InSite

A demonstration of the home page. Construction managers can manage several construction sites at once.
ESP32 with temperature and accelerometers.
Inside each construction project, an easily digestible dashboard can be used to visualize the fatigue of worker data.
Construction worker's fatigue rates and energy levels are measured to encourage breaks and improve mental health.

Inspiration

Construction is one of the most intense industries in the U.S. Construction workers often have to work long hours, endure physically demanding environments, and meet tough deadlines. Unfortunately, the combination of these factors contribute to construction workers developing mental disorders and suffering from the second-highest suicide rate out of all major industries in the U.S. In an effort to prevent this, our team created InSite: a wearable technology solution that hopes to improve the mental health of construction workers by targeting and preventing overexertion and and physical exhaustion on the construction site, often the biggest cause of mental distress in construction workers.

What it does

InSite's wearable IoT solution helps monitor the physical exertion of construction workers on site. This is achieved through temperature sensors to prevent heatstroke, accelerometers to detect intensive physical labor, and time stamps to measure long working hours. Each InSite device is intended to be worn while on the construction site, providing managers with an overview of each worker's estimated energy level while respecting the worker's health privacy. The InSite dashboard allows the manager to recommend breaks to workers that have demonstrated high levels of overexertion. InSite aims to improve site working conditions, minimize construction related injuries, and improve the mental well-being of construction workers through transparency and technology.

How we built it

Our team prototyped our device using a low-cost, low-power ESP32 microcontroller. We utilized Arduino temperature sensors, 3-axis accelerometers, and WiFi to connect to a Cloud Firestore realtime database. With the Google Cloud Platform, we created a highly scalable solution through serverless Cloud Functions to handle computations of the sensor data. We created a React web application to easily visualize construction worker data.

Challenges we ran into

Some of the challenges included connecting the ESP32 microcontroller to the Cloud Firestore. We wanted to make the data secure, so we spent a considerable amount of effort adjusting the permissions and IAM roles to ensure that construction worker data cannot be accessed without permission. We also faced challenges with making the dashboard easy to navigate at a glance, providing critical information about construction workers that is easily digestible.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are proud of the accomplishments of our InSite project, which is dedicated to enhancing the safety, health, and well-being of construction workers on site. With our wearable IoT solution, we have successfully harnessed cutting-edge technology to monitor and safeguard the physical exertion of these hardworking individuals. Our innovative approach combines temperature sensors to prevent heatstroke, accelerometers for detecting strenuous physical labor, and time stamps to measure extended working hours. By equipping each worker with an InSite device, we have not only offered crucial insights into their energy levels but also prioritized their privacy. Through the InSite dashboard, we have empowered site managers with real-time data, allowing them to recommend well-deserved breaks to workers displaying signs of overexertion. Our ultimate goal is to revolutionize site working conditions, minimize construction-related injuries, and promote the mental well-being of construction workers by fostering transparency and embracing technology.

What we learned

Through the development of our project, we gained invaluable insights and knowledge. Firstly, we learned that by employing a low-cost, low-power ESP32 microcontroller along with Arduino temperature sensors and 3-axis accelerometers, we can create an efficient and cost-effective solution for monitoring construction workers' physical exertion. The utilization of WiFi to connect to a Cloud Firestore realtime database allowed for real-time data management, offering crucial advantages for on-site safety. Leveraging the power of the Google Cloud Platform, we discovered the potential for creating a highly scalable system by implementing serverless Cloud Functions to process and compute the sensor data, ensuring responsiveness and adaptability to varying work conditions. Additionally, we grasped the significance of user-friendly interfaces, as we developed a React web application to visualize construction worker data, emphasizing the importance of intuitive tools for effective data interpretation and management. Overall, our project has equipped us with a deep understanding of how technology can enhance safety and efficiency in the construction industry while maintaining cost-effectiveness and scalability.

What's next for IoT Project

As we reflect on the achievements of our project, we are excited to embark on the next steps in our journey to further enhance the safety and well-being of construction workers. The success of our low-cost, low-power IoT solution using ESP32 microcontrollers, temperature sensors, accelerometers, and Cloud Firestore database connectivity has laid a strong foundation for expansion. Moving forward, we envision refining our device, optimizing its energy efficiency, and exploring additional sensors to provide even more comprehensive insights into workers' health and safety. Our experience with serverless Cloud Functions on the Google Cloud Platform has highlighted the potential for scaling up our system to accommodate larger construction sites and data loads. We are committed to continuous improvement in our React web application for data visualization, with plans to incorporate advanced analytics and reporting features. Our next steps revolve around not only further enhancing the technology itself but also fostering partnerships with construction industry stakeholders to ensure widespread adoption and to fulfill our mission of creating safer and more supportive work environments for construction workers.