CEEM Seminar Series | Practical Implementation of Unmanned Aerial Systems and New Technology in the AEC Industry | Abul Islam and Michael Giacco, AI Engineers, Inc.
Abstract: AI Engineers, Inc. (AIE) is a champion of technology’s implementation throughout the AEC industry. Pairing the latest innovations with their conventional services, AIE is leveraging technology’s ability to improve safety, quality, and value for their clients and employees. Such traditional services include performing asset inspection and evaluation for over 30 years, which is now supplemented by unmanned aerial systems (UAS/drones), light detection and ranging (LiDAR) scanning, wireless monitoring sensors, and more.
In particular, AIE is on the leading edge of UAS application, regularly deploying their systems for bridge and structure inspection, construction documentation, emergency response, and survey/mapping. Seeking an avenue to combine both the traditional and these new methods of data collection and analysis, AIE formed strategic partnerships to bring together civil engineering, computer vision, deep learning, and artificial intelligence (AI) to safely monitor infrastructure assets, minimize the risk of failure, prioritize repairs, and optimize infrastructure spending. These solutions create quick, easy, safe, and cost-effective workflows to accomplish inspections and evaluation tasks at an advanced and accelerated levels.
Whether data is collected with new technology or through conventional tools, the AI software is producing accurate results in three-dimensional (3D) context to allow asset owners to easily understand the condition of their structures and make informed decisions to remedy issues or efficiently plan for the future. These insights are delivered in the form of annotated 3D models, orthomosaic images, summary tables, and granular reporting to name a few. The process is also repeatable on a given asset, allowing changes in structures to be tracked over time and even predict future issues. In addition, the data is ready to be leveraged for the industry’s push towards digital delivery, creating digital twins that provide the basis of 3D linework, which is transformed into detailed bridge information models (BrIM), building information models (BIM), and other digital asset management resources. This process is also automated by AI applications integrated with conventional AEC software that allow for faster, more accurate, and budget conscience deliverables.
Speaker Bios:
Mr. Abul Islam is the founder and President/CEO of AI Engineers, Inc. (AIE), a 300+ person, multi-disciplined consulting engineering firm, ranked as a Top 500 Design Firm by ENR and a Top 100 Design Firm by ENR New York, ENR New England, and ENR Mid-Atlantic. He is a strong advocate of sustainability in all infrastructure design, construction, and maintenance projects. During his 38-year career, Mr. Islam has demonstrated exemplary leadership and management skills by successfully delivering large and complex engineering projects for federal, state, and municipal clients throughout the Northeast and the Mid-Atlantic States.
These projects have involved the design, upgrade/maintenance, and construction of the nation’s important infrastructure including railroads, bridges, highways, airports, transit facilities, power and utilities. He leads project teams to attain top performance by focusing on managerial, financial and communication skills. Mr. Islam’s recent company-wide initiative involves transforming the organization’s leaders, project managers, and engineers into an agile workforce through the integration of new technology with traditional solutions and champions climate change risk awareness in the built environment.
Mr. Michael Giacco is Associate Vice President overseeing New Technology and Information Technology at AI Engineers, Inc. (AIE) and has over 20 years of experience in the AEC industry with the past 7 years focused on technology implementation. He is an FAA Part 107 Licensed Remote Pilot-in-Command and leads AIE’s Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Program and all other company technology initiatives. Most recently, Mr. Giacco and his Team have engaged with Artificial Intelligence (AI) for structure evaluation and management, leveraging its unique, three-dimensional (3D) context to supplement conventional inspection methods. In addition, he has performed numerous UAS operations involving signature bridge structure inspection, construction documentation, emergency response, and survey/mapping.
