IOT-Acres

Wireless infrastructure is steadily evolving into wireless access for all humans and most devices, from 5G to Internet-of-Things. This widespread access creates the expectation of custom and adaptive services from the personal network to the backbone network. In addition, challenges of scale and interoperability exist across networks, applications and services, both requiring an effective wireless network management infrastructure. At the same time, there has been a rising imperative to capitalize on the current technological advancements to address to the most pressing issues surrounding construction and the built environment to increase health and safety; productivity; and sustainability. This Elements project combines the areas of computer science, electrical engineering, and construction and building to develop a robust cyberinfrastructure (CI) service for construction research, as well as applications that utilize state-of-the-art emerging technologies and software to address the current challenges faced by the construction industry. The major contribution of the project is the development of the IoT-ACRES (IoT-Applied Construction Research and Education Services) system, a central, interoperable framework hub that can incorporate a variety of heterogeneous sensors, technology, software, managed by a software-defined network infrastructure and optimized by machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques. The prototype system will help to augment the works and/or safety manager’s ability to detect hazards and subsequently improve safety performance in construction, which is one of the greatest challenges faced by the construction industry. In addition, the framework can be used to increase autonomy in applications that require simultaneous tracking of multiple entities (people, vehicles, equipment, etc.), detecting multiple objects of interests, analyzing real-time biometric data, and making autonomous decisions. This proposal develops a robust cyberinfrastructure (CI) system and service for construction research and applications to address the current challenges faced in the construction industry. The outcomes and services that that this proposal aims to provide are: