The construction industry continues to be a hotbed of innovation, with activity driven by an increased focus on environmental sustainability and workplace safety, and the growing importance of technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and robotics. In the last three years alone, there have been over 248,000 patents filed and granted in the construction industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Internet of Things in Construction: Sensor-integrated door wings. Buy the report here.

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Data Insights Internet of Things in Construction: Sensor-integrated door wings

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However, not all innovations are equal and nor do they follow a constant upward trend. Instead, their evolution takes the form of an S-shaped curve that reflects their typical lifecycle from early emergence to accelerating adoption, before finally stabilising and reaching maturity.

Identifying where a particular innovation is on this journey, especially those that are in the emerging and accelerating stages, is essential for understanding their current level of adoption and the likely future trajectory and impact they will have.

80+ innovations will shape the construction industry

According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which plots the S-curve for the construction industry using innovation intensity models built on over 179,000 patents, there are 80+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.

Within the emerging innovation stage, smart toilet and intelligent water body cleaning are the disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. Intelligent motor controllers, hydraulic actuators, and sensor-integrated door wings are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among maturing innovation areas are automatic faucet and excavator monitoring systems, which are now well established in the industry.  

Innovation S-curve for Internet of Things in the construction industry

Sensor-integrated door wings are a key innovation area in Internet of Things

Sensor-integrated door wings refer to doors that are equipped with integrated sensors that allow for automatic opening and closing. These doors typically use a combination of motion sensors, proximity sensors, and other types of sensors to detect the presence of people or objects near the door.

GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies. According to GlobalData, there are 10+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established construction companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of sensor-integrated door wings.

Key players in sensor-integrated door wings – a disruptive innovation in the construction industry

‘Application diversity’ measures the number of different applications identified for each relevant patent and broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.

‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of different countries each relevant patent is registered in and reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.

Patent volumes related to sensor-integrated door wings

The leading company in the sensor-integrated door wings space is GEZE. One of its recent innovations has been the development of a braking device for a moving door leaf, which allows the closing speed of a door with valves to be more safely and efficiently controlled. The invention comprises a generator and at least one generator shaft which can be rotated via a movement of the door leaf. The braking device, which allows the movement of the door leaf to be braked, comprises an electric motor operated as a generator, and motor shafts and terminals. The braking circuit comprises at least one switch element designed as a field-effect transistor (FET), via which the motor terminals can be short-circuited. Other leading companies in the space include Assa Abloy, Otis, and Beacon Roofing Supply.

In terms of application diversity, the leading companies include Airdri, Nissan and Beacon Roofing Supply. In terms of geographic reach, the leading companies are F.X.Meiller Fahrzeug- und Maschinenfabrik, Memco and Airdri.

To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the construction industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Internet of Things (IoT) in Construction.

GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.

GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.