Bridgit, a Canadian startup company devoted to improving efficiency in the construction industry, recently launched Groundbreaker. The interactive application combines the smartglass app for Bridgit’s flagship Closeout software, which manages deficiencies in construction projects, with Thalmic Labs’ Myo armband, which can recognize subtle hand and finger gestures.
Mallorie Brodie, Co-founder of the Kitchener, Ont., software developer, says that she and her Co-founder, Lauren Hasegawa, conferred with 500 stakeholders before deciding on the hands-free solution. “We were not convinced that smartglass technology alone was a practical solution, especially if it required audio commands on noisy job sites,” she says.
Combining the smartglass visual device with the motion-sensing armband means users don’t have to fiddle with their smartphones to shoot a photo of a defect in a wall system. Nor do they have to rely on using voice commands, which can slow down information retrieval in the field. They can just point and click, and the data or image can be transferred instantly to the correct person on site who can fix the problem.
Groundbreaker retails for $1,499. Here’s a short video demonstration of how it works.
Read about more innovations from BD+C's 2014 Great Solutions Report
Related Stories
Healthcare Facilities | Jul 25, 2016
AIA selects seven winners of healthcare building design award
The National Healthcare Design Awards recognizes functional hospital projects that solve aesthetic, civic, urban, and social concerns. Recipients were selected in three categories this year.
Industrial Facilities | Jul 25, 2016
Snøhetta, Bjarke Ingels among four finalists for S.Pellegrino bottling plant design
A committee will evaluate proposals in September.
Architects | Jul 22, 2016
5 creative approaches to finish standards
With the right mindset, standards can produce great design for healthcare facilities, as VOA's Candace Small explores.
Retail Centers | Jul 21, 2016
MVRDV designs Seoul entertainment district with gold entrance and curtain façade
The 9,800-sm complex will have retail and nightclub space. A plaza separates the two concrete buildings.
Healthcare Facilities | Jul 20, 2016
Process mapping simplifies healthcare design
Charting procedures and highlighting improvement opportunities can lead to developing effective design strategy simulations. GS&P’s Ray Wong writes that process mapping adds value to a project and bolsters team and stakeholder collaboration.
Architects | Jul 20, 2016
AIA: Architecture Billings Index remains on solid footing
The June ABI score was down from May, but the figure was positive for the fifth consecutive month.
| Jul 19, 2016
2016 GIANTS 300 REPORT: Ranking the nation's largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms
Now in its 40th year, BD+C’s annual Giants 300 report ranks AEC firms by discipline and across more than 20 building sectors and specialty services.
Architects | Jul 18, 2016
17 buildings designed by Le Corbusier added to UNESCO World Heritage List
The sites are spread across seven counties and were built over the course of 50 years. Le Corbusier, an architect, designer, and urban planner, was a founder of modern architecture.
Multifamily Housing | Jul 18, 2016
Four residential projects named winners of the 2016 AIA/HUD Secretary Awards
Affordable housing, specialized housing, and accessible housing projects were honored.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Jul 18, 2016
Turner and AECOM will build the Los Angeles Rams’ new multi-billion dollar stadium project
The 70,000-seat stadium will be ready by the 2019 NFL season. The surrounding mixed-use development includes space for retail, hotels, and public parks.
