Getting machine learning and artificial intelligence to work for construction is often a matter of finding where it would be most useful. AI algorithms can scan through terabytes of data, looking for small inconsistencies or hidden patterns that a human might not notice at first. Now, engineers at Thornton Tomasetti have applied that considerable processing power to the tricky work of building-facade inspections.
After two years of development in Thornton Tomasetti’s CORE lab, the result is T2D2, a computer-vision, machine-learning algorithm that can identify damage to building exteriors in photos or video. Not intended to replace the difficult work of facade inspections, T2D2 is instead seen as tool to find hidden damage that might go unnoticed, and speed along a tedious, difficult process.