Way back in June, we introduced you to a developing technology that could eventually replace the standard hard hats we all know and love today. Hard hats have served their purpose, to save lives and reduce head injuries in dangerous areas, but, if you think about it, they’re using up valuable real estate on a construction worker without any added benefits. That’s why DAQRI decided to turn a traditional hard hat into a fully interactive, augmented reality head set which could unleash the true potential of a job site and its workers.
Now, according to a recent press release, Topcon Positioning Group, a leading technology firm for the construction, agricultural, and surveying industries, has partnered with Daqri, to bring their helmet to life in the construction industry. The original helmet concept, which actually won the Edison Gold Award for Industrial Solutions, was designed with a drop down, head up display, which allows the user to keep their eyes forward on a dangerous job site, as opposed to looking down at a smart phone or a notebook. It’s the same idea as a GPS navigation being projected on your front windshield, head up displays keep your eyes where they need to be.
Not only will it hopefully further increase safety, it’s also built to greatly increase efficiency and productivity. With basically a computer sitting on your head, you’ll have all the information you need right at your fingertips, like drawings, specs, and pictures. It also comes with a 360 degree sensor package which can detect issues before the human eye can and alert you.
“We are committed to developing innovative solutions that power the future of work and Topcon is at the forefront of the industry with some of the most innovative products that are being used by millions of workers across a variety of environments,” said Matt Kammerait, vice president of product, DAQRI. “This makes them the perfect partner to integrate the Smart Helmet into existing workflows. We look forward to seeing how our partnership re-defines the nature of ‘work,’ by setting a new standard for wearables in the AEC space.”
The video below will give you a pretty good understanding of how the DAQRI Smart Helmet is designed to work. It’s certainly got us pretty excited, and, combined with exoskeletons designed for construction workers, like this one, our industry is getting closer and to making its workers as close to bionic as possible.
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