5 Tech Innovations That Drove Infrastructure Development In 2022 And What it Holds For The Future

The infrastructure sector is a major economic driver in India, and hence, commitment to its overall development is crucial. Looking at the recently announced Budget 2022-23, the Union government reaffirmed its commitment to using infrastructure as a key driver of long-term economic growth and proposed infrastructure spending of more than Rs 10 lakh crore. As critical as infrastructure is, technology is becoming an increasingly important component of the infrastructure debate in countries all over the world. The advancement of technology in the infrastructure sector has not only made the sector more efficient but has also aided in its growth. As India progresses towards smart city development, there is a lot of transformation visible across the map in terms of technological advancement and infrastructure development.

Innovation is flourishing at all stages of infrastructure development. Exciting new ideas that have the potential to change the field are being generated and are all set to revolutionize the infrastructure industry in the coming years.

On that note, here are the 5 Tech Innovations That Drove Infrastructure Development In 2022 And What it Holds For The Future.

AI/ML – Artificial intelligence has gone mainstream in the last five years and is being further adapted and applied to increase its value in a variety of industries, including customer service, healthcare, marketing and sales, etc. Following suit, the infrastructure industry has begun to look into the use of AI/ML technology across all types of projects. From optimizing work schedules to improving workplace safety, transformative technologies like AI and ML are already proving their worth in the industry. In the coming years, AI can be used in the BIM (Building Information Modelling) space to assist in the automation of time-consuming scan-to-BIM workflows, as well as in internal corporate processes such as profit and loss analysis, work order tracking, contract workflows, and so on.

Blockchain – Blockchain technology has been dubbed as one of the most disruptive forces of the last decade – thanks to its ability to record, enable, and secure a large number and variety of transactions. However, it is probably the least understood in terms of industry use cases in the built environment, and as a result, it is frequently overlooked. Nonetheless, it has a broad scope with numerous applications in the infrastructure industry- from eliminating the many layers of contracts and middlemen that exist between the conception and delivery of a project to risk management. All in all, using blockchain technology throughout the project life cycle, especially in conjunction with BIM, has the potential to significantly reduce time, cost, and fraud.

Autonomous vehicles and robotics – Autonomous driving technology has the potential to transform the infrastructure industry, particularly the construction sector. Many companies are now actively developing autonomous construction technology in order to create robots and machines that can efficiently accelerate construction projects. Furthermore, we can anticipate many advancements in autonomous vehicle deployments in the infrastructure industry in 2022, including increased levels of safety and security as well as faster operating speeds. Additionally, drones and robotics will continue to be widely used for surveying and inspections, as well as for automating repetitive and frequent dangerous tasks.

AR/VR – In recent years, the evolution of VR and AR has unveiled a wide range of use cases for the infrastructure sector, ranging from design to marketing. Earlier, architects used to rely on two-dimensional plans, drawings, and imagery, or three-dimensional models, to convey a sense of a future project or idea. Now, thanks to VR and AR, people can manipulate perception to the point where customers can enter a different type of “reality.” It is assisting the industry in achieving engineering-grade accuracy while also providing clients with on-site visualizations of their projects. These 3D visualizations will be used more frequently in the coming years to improve the customer experience, analyze project alternatives, minimize conflicts, and communicate project information.

3D printing – 3D printing has the potential to completely disrupt the construction site, and rightfully so. The technology has the potential to improve the efficiency of infrastructure mega-projects while lowering the cost and safety concerns associated with working on sprawling and chaotic construction sites. In addition to that, 3D printing is faster, generates less waste, addresses future supply chain and construction labor shortages, and allows for greater design freedom than traditional construction techniques. In 2022, we can witness greater use of this technology in achieving societal goals such as sustainability, resiliency, and energy efficiency.

Development in the infrastructure industry used to take several years and a great deal of time and effort. However, the recent developments and advancement of technology in the infrastructure sector has not only made the sector more efficient, but has also contributed to the sector’s overall growth. The new year promises to be a watershed moment in the industry, with increased integration of innovative technologies such as AI, VR, blockchain, etc. coming together in the infrastructure space to drive the country’s economic development.

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(The author is Mr. Hitesh Mehta, IEEE Member and the views expressed in this article are his own)