OxBlue - CCTV designed for construction and powered by AI technology at Digital Construction Week

Summary

In this interview, Chandler McCormack, CEO of Oxblue, discusses the company's rapid growth and its innovative approach to construction project management. Oxblue's mission is to provide clients with remote, real-time access and a comprehensive record of construction progress through their high-resolution Cobalt camera system. The system, designed specifically for construction sites, offers cellular connectivity and solar power capabilities, enabling detailed monitoring from multiple angles. Oxblue also integrates AI to analyze construction activity, safety, equipment utilization, and project milestones, offering time-lapse views and actionable insights to enhance safety and efficiency on construction sites.

Takeaways

• 🌟 OxBlue's mission is to provide construction contractors and owners with remote vision of construction projects for anytime, anywhere access and a perfect memory of every moment.
• 📸 The OxBlue Cobalt camera system is a high-resolution webcam designed specifically for construction sites, capturing detailed images for project monitoring.
• 🏗️ The camera system is cellular-based and solar-powered, allowing for deployment in any location on a construction site for optimal viewing angles.
• 🔗 Multiple camera devices can be connected to provide comprehensive views of a construction project, enabling global monitoring of multiple projects.
• 🕒 The system offers time-lapse capabilities, allowing clients to review project progress quickly, condensing days or weeks of work into seconds.
• 🤖 AI is utilized to analyze captured images for construction activity, safety on the job site, equipment utilization, and project milestones.
• 👷‍♂️ Safety is a key focus, with the AI trained to identify safety gear like hard hats and vests, and to trigger alerts or generate reports for safety managers.
• 📊 Data captured can be used for positive change, creating awareness, and understanding of safety practices, and for scoring systems to rank project safety compliance.
• 🏢 The technology provides an impartial view of multiple projects, allowing for risk management and identification of best practices across different construction sites.
• 📈 OxBlue's growth is attributed to understanding client needs, refining hardware and software, and offering an affordable solution for construction project visualization and management.

Q & A

What is the mission of OxBlue?

OxBlue's mission is to provide construction contractors and owners with remote vision of construction projects, allowing for anytime, anywhere access and a perfect memory of virtually every moment of the construction process.

How does the OxBlue Cobalt camera system differ from typical webcams?

The OxBlue Cobalt camera system is specifically designed for construction, offering higher resolution (typically 24 megapixels) for capturing details of large construction areas. It is also cellular-based and solar-powered, allowing for deployment in any location on a project site.

Can multiple OxBlue Cobalt camera systems be used on a single construction project?

Yes, multiple OxBlue Cobalt camera systems can be deployed on a construction project to provide comprehensive views of different key points of the structure.

What additional features does OxBlue offer beyond hardware?

OxBlue provides a turnkey solution that includes hardware, software, data connections, and the entire system setup, handling everything required for the camera systems to operate effectively.

How does OxBlue utilize AI in their system?

OxBlue uses AI to analyze the images captured by their cameras to study construction activity, safety on the job site, equipment utilization, and project milestones.

What role does the AI play in safety monitoring on construction sites?

The AI in OxBlue's system is trained to analyze images for safety items like hard hats and safety vests, creating reports or triggering alerts for safety managers, and can be used to improve safety compliance and awareness.

How can the data captured by OxBlue systems be used for positive change on construction sites?

The data can be used to demonstrate real job site conditions, promote positive behaviors, and improve safety practices. It can also be used to score and rank projects for safety compliance, highlighting best practices and areas for improvement.

What are the benefits of using OxBlue's system for project stakeholders?

OxBlue's system provides real-time, visual updates on project status, enhancing communication and collaboration among constructors, subcontractors, and clients. It also offers peace of mind by reducing uncertainty about project progress.

How has OxBlue's approach to construction site monitoring evolved over the years?

OxBlue has grown significantly by understanding client needs and refining both hardware and software solutions. They have accumulated over 30,000 projects of experience, which has helped them to improve their technology and services.

What are some of the key reasons clients choose to work with OxBlue?

Clients choose OxBlue for its ability to provide quick and accurate project status updates, create awareness among field personnel, and offer a deeper level of understanding and confidence in project progress.

