A Japanese team of Sumitomo Heavy Industries (SHI) and NEC have created what they describe as a first-of-its-kind AI system that automatically generates reports of near-miss incidents from camera footage and sensor data captured from hydraulic excavators.
The team claim it is the first type of technology to automatically extract, visualise and summarise potentially hazardous events from site-specific and time-dependent video footage and work logs.
SHI Group will identify and extract risk scenes from recorded video footage, which are analysed using NEC’s proprietary technology that combines video recognition with generative AI.
The system will cross reference hazardous behaviours, such as accidents and construction equipment failure. Matching results will be automatically identified and reported.
After creating a proof of concept in September 2025, the team plans a practical implementation in 2027.
They aim to broaden the system to capture unsafe conditions that may go unrecognised, and to assess situations against site-specific operational rules.
- Subscribe to our newsletter here to receive construction news and insights from around the world straight to your inbox
Further Reading:
