TRACKING AN ONGOING CONSTRUCTION BY USING FIDUCIAL MARKERS

1 . A system for tracking progression of a construction site at different points in time relative to an expected progression of the construction site as represented by a computer model, the system comprising:

one or more processor; and

one or more memories including instructions executable by the processors causing the system to:

generate an image of the construction site by scanning the construction site with an imaging device;

detect a fiducial marker appearing in the image at a location on the construction site, the fiducial marker being unique among a plurality of fiducial markers positioned on the construction site;

identify the detected fiducial marker in association with a unique identifier among the plurality of fiducial markers; and

align a coordinate system of the identified fiducial marker with a coordinate system of the computer model, which represents the construction site at points in time.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of fiducial markers appears in a plurality of images captured of the construction site by the imaging device.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the image is a two-dimensional (2D) image and the construction site includes a plurality of three-dimensional (3D) physical elements.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the construction site is a partially complete construction of a three-dimensional (3D) structure.

5 . The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a robotic unmanned vehicle including a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system of the imaging device, wherein the robotic unmanned vehicle is configured to traverse the construction site to capture a plurality of images.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fiducial markers is positioned such that a plurality of images of the construction site includes an image of each fiducial marker.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein each fiducial marker is positioned on a surface of a physical element of the construction site.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein each fiducial marker is a two-dimensional (2D) barcode that is unique relative to every fiducial marker.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein each fiducial marker has a unique grayscale or binary pattern on a planar surface.

10 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions to be executed by at least one processor of a system, wherein the instructions cause the system to:

generate an image of a construction site by scanning the construction site with an imaging device;

detect a fiducial marker appearing in the image at a location on the construction site, the fiducial