OpenSpace has introduced an AI-powered auto-location service that provides real-time indoor positioning for smartphones on construction sites, eliminating the need for additional hardware like Bluetooth beacons. The technology addresses a longstanding pain point in construction workflows where GPS fails to work effectively indoors once buildings are enclosed, potentially transforming how contractors document and manage jobsite progress.
How it works: OpenSpace’s Spatial AI compares real-time sensor data from smartphones with maps generated from pre-existing 360° captures of indoor spaces on the platform.
- The system progressively refines location estimations even as jobsites change over time, using entirely software-based solutions rather than requiring hardware installations.
- The auto-location functionality is part of OpenSpace’s broader Visual Intelligence Platform, which was announced at the company’s Waypoint customer summit on September 9 in San Francisco.
Real-world impact: Boston-based Suffolk Construction, a major general contractor, has piloted the auto-location technology alongside OpenSpace’s voice-to-text AI feature called VoiceNotes, reporting significant efficiency gains.
- Felipe Dominguez, construction technology product manager at Suffolk, said the new capabilities reduce the time to create work-to-complete items by around 50%.
- On a typical $100-million project with approximately 5,000 punch list items and observations, around 95% of field notes created through the AI capabilities contain high-quality information including location, due dates, responsible trades, and assignees.
The bigger picture: OpenSpace CEO Jeevan Kalanithi emphasizes that the platform aims to enhance existing construction workflows rather than replace them entirely.
- “This image-first visual intelligence platform way of working is great because it’s very much like the old way of working [on jobsites], prior to all these forms and web forms,” Kalanithi explained.
- The approach puts “reality and images at the center of the work” while AI handles backend processes, moving beyond traditional reality capture.
What they’re saying: Suffolk’s experience demonstrates the technology’s practical value in large-scale construction projects.
- “That has been a game changer, when you think about the significant number of time-consuming and the effort that processes like work to complete or punch lists have on our project teams,” Dominguez noted.
- “We’re very excited about what is coming. And after a really good pilot with them, we’re excited to expand it.”
Recent Stories
DOE fusion roadmap targets 2030s commercial deployment as AI drives $9B investment
The Department of Energy has released a new roadmap targeting commercial-scale fusion power deployment by the mid-2030s, though the plan lacks specific funding commitments and relies on scientific breakthroughs that have eluded researchers for decades. The strategy emphasizes public-private partnerships and positions AI as both a research tool and motivation for developing fusion energy to meet data centers' growing electricity demands. The big picture: The DOE's roadmap aims to "deliver the public infrastructure that supports the fusion private sector scale up in the 2030s," but acknowledges it cannot commit to specific funding levels and remains subject to Congressional appropriations. Why...
Oct 17, 2025Tying it all together: Credo’s purple cables power the $4B AI data center boom
Credo, a Silicon Valley semiconductor company specializing in data center cables and chips, has seen its stock price more than double this year to $143.61, following a 245% surge in 2024. The company's signature purple cables, which cost between $300-$500 each, have become essential infrastructure for AI data centers, positioning Credo to capitalize on the trillion-dollar AI infrastructure expansion as hyperscalers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Elon Musk's xAI rapidly build out massive computing facilities. What you should know: Credo's active electrical cables (AECs) are becoming indispensable for connecting the massive GPU clusters required for AI training and inference. The company...
Oct 17, 2025Vatican launches Latin American AI network for human development
The Vatican hosted a two-day conference bringing together 50 global experts to explore how artificial intelligence can advance peace, social justice, and human development. The event launched the Latin American AI Network for Integral Human Development and established principles for ethical AI governance that prioritize human dignity over technological advancement. What you should know: The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, the Vatican's research body for social issues, organized the "Digital Rerum Novarum" conference on October 16-17, combining academic research with practical AI applications. Participants included leading experts from MIT, Microsoft, Columbia University, the UN, and major European institutions. The conference...