Last summer, Hilti announced that they had developed their first exoskeleton designed for construction tradespeople in a partnership with Ottobuck, a prosthetics, orthotics, and exoskeleton provider. Earlier this month, Hilti officially released the exoskeleton, announced more details, and published its retail price on their website.
The Hilti EXO-01 Overhead Exoskeleton is designed to reduce the stress of overhead work on the wearer’s arm, back, and shoulder muscles. The 4.4-pound system straps around user’s waist, shoulders, and arms to distribute the weight while providing lift support. The passive device does not require any external power source to operate, either, so it will work for as long as you wear it.
Hilti will offer the EXO-01 to its customers in one of two ways: a one-time fixed cost or a monthly fee. The fixed cost price is $1,599 which is on the lower end of some exoskeletons on the market, but more in-line with the lighter weight category it falls in.
For those interested in a maintenance free solution for their fleet, each EXO-01 will cost $60 per month with repairs included in the cost.
Hilti’s core clients are in the commercial construction industry and I expect this exoskeleton to be largely purchased by employers on larger construction projects, rather than individuals. The $1,600 price tag may sound expensive for a tradesperson, but can be viewed as PPE by the employer, with the potential to reduce long term muscle injuries, as well as fatigue.
Is this something you’d like your company to try? Let me know in the comments.
For more information and to see the EXO-01 in action, check out the video below:
Cat Phones is known to make some pretty rugged smartphones, the kind of phone you don’t have to worry about on the jobsite – even without a case. Licensed by the construction equipment giant, Caterpillar, the phones are made by the UK-based Bullitt Group. The company recently announced the release of their new flagship smartphone model, the CAT S62 Pro.
The CAT S62 Pro Overview
Being their flagship model, the CAT S62 Pro is not only their most expensive phone, but also their most feature packed. Retailing for roughly $649 on Amazon(or $599 for government employees, hospital employees, medical providers, military, nurses, and first responders with a valid ID through the Cat Phones website), the highlight of the S62 Pro is the onboard FLIR Thermal Imaging Camera.
The S62 Pro replaces the previous flagship, the S61, which, in addition to a FLIR thermal imaging camera, also included a laser measure, Humidity sensor, and a VOC sensor. All useful features for the construction industry, but features that also increased cost and limited the functionality of the thermal imager. At release, the S61 carried a price tag of $999, significantly higher than that of the S62 Pro and the S62’s thermal imaging camera is much more advanced.
The phone is able to be used on either the AT&T or T-Mobile networks.
Ruggedness
As mentioned above, Cat phones are known for their ruggedness and this model is no exception. The S62 Pro is impervious to dust, waterproof in up to 5 feet of water for 35 minutes, and drop proof from all angles up to 6 feet. It carries with it an IP68 and IP69 rating and has also achieved a MIL SPEC 810H military spec rating, which mean it’s tough enough to handle extreme shifts in temperature, salt mist conditions, and thermal shock.
The screen is comprised of scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass, which is recessed slightly beneath the outer edge of the device. Being that the phone is already waterproof, it can be scrubbed in a sink with soap and water to disinfect it – or to wash that mud off it from the long day at the jobsite.
Thermal Imaging Camera
CAT S62 Pro MSX Overlay on Thermal Imaging
The ruggedness is nice, but let’s be honest, the real reason that you would consider buying this model is for the thermal imaging camera. Thermal imaging in the construction and facility maintenance sectors is extremely valuable for both quality control and repair investigation alike. The thermal imagine camera that’s integrated with the S62 Pro packs a nice punch, too, as it’s powered by one of the market leaders in the technology: FLIR.
The phone’s integrated thermal camera is powered by a Lepton 3.5 professional-grade sensor, features a measurable temperature range of -4F to 752F, and allows the user a variety of different ways to customize their view. The device can use both the integrated photo camera and the thermal camera to enhance the visibility of the actual object, making it easier to determine exactly what you’re looking at.
One of my favorite features is the MSX overlay option (pictured), which allows you to actually read text while viewing temperature data. The phone also allows screenshots to be taken of your view and for the temperature data to be manipulated after the fact – meaning changing colors, pinpointing specific spots to get a temperature reading on, or changing the view mode.
In my testing, I’ve found the thermal camera to be intuitive, responsive, and valuable on the jobsite.
Performance
Both the ruggedness of the phone and the performance of the thermal imaging camera are as advertised, I’ve found them to be reliable and very capable.