Outlines

00:00

🏗️ Introduction to Oxblue and its Construction Tech Solutions

Peter Haddock interviews Chandler McCormack, CEO of Oxblue, a company that has seen exponential growth in recent years. Oxblue's mission is to provide construction contractors and owners with remote vision and a perfect memory of their construction projects, allowing for anytime, anywhere access. They achieve this through the use of high-resolution, solar-powered, and cellular-based cameras that can be deployed in various locations on a construction site to capture detailed images. The Oxblue Cobalt camera system is designed specifically for construction, offering higher resolution and functionality compared to typical webcams. The system also includes software that uses AI to analyze the captured images for progress tracking, safety, equipment utilization, and project milestones.

05:01

🔍 Oxblue's Impact on Safety and Project Management

The discussion continues with the emphasis on how Oxblue's technology impacts safety and project management. The system not only monitors the construction site but also uses AI to analyze images for safety compliance, such as identifying workers wearing hard hats and safety vests. It can automatically trigger alerts or generate reports for safety managers, allowing for immediate action and daily summaries of safety issues. The technology also enables positive reinforcement by showcasing best practices and compliance levels across multiple projects. This approach helps in creating awareness, understanding, and a culture of safety among construction teams. Furthermore, the technology provides an impartial view of project status, which is crucial for managing risks and improving construction processes across similar projects.

Keywords

💡Oxblue

Oxblue is a company that specializes in providing construction contractors and owners with remote vision technology for construction projects. In the script, Chandler McCormack, the CEO of Oxblue, discusses how the company's mission is to offer real-time and historical access to construction sites, enhancing communication and collaboration. The company has grown exponentially, indicating its success in the field.

💡Remote Vision

Remote vision refers to the ability to monitor and access visual information from a distance. In the context of the video, Oxblue's technology allows clients to have 'anywhere, anytime access' to their construction projects, providing a perfect memory of virtually every moment of the construction process.

💡Construction Project

A construction project is a planned endeavor to construct a building or infrastructure. The video emphasizes the importance of Oxblue's technology in documenting and monitoring these projects, ensuring that clients can track progress and make informed decisions.

💡Cobalt Camera System

The Cobalt Camera System is a high-resolution camera system designed specifically for construction sites. As mentioned in the script, it is a webcam 'on steroids' that captures detailed images of construction areas, which is crucial for understanding project status and ensuring safety.

💡AI Analysis

AI analysis in the script refers to the use of artificial intelligence to process and analyze the data captured by the cameras. This technology helps in studying construction activity, safety on the job site, equipment utilization, and project milestones, providing a deeper level of understanding and enabling proactive measures.

💡Safety

Safety is a key theme in the video, with the script highlighting the importance of monitoring for safety compliance on construction sites. The AI technology can identify safety issues such as workers wearing hard hats or safety vests, and can trigger alerts to ensure immediate action is taken.

💡Time Lapse

Time lapse is a technique that allows for the visualization of the progress of a construction project over time. The script mentions that Oxblue's system captures images throughout a project, which can then be viewed in a time-lapse format, allowing clients to quickly understand what has happened over days, weeks, or months.

💡Project Management

Project management is the process of planning, executing, and closing a project. The video script discusses how Oxblue's technology aids in project management by providing real-time updates and historical data, which can be used to manage risks and improve processes.

💡Communication and Collaboration

Communication and collaboration are emphasized in the script as essential for the success of construction projects. The technology provided by Oxblue enhances these aspects by offering a shared visual understanding of the project status, which can lead to better decision-making and coordination among all stakeholders.

💡Risk Management

Risk management is the process of identifying, assessing, and prioritizing risks to minimize or eliminate their impact. In the context of the video, Oxblue's technology aids in risk management by providing visual data that can help identify potential issues early, allowing for proactive measures to be taken.

💡Impartial View

An impartial view refers to an unbiased perspective on a situation. The script mentions that Oxblue's technology provides an impartial view of multiple projects, allowing for fair comparison and assessment of safety and compliance levels across different construction sites.

Highlights

Oxblue's mission is to provide remote vision and a perfect memory of construction projects.

