International engineering firm Laing O’ Rourke have adopted Microsoft’s IoT to keep their employees safe in extreme circumstances.
The Australian division of the firm often require their employees to work in humid and remote locations, putting them at risk of heatstroke and potentially death. Together with local Microsoft partner MOQdigital, they have harnessed the power of Microsoft’s IoT technologies to design a “smart hardhat” that uses a sweatband sensor to collect data on the temperature and heart-rate of the wearer, as well as measuring temperature and humidity.
This data is collected to Microsoft Azure and Power BI to analyse and root out potential dangers to employees. If the system flags potential danger, a sound and vibration notification warns the employee to head to safety to cool down. It also notifies the site manager to this danger, ensuring workers stay safe in the extreme heat of Australia’s outback.
The smart hardhats also contain a GPS module and an accelerometer for determination of orientation and the impact of vibration/shock.
To learn more about the smart hardhat, watch the video below
