As construction accidents have been on the rise in recent years, a grant is being issued by the National Science Foundation to improve the safety on construction equipment. Over the course of three years, $650,000 will be dispersed to a team of researchers at Penn State University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to implement this project. The plan is to begin on mobile cranes and work their way into improving other equipment, as well. During the process of enhancement, NJ Equipment Breakdown Insurance can help to mitigate risk in the interim.
Chimay Anumba, head professor of architectural engineering at Penn State said “Construction is a $940 billion industry in the United States and operating equipment represents one of the most dangerous tasks on a construction site. In 2013 alone, 4,045 people died as a result of construction site accidents.”
To combat this, Anumba and his team are working on combining cyber techniques with physical components to create more effective construction equipment. According to Construction Equipment, the system’s physical components will include an omnidirectional camera to provide equipment operators with a better perspective on their work environment by detecting workers, tools and other objects on site, and sensors to collect data that will enable monitoring of conditions such as equipment-soil interaction, equipment stability, and safety of material pickup.
The project, titled “Safe and Efficient Cyber-Physical Operation System for Construction Equipment,” is set to commence January 1st, 2016. This project is developing virtual models in order to test these ideas and their usefulness. As construction environments are constantly changing, the live video feed will help workers better determine their position and potential risks. As of now, crane equipment operators rely on ground workers to verbally direct them, resulting in a dangerous “blind lift.”
In addition, the cyber component will provide feedback to the operator regarding torque, speed, force, and even include a computer override feature when it senses a human error that could result in danger or injury.
Once the virtual models, live feed cameras and sensors are all applied successfully into an effective system, the technology will be spread to other construction applications. However, since cranes are involved in the largest number of annual construction accidents, they remain the priority.
As this development ensues, Provident Protection Plus Insurance Agency is here to protect your construction equipment and business. Our comprehensive insurance solutions are written specifically with you in mind and can be tailored to meet your specific requirements. To learn more, contact us today at (888) 990-0526.