By taking human eyes where it’s difficult for human bodies to go, tech gadgets are taking building maintenance to the next level.
Image: Lino Schmid & Moira Prati
Drones and smart glasses are two of the latest tech gadgets being deployed in new ways to help experts gather information and solve problems.
A story posted by Energy Manager Today highlights several cases where drones are being used to quickly and safely inspect facilities, something that’s often difficult or even impossible.
“A drone can inspect assets that are dangerous and/or difficult to reach — or completely inaccessible to humans. The fact that they are airborne avoids time-consuming preparations, such as building scaffolding to inspect walls. For energy managers, these devices can be used to conduct higher perspective inspections of rooftop assets or even the inside of equipment that have large cavities,” according to the author of the post.
Duke Energy and ConEnergy are both using drones to inspect boilers. Duke has also used drones to check solar panels and assess storm damage. Tremco Roofing and Building Maintenance uses drones to scan building roofs for leaks.
While drones are the eyes in the sky for some facility managers, others are turning to smart glasses to focus on solving problems.
An HVAC contractor in Tennessee is using smart glasses to connect technicians, expert support and customers. Lee Company technicians use smart glasses to transmit video feeds to customers and in-office support, improving communication and reducing the need to send additional personnel out to solve problems. The company credits the smart glasses with improving efficiency and customer satisfaction, as well as helping them overcome a labor shortage and attracting new talent.