University of Waterloo

Purpose

The iVISION project will integrate a suite of cutting-edge technologies to create a cohesive and intelligent construction progress monitoring system. At its core, AI will serve as the brain of the operation, employing deep learning algorithms for 3D reconstruction, image analysis, object detection, and regression. Computer vision technology will be seamlessly woven into the system, enabling the AI to interpret and process visual data from high-resolution images captured by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). These UAVs will serve as the eyes of the system, equipped with advanced sensors and cameras to collect real-time data from the construction site. The synergy among these technologies will be the key to success: the UAVs will autonomously survey the construction site, capturing images/videos and data, which will then be transmitted to the AI-powered software. Here, the AI will employ machine learning models trained on a diverse dataset of construction objects to analyze the incoming data, detect progress, and evaluate quantity such as the number of installed stubs, and generate instant inspection reports. This interconnected ecosystem of AI, CV, and UAVs will enable precise, efficient, and real-time construction inspection, revolutionizing the way construction progress is assessed in the construction sector.