Spotlight | AI for safer construction The power of
Discover how AI collision avoidance systems not only eliminate the risk of people-plant interface on complex construction sites but could also usher in efficiency gains and productivity across the industry
HYDROPOWER AND DAM CONSTRUCTION sites are complex environments, with varying terrain, heavy machinery and large numbers of workers carrying out diverse tasks. As a result, people plant interface is inevitably a major concern. Despite improvements in measures such as physical barriers, PPE, training and safe vehicle circulation, the incidence of construction site collisions remains stubbornly high. Last year in the UK, for example, being struck by a moving vehicle was one of the top three fatal risks in construction (Work- related fatal injuries in Great Britain, 2023, HSE). However, recent developments in AI collision avoidance are set to change all of this.
AI collision avoidance British company Safety Shield was the first to create
Below: The Safety Shield AI collision avoidance system can be installed onto any type of plant or machinery. A digital ‘thumbs up’ module can be fitted to the system to provide a 90-degree safe approach zone
an AI collision avoidance system specifically for the construction sector. “My personal mission to make the industry safer began when a friend was fatally crushed by an excavator,” explains Safety Shield CEO, Jonathan Guest. “After ten years of extensive research and development, we created an accurate AI collision avoidance system that I believe has the potential to eliminate the risk of people plant interface on construction sites in all sectors.” The Safety Shield solution can be installed onto any type of plant or machinery. An AI core unit contains the central processing unit that all components connect to. HD cameras – waterproof, dust-proof and shock-resistant – are strategically positioned on the outside of the plant, while an in-cab LED warning system provides visual and audible alerts for the operator. Automotive grade components are used throughout to ensure high performance is maintained in harsh environments, like those often experienced on hydropower and dam construction sites. In effect, Safety Shield works as a third eye for the
plant operator. Adjustable danger recognition zones ranging from 0.5m up to 50m can be set to meet the demands of the operating environment and plant – zones are likely to be different for a bulldozer and a telehandler, for example. When a person is detected in the machine’s amber (outer) zone, a short alarm sounds in the cab and externally. If someone enters the red (inner) zone, a longer alarm sounds and an alert is also sent to site management. Crucially, although the Safety Shield system scans and detects everything around it, the smart technology filters out all objects apart from people. “Training the AI model to recognise the human form was extremely challenging,” explains Jonathan
10 | December 2023 |
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Guest. “Construction sites are busy, crowded places. People crouch down, are partially concealed by containers, pop out of manholes… For the AI system to work as we wanted, we knew that it needed to be able to recognise part human shape and human features, as well as the whole human form. Plant operators need to trust the technology and not be distracted by false alarms.” The reliability of the Safety Shield platform has been confirmed through six ISO certifications and accuracy measures of 99.6% by independent testing bodies. It has already been fitted to over 5000 items of plant in the UK – with zero people plant interface accidents.
Customised solutions As well as being able to configure Safety Shield for
different machines, additional features can be added to meet the unique safety demands of different construction sites.
A digital ‘thumbs up’ module can be fitted to the
system to provide a 90-degree safe approach zone. In line with the industry-established thumbs-up safety procedure, if a person wants to approach a machine they give a thumbs-up sign to the operator from a safe distance. The operator then presses a digital thumbs- up button inside the cab that disables the machine, changes an exterior LED sign from red to green, and triggers an audible acceptance message. This leaves the pedestrian in no doubt that they have been seen and can approach the plant safely. The most recent AI enhancement to the system is
autonomous braking. The plant’s CAN Bus system (its electrical brain) communicates with the AI human form recognition technology to ensure that if a pedestrian enters a machine’s red danger zone and the operator fails to respond, the machine brakes automatically. This braking is intelligent, factoring in the plant’s direction of travel, whether it is loaded, its speed, and whether the operator has already started to brake. “I believe autonomous braking has the ability to eliminate construction site collisions entirely, providing the ultimate backup in case of human error,” comments Jonathan Guest. The AI technology can even be adapted for static applications where required. For example, on some sites with exclusion zones, cameras are installed on a wall or gate at the edge of the prohibited area, with amber and red danger zones set as on machinery. If someone enters the danger zone, an alarm alerts them, and the site office is notified that someone is about to breach the exclusion zone.
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