UK tech start-up UtterBerry and Connected Places Catapult selected for smart sensor project that aims to make construction work safer in PH

London-based tech start-up UtterBerry and project partner Connected Places Catapult have been chosen for a project that will use smart sensors to make construction safer in the Philippines.

Smart sensors, used on UK projects including Crossrail and the Thames Tideway, will utilize artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technology for the remote monitoring of construction projects with the aim of improving safety.

The project, led by UtterBerry, was chosen ahead of 275 others and will bring new technology to the region.

Government data has shown construction to be the third most dangerous sector to work in, with the average number of workdays missed steadily increasing since 2013.

The patented UK technology gathers and analyzes existing data from the sensors to provide predictions for future physical changes within the environment.

Patents specific to the Philippines cover the sensor system and the manufacturing process such as a low-power durable wireless smart sensor network and high-accuracy retention in hazardous environments.

The technology warns workers when sub-millimeter vibrations risk causing ground displacement and will help prevent unnecessary accidents and death.

The project, partially funded by the UK Research and Innovation body, builds on UtterBerry’s footprint in East Asia and has won contracts for the Lyric Theatre Complex and Kowloon City Pier in Hong Kong and the Mass Transit Railway in Singapore. UtterBerry hopes to continue to share its technology with other parts of East Asia.

“UtterBerry is delighted to lead this project in the Philippines with the support of the Global Challenge Research Fund. We want to improve health and safety in the construction industry by deploying UtterBerry wireless sensors with artificial intelligence to reduce injuries and fatalities. We are also using our UtterBerry wireless sensors to diversify the construction workforce, creating new high-skilled jobs to analyze data from the sensors remotely,” said Founder and CEO Heba Bevan.

“Connected Places Catapult is delighted to be partnering with UtterBerry on this exciting collaborative research & development project. The Catapult works hard to find opportunities in emerging markets where UK expertise can lend to local partnerships where new innovations can transform places. The Global Challenge Research Fund helps to provide the opportunity for places like the Philippines and companies like UtterBerry to show the impact that urban innovations can make, not just to the people of a city or region, but also in meeting UN Sustainable Development Goals – which benefit everyone,” said Amy Hochadel, director of global business growth at Connected Places Catapult.

SOURCE: The Construction Index