The company has experienced exponential growth in recent years.

Oxblue's Cobalt camera system is a high-resolution webcam designed for construction sites.

The camera system is cellular-based and solar-powered for deployment flexibility.

Multiple Cobalt camera systems can be used to monitor different key points of a structure.

The system offers time-lapse capabilities to document project progress efficiently.

AI is utilized to analyze construction activity, safety, equipment utilization, and project milestones.

The AI can identify safety issues such as the use of hard hats and safety vests, and trigger alerts.

The technology enables positive change by providing visual evidence of safety compliance.

Oxblue's system includes scoring mechanisms to rank projects based on safety compliance.

The system provides an impartial view of multiple projects to manage risk effectively.

The solution is affordable and tailored for the construction industry.

Oxblue has deployed cameras on over 30,000 projects, refining their technology based on client needs.

The system enhances communication and collaboration on construction sites.

Visualization provided by Oxblue gives stakeholders, including clients, confidence and understanding of project progress.

The technology offers a deeper level of understanding and peace of mind for all project stakeholders.

Oxblue's growth is attributed to understanding and meeting the needs of construction clients.

Transcripts

hi i'm peter haddock and i'm here with

chandler mccormack he's the ceo of

oxblue and this is the first time we've

met up we've been talking online for

some time now knowing that you're coming

to the show so that's why i wanted to

meet up with you oxblue what is it all

about and what have you been doing

because it's a company that has grown

exponentially in the last few years

isn't it yes it has yeah it's been great

so ox blue our mission is to give our

clients who are construction contractors

as well as owners the power of remote

vision of construction project right for

anywhere anytime access as well as a

perfect memory of virtually every moment

of that construction project so

fundamentally this is one of the devices

we've got here that allows you to do

that so how are you achieving that whole

intelligent approach and uh why do you

use something like this what is it okay

so this uh the oxblue cobalt camera

system yeah it's basically it's a webcam

on steroids built specifically for

construction yeah and so when we say

specifically for construction

a lot of webcams are built based on the

security market which is going to be

video based and lower resolution and so

we're looking for

is details of a project we've got large

areas we want to be able to see

understand what's going on and so this

system is a higher resolution typically

24 megapixels

for documenting large construction areas

it's also cellular-based and solar

and suitable for solar power so we can

deploy these units

not only to any project but to put them

on any location on that project to get

the best view

right so and you can i take it you can

put multiple devices like this and

connect them all together if you want to

say have a view of a building

around the different key points of that

structure yeah you know typically it can

be one or a number of systems on the

project and so our clients will be

monitoring either a project or even

projects you know around the globe

to keep status of what's going on

so when we look at things like that and

what i'm really excited about with this

kind of technology is actually being

able to see the progress and document

things and learn now obviously when

you've got a camera you're going to have

to have some software with that camera

that does all the clever bits so what

all apart from just the monitoring are

you able to do with the data and the

images that you capture for your clients

look with this system okay so with our

system it's turnkey with the hardware

the software the data connections the

whole solution and so we take care of

everything

with it it's as you said the time lapse

and so we're able to go back and from a

visual standpoint if we're capturing

images through a project it's too much

for someone to realistically go through

all of it yeah and so our clients they

can look at what happened the last day

the last week last month and just in a

matter of 20 to 30 seconds get an

understanding of what has happened

we are also using ai

to analyze all of that to be able to

study construction activity

safety on a job site equipment

utilization

and project milestones well i'm always

very interested in safety and i think

safety there's numerous different

factors of that it's whether people are

wearing hard hats yeah whether people

have got the right ppe on it's building

safety as well so whether things are

constructed in the right fashion in the

right steps that should be taken and

then it's overall how this site is laid

out and functioning are people getting

too close to vehicles things like that

that safety element is really important

and when you've got this kind of data

and you can whiz through it you can't

necessarily see the individual moment so

that's where you're saying the ai comes

in to identify certain behaviors you've

trained the software to do that have you

yeah so when it comes to the building

side or some of the other parts that's a

matter of a human looking at the images

and understanding what's going on over

the course of a project when it comes to

particular safety items like we think

about hard hats safety vests that is

where the ai is analyzing the images

