Ground-breaking technology looks to revolutionize the construction industry

Drones are taking flight in Manitoba’s construction industry as a pair of organizations are teaming up to train up to 60 Manitobans over the next three years in cutting-edge drone technology, combined with Unreal Engine, to revolutionize how construction projects are planned and executed.

The Manitoba Construction Sector Council is teaming up with New Media Manitoba for the groundbreaking initiative, which will see $219,000 from the province go to addressing the growing demand for innovation in construction, and help companies stay competitive.

“It’s so exciting to see construction companies excited about the technology a lot of them are starting to deploy it so yah we see a lot of great possibilities for future-facing high-skilled technology jobs in construction,” said Louie Ghiz, the executive director of New Media Manitoba.

Unreal Engine, a software designed to create 3D games, animations, and virtual worlds has been paired with drone technology, to offer real-time visualization of construction sites. It means construction teams can digitally recreate worksites, test plans, and identify potential challenges before breaking ground, which is exactly what Bird Construction Ltd. has been doing for the last four years nationally and the last two years in Winnipeg.

“I think it’s becoming more of a staple in the larger construction company because of the time saving and because of the quality reviews we are able to complete with this type of technology it saves us money at the end,” said Roxanne Gross, the senior digital construction coordinator at Bird Construction Ltd.

Sean Usher, the director of design technology and innovation at Republic Architecture Inc. adds, “Now we send myself or an individual with a scanner and a drone, they spend a day on-site flying the drone running the scanner, then we take that digitized version of that built asset back to the office.”

And it isn’t just the construction industry capitalizing off the new technology, there are also talks that these same tools could be used for simulated surgeries in the OR and also on First Nations.

“When you look at ancestorial grave sights, you look at landfill management, identification of fires, they see that need and they are already in discussion with the Sector Council about delivery,” said Carol Paul, the executive director of the Manitoba Construction Sector Council.