Since August 2022, AI-powered cameras from oculai have been a valuable tool for the construction teams at GS SCHENK. The system was first deployed on Paul-Gossen-Straße in Erlangen. The purpose of these smart crane cameras is to enable more efficient site management, improved and seamless documentation, as well as the optimization of construction processes and scheduling.
The recording of shell construction processes is carried out using cameras mounted on the tower of a top-slewing crane. These cameras transmit video streams to a cloud, where the video data is analyzed by artificial intelligence to detect manual construction activities.
The principle of artificial intelligence is modeled after the human brain: a neural network (a mathematical model of the brain) is repeatedly “shown” examples, such as what a wall concreting process looks like, until the algorithm learns the visual similarities and can independently recognize processes and objects.
After the construction phases are configured in the camera and linked to the schedule, 60 different shell construction activities are automatically recorded and analyzed daily (e.g., slab concreting, installation of hollow core walls, etc.).
The crane cameras from oculai are a great support for the construction site team. With remote access to the site, foremen and site managers save unnecessary trips, such as for updates on construction progress. This frees up several hours each week, allowing for increased quality and improved schedule management.
“With the live feed, the hourly creation of a photo, the time-lapse, and many other functions, a seamless documentation of the construction process is created, which can often play a crucial role when communicating with the client.”
Markus Batz, construction management
The collected data is also linked to the construction site's schedule. This way, the actual project progress is recorded in an automated planned vs. actual schedule and compared with the target specifications. This ensures that project progress is always monitored, and important insights are gained for work preparation.
“With the help of crane cameras, all processes are seamlessly documented and automatically compared with the schedule. This allows me to have a 24/7 overview of the construction site and identify delays early.”
Eva Sterk, Site Manager
The process data also provides a new, detailed insight into production workflows. Based on the recorded working hours, effort values for various components can be measured.
“With this data, the time spent on formwork, masonry, and concrete can be determined. It can be precisely tracked which components and locations were worked on.”
Markus Batz, construction management
At theAldi Südproject on Äußere Sulzbacher Straße in Nuremberg, GS SCHENK is using the self-writing daily construction report for the first time. This report includes the recorded processes and neatly compiles them into daily summaries. Previously, the foreman had to manually create the report at the end of each day, but now much of this is done automatically.
“The automated daily construction report is a great relief for us. All processes are recorded and converted into a report. Only processes that cannot be detected, such as work under a slab, need to be added manually.”
Stefan Geißendörfer, Foreman
oculai was continuously optimized in close collaboration with the team at GS SCHENK. Thanks to valuable first-hand feedback, oculai was able to tailor the product features to meet the needs of the construction site. The results of the productive collaboration between GS SCHENK and oculai are a positive example of how efficient construction can be successfully realized in today's world.
