The International Association for Automation and Robotics in Construction
Publications / CCC 2025 - Zadar, Croatia
DEVELOPMENT OF A CONSTRUCTION SITE'S PHOTO MANAGEMENT AND SITE INSPECTION APPLICATION USING SMARTPHONE-BASED INDOOR POSITIONING AND LOCALIZATION TECHNOLOGY IN A NON-GPS ENVIRONMENT
On construction sites, providing clear and efficient work instructions to foremen during site inspections, known as "follow-up work," is essential but often burdensome and time-consuming. Follow-up work on construction sites should be carried out daily, where site managers must visit the site, take photos of identified issues, return to the office, print the photos taken on-site, match them with a site map, create detailed instructions, and deliver them to foremen during meetings or breaks. Recently, some sites have been using chat applications like WhatsApp, LINE Works, and Wow Talk, which have sped up the process by allowing real-time sharing of photos and instructions via chat messages. However, the location of the photos is often unclear or inaccurate, which makes it difficult for foremen to understand the instructions accurately. As a result, site managers may need to guide foremen to the location in person, creating inefficiencies. To address this issue, we developed a site photo management app that uses smartphone-based, non-GPS indoor positioning and localization technology. The app allows workers to take photos, automatically tag the location accurately, and generate work instructions directly on their smartphones. These instructions, including both photos and a location map showing the pinpoint where the photo was taken along with the direction of the camera, can be sent to foremen via chat applications, ensuring that the work task is clearly communicated. The system is optimized to work with iPhones, making it accessible to construction site workers at any time. This solution improves the accuracy and efficiency of providing work instructions, reduces the administrative burden on site managers, and enhances communication between site workers and foremen. By streamlining the follow-up work process and ensuring that instructions are clear and precise, the system contributes to improved efficiency on construction sites.