As for normal phone functionality, there are some high and low points. The phone’s internal storage is sizable at 128GB and, even though about 24GB is used for the system itself and pre-installed apps, the remaining 104GB should be more than plenty to handle all of the other apps you’d like to install. For additional memory, you can also install an external SD card.
I was also much happier with several features on this model versus the CAT S42 model that I recently reviewed. Although the S42 is a much more affordable device, the S62’s sound quality, responsiveness, and overall feel were a huge improvement. The S62 also features a USB-C charging port without the rubberized flap that always gets in the way, but does not offer wireless charging.
The photo and video camera are both solid performers, although won’t match the capabilities of the latest and greatest Android or Apple product. It does have 4K video recording capabilities and both a front and rear camera, which is to be expected these days.
The back of the phone also features a fingerprint sensor for security.
Surprisingly, however, the battery on the S62 is a bit smaller than the S42, even with the additional features and processing power, offering a 4,000mAh battery versus the S42’s 4,200mAh battery. Even so, the company states that the phone can last up to 2 full days with real world use, which would depend on the amount of time spent using that fantastic thermal camera.
Value
At nearly $650 retail, the CAT S62 Pro is certainly not an inexpensive device, especially for a company looking to roll this out to their workforce. The purchase price does not tell the entire story, however. If the alternative is to purchase a different work phone, but also equip it with an external thermal imaging camera, the value becomes much clearer.
The FLIR ONE Pro, an external thermal camera smartphone attachment that shares many of the same features as that of the S62 Pro, retails for around $400 by itself (Amazon link). FLIR does offer less expensive options, but do not offer nearly the functionality. Add to that the lack of need to purchase a protective case and screen protector and the value gets greater.
But, that all hinges on the fact that you actually need your workforce to have a thermal imaging camera. If upfront cost is the main driver, there are many less expensive rugged or non-rugged enterprise ready phones available on the market for much less.
The construction technology world has been no stranger to acquisitions and mergers in recent years, as many larger players are gobbling up startups and other specialty software to quickly grow their offerings and expand their value to their customers. The latest acquisition comes from a somewhat surprising source, however, as Stanley Black & Decker, the power tool and storage company, has acquired Buildup, a task management, punch list, and inspection software company.
Buildup is a mobile friendly punch list tool that embeds the tasks, details, and pictures of each item directly onto your project’s floor plan. The items can then be assigned to specific companies or employees to complete and full reports can be created to keep everyone on the team aligned.
For more information about Buildup, you can check out my interview with Stephen Haskin, the CEO or Buildup by clicking or tapping here.
While Stanley Black & Decker is ultimately the company to acquire Buildup, the company was more specifically acquired under the Stanley X umbrella. Stanley X is the innovation center for the parent company, leading the company’s charge in in-house construction software development, partnerships, and acquisitions.
In the past, Stanley X announced a partnership with DeepHow, an AI powered video training solution. Buildup marks the groups first acquisition.
“We are excited to welcome Buildup to STANLEY X as we expand and grow our construction technology capabilities”, said Michael Keogh, VP & President of STANLEY X. “Collaboration is central to construction, and Buildup’s collaborative platform aligns well with our existing vision and strategy. We are certain that a partnership between our collective teams will create growth opportunities and deliver extraordinary experiences to our customers.”
Stanley plans to retain the branding for Buildup while offering additional resources for the software to continue to grow. It will also be used to augment and enhance one of Stanley X’s in-house developed software, OneConstruct, which is yet to be officially released.
OneConstruct is designed to connect field staff to their management team to synchronize schedules and workplans. The company plans to target trade contractors, self-performing GCs, and commercial fabricators with the solution.
“Buildup extends our current OneConstruct offering into a collaborative trade solution, and it will certainly accelerate our efforts in improving construction productivity on job sites”, adds Justin Saeheng, Head of Construction Technology at STANLEY X.
As a whole, Stanley Black & Decker is not new to technology, their DeWalt brand has been developing software and hardware for years, including a full lineup of Bluetooth connected tools and accessories and a construction site WiFi solution, among others. It’s noteworthy, still, that Stanley is acquiring construction technology brands outside of tools, which signals that they have optimism surrounding continued adoption of project management technology in the construction industry.
Father’s Day 2021 is June 20, so you better get started on gift ideas if you want to impress dad this year. Whether your father is contractor, handyman, or DIYer, we’ve got a lot of great ideas for him this year.
For more more gift ideas, be sure to check out our past Father's Day Gift Guides from 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 or our Ultimate Construction Holiday Gift Guides from 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020
We’ve been lucky enough to be able to use many of the tools on this list throughout the year and there are others on the list that we’d love to try because they have been highly regarded in reviews. It should be assumed that the tool manufacturers have given us these tools for free to test out, but none of them have paid to be a part of this gift guide. All tools on this list have been chosen by us, because we think they would be great gifts.
