iPads and Android tablet computers differ from laptops because of their touchscreens and their simplicity of use.  When the iPad debuted, I thought it a silly tool that old people might find useful. Wrong again! I now think the tablet computers will change construction more than any technology we’ve seen in years.

If a job site has wi-fi, then anyone on site will be able to use their tablet to access the cloud computing world. In the cloud, all the current project drawings and shop drawings will be available for tablet viewing. All the mistakes that come from working from old drawings can be eliminated. Also, all the mistakes that come from not having access to the information from other trades can go away.

Scheduling can be greatly improved as site foreman get to use their fingers to show who works where when. We all know how much effort goes into most project schedules and how little they actually affect job site decisions. What if that were reversed? That’s a game changer.

Talking to my tech guru Kneal, he mentioned a proof of concept video he recently watched about augmented reality. This is a concept you want to know about. Imagine you have the 3D CAD files for the building you’re constructing on your tablet. When you enter a room and point the rear facing video camera to the walls, the program determines the location in the building by GPS and object recognition software. So the camera scans the wall and records that the electrical outlet is actually installed 6″ away from the planned location (perhaps the studs were installed differently). The screen can then show how the phone and data wiring will fit or need to be changed given the actual conditions.

So this yields not only perfect as-builts but real time screen shot changes of what needs to happen in the field. The technology to accomplish this scenario exists, the challenge will be to figure out how to use it simply and effectively. That’s a challenge I’m embracing.

To quote the wise sage FogHorn Leghorn, “I’m throwing ya pearls here boy” and as shown in the clip below, “Pay attention, boy, I’m not just talking to hear my head roar.”  And my personal favorite from this clip, “Pay attention boy, I’m cuttin’ but you ain’t bleedin.'” I love the clip below of the sayings of FogHorn Leghorn.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LCsiWL6gn0

If the concept of augmented reality fascinates you, here’s a video Skanska Construction produced that shows the details of what they now use on an office building in Helsinki. 4D modeling rocks.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVt86NGXQv4