ucalgary.ca