This post contains affiliate links, which earn us a small commission for the things that you buy. The prices in the links are exactly the same as they would be normally!
Ultimate Construction Father’s Day Gift Guide 2021
If you’ve ever had to pull baseboard, crown molding, or other trim work, you know it’s pretty easy to either damage the trim or the wall behind it in the process. I picked up a Trim Puller recently and it makes saving trim extremely easy and greatly reduces damage to the wall. Just line it up with the joint of the trim against the wall, hit the back of it with a hammer and the trim pops loose.
If you’re house is like mine, the labeling system inside your circuit breaker box is an absolute mess, which makes it extremely difficult to find the correct breaker to turn off when needed. The Klein Tools Digital Circuit Breaker finder is a 2-in-1 tool that not only can confirm that your outlets have been properly wired, but it can also help you easily locate the correct breaker an outlet is wired to. Simply plug the outlet tester into an outlet, bring the receiver wand to your breaker panel, and run the receiver down each breaker until the light indicates that the correct breaker has been found. Of course, you should ALWAYS double check that power has been turned off to whatever electrical system you need to work on before beginning.
It might seem counterintuitive to buy a long sleeve, hooded shirt in the middle of summer, but Truewerk’s Werkhoody is designed to keep tradesmen cooler and protected from the sun during the hottest months of the year. The hoody offers 4 way stretch fabric, abrasion resistance, breathability, moisture wicking, tear resistance, industry leading UV protection, and is antimicrobial. Available in both hi-viz green and orange, as well as more standard colors, like gray and light blue.
Give dad a break from those awful allen wrenches that come in the unassembled furniture and hardware boxes and check out these Ball End Hex Keys from Wera. This 9 piece set comes with a plastic carrying case and individually colored keys for easy storage and identification. The keys are also cut to minimize damage to the screw head.
Your dad works hard, so it's important that his lunch and drinks stay cool and protected on the jobsite. The new Klein Tools Pro Tough 17-Quart Cooler can fit 18 cans inside, keeps items cool for up to 30 hours, and has a reasonable price. There usually aren't picnic tables on the job, either, so Klein designed the box to be used as a seat and holds up to 300 pounds.
If you need a bigger capacity than 17-quarts, Kelin also offers a 48-quart cooler with the same benefits.
For those in the industry that need to change their electronic devices, like laptops or tablets, this is a fantastic mobile option. It provides 175W of power off of a Milwaukee M18 battery pack and, other than charging electronics, it can also power box fans and TVs, making it an option for tailgating purposes. The Top-Off features (3) different charging ports: (1) AC 120V outlet, (1) USB-C Power Delivery (PD) port, and (1) USB-A port, and all 3 can be used at the same time.
The Top-Off was just recently announced at Milwaukee’s online product showcase, PIPELINE, and is currently available for pre-order with the hope they’ll be shipped before Christmas.
ISOtunes features a variety of different sound dampening headphones, but these ISOtunes Xtra headphones have been my go-to recently. This version allows the headphones to drape comfortably around your neck, while also snapping together with the use of magnets to avoid either losing them or dropping them.
These headphones not only reduce the noise levels around the wearer, but also protect from long term hearing loss due to high volume inside the headphones themselves.
A few different cordless trim routers have hit the market in recent months and I picked up the DeWalt version a few weeks ago and have been extremely pleased with it. It’s powerful, quiet, and smooth, making it easy to control while adding those finishing touches to your trimwork. It also has plenty of power to cut out windows and doors in plywood for framers.
Since Milwaukee unveiled their modular storage system, PACKOUT, several years ago, customers have been begging for drawer units. That time has finally arrived, as Milwaukee released both a 2-drawer and a 3-drawer unit earlier this year. They boast a ton of storage space and appear to be built with durability in mind. If your dad is already on the PACKOUT storage system, this addition is a no brainer.
Everyone needs an inflator at some point, whether it’s an emergency roadside tire fill-up, bike tire top offs, camping mattresses, or those pesky pool floats. The DeWalt 20V MAX Inflator is the most versatile of them all, as it’s able to inflate high pressure or high volume and can be powered by battery, 12V DC (car plug-in), or a 110V wall outlet.
Besides its versatility, one of its greatest features is the ability to set the PSI you’d like to fill it to and it will automatically shut off when it reaches that level. You can read our full review of it by clicking here.