and then either creating reports or

automatically triggering alerts to the

user and so if we have a safety manager

for project

uh it can be an immediate alert yep that

there's been a safety item to check into

or it can be a daily summary of here's

all the issues that we saw today now

when you talk about those sort of things

to people and i've been on a lot of

construction so i'd sat on a lot of

safety briefings you could actually use

that information for positive change

can't you because you can show people

what they're doing you're not going to

bash them over the head per se with that

element but you can show what's

happening on a real job site with a real

person that makes a fundamental

difference to behaviors and also

fundamental difference to a team when

they're supposed to be looking after

each other on a safety perspective

doesn't it yeah it's really about

creating the awareness and the

understanding in a way that you know

someone going through photos couldn't do

efficiently in a manual sense and so

it's creating that kind of perpetual

awareness of the project but also then

part of the it's interesting you talked

about

the positive aspects of it part of what

we're doing is also scoring systems and

saying oh this is you know a four-star

five-star

level of compliance on a project for

safety right

so you look at you've got a group of a

dozen projects or or more and be able to

rank those projects and be able to tell

hey here are the projects that are

really excelling and here's the ones

where we need to put more attention

that's fundamentally great because what

you've got with larger businesses some

even smaller businesses you can say look

this is best practice and this is what

we've learned on a site this is why

these guys are excelling and also that's

data's there for you to look back at

when you've completed a project so you

know lots of places i see at the moment

we're in london and literally down the

road there is lots of the same buildings

the same tower blocks being built so the

first one will be the first so there's

going to be things that people have

learned there but once you get to the

next one every time you can utilize this

information to improve the way in which

you build a structure and the way in

which you manage that process yeah it's

also impartial so when you have these

multiple projects it's not up to

particular manager on one project and

how vigilant they are it's being an

impartial view and really ranking those

projects against against each other to

be able to manage risk

and what's really exciting about all of

this so folks is the fact that we've got

a solution here that's very affordable

you know it's designed for construction

it's not just a we found a camera let's

plug it in and sort of see if we can get

information from it but you've grown

quite dramatically over the last few

years and there must be you know some of

the key things that your clients have

said this is why we're working with

oxblue and this is why we like it what

are the the key things that keep coming

back and what are some of the unusual

things that you get to to see visually

and that also make an impact i mean in

in over close to 20 years of doing this

which is making me feel a little old you

know in in a lot of our business growth

has been in the last in recent years um

you know it's over 30 000 projects of

experience deploying cameras to projects

understanding what clients actually need

and then refining and refining both the

hardware and the technology solution to

get there

um in regards to

uh you know

is the question kind of what what it's

solving for that in there it's um in

addition to really understanding you

know quickly and accurately the status

of a project it's uh it's creating that

awareness for everyone in the field and

so when i started before we were in this

business i was on the civil engineering

side right right if i was lucky i might

make it to a project once a month

because we were sitting in an office

doing drawings and we're doing drawings

while things are changing in the field

and the ability to actually see it and

know

you know we're moving things on paper

but we're in the cad system

and uh you know there's really concrete

being put in the field it's it's that

level of communication and collaboration

um as well as i mean frankly a lot of

peace of mind yeah there's a lot of risk

there's a lot at stake there's

uncertainty on schedules

um and when you're trying to describe

something by phone or email or just some

still photos captured off of somebody's

mobile

it's uh when you get to watch the camera

and see you get up in the morning and

you've got your cup of coffee and you're

seeing the project it creates a just a

deeper level of understanding of what's

going on and how it's progressing

and for me that's not just about the

constructors that are doing it's not

just about the subcontractors that might

be pouring that concrete it's not just

about the tier one that actually has to

manage the project and report to the

client this information this

visualization can be given to the actual

client themselves and they can see the

progress for themselves so they can have

confidence in what's going on on site

this is what it's all about it's all

about giving people

greater access to sites getting them

confident about what's going on and

making positive change look great to

meet you fantastic after all this time

we're talking that we've finally put

faces to names and uh oxblue certainly

want to watch in the future cheers

[Music]

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