A React Native Mobile App for Construction Site Managers: AIforSite

SH brought years of React Native experience to a demanding project with AIforSite: building a third-party integration focused on camera interaction and data transfer. Here's how we did it, and what the collaboration looked like along the way.

Introducing AIforSite

Founded in 2016, AIforSite is a Finnish company working to raise productivity in the construction industry. They provide an AI-driven solution for operational efficiency, built on remote monitoring, video, and precise positioning data technology.

The Challenge

AIforSite set out to use mobile technology to boost productivity and open a new revenue channel. The goal: automate the capture and transfer of 360-degree videos from construction sites. The critical part was integrating the app with a third-party 360 camera's API and keeping it running smoothly across various Android versions without GPS functionality. That meant deep camera integration, work with the native camera SDK, and a dedicated connectivity module between the app and the device.

The Process

SH provided two experienced React Native developers who worked under the client's management. The development teams from AIforSite and SH collaborated closely, which kept project management straightforward. Development started in January 2022 and the first Android version was published in August. An iOS React Native app is expected to follow.

The Scope

Technical collaboration delivered the primary objectives: a new React Native app built from scratch, and a web API prepared to serve the mobile application. The AIforSite 360 App was designed to work with third-party 360 cameras across a broad range of Android and iOS versions, particularly on large-scale construction sites with limited GSM or GPS coverage.

The Solution: Key Features

The AIforSite app, built in React Native, serves field engineers and their supervisors. Employees survey construction sites regularly, capturing 360-degree videos along a pre-planned path. The footage is then downloaded to a mobile device, assigned to a project, and transferred with its data to the central AIforSite management platform for analysis. This automated flow is significantly more efficient than the manual process it replaces.

The Results

SH developed an Android app in React Native, tested on nine types of devices. The app is currently in thorough testing among AIforSite clients, with the iOS version next in line. For AIforSite, this product marks their first entry into subscription-based services.