OpenSpace launches AI indoor positioning that cuts documentation time by 50%

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.”