The use of drones on construction sites is increasing, as are the applications for the technology, which range from measuring the movement of materials on-site to tracking the status of the entire project. However, drone data is only as powerful as the software that processes it. Moreover, drones can only capture a building’s exterior.
Doxel’s software is capable of object classification due to its deep learning algorithms. (Image courtesy of Doxel.)
It’s for these reasons and more that Palo Alto-based startup Doxel launched an artificial intelligence (AI) platform that uses HD photos and LIDAR scans to analyze important data from a construction project—both inside and out. To push the company out of the gate, Andreessen Horowitz—with participation from Alchemist Accelerator, Pear Ventures, SV Angel and Steelhead Ventures—led a $4.5 million investment round in Doxel.
To learn more, we spoke to Doxel CEO Saurabh Ladha.
Drones and Rovers on Construction Sites, Oh My
“Doxel is basically an AI software solution to increase productivity in construction. Using autonomous robots and AI, we monitor every inch of a project, inspecting quality and measuring progress in real time,” Ladha explained. “So, project managers can react in minutes, and not in months.”
What this process entails is sending a drone over a construction site and/or sending a rover inside of a construction site after the workday is complete to capture photos and 3D scans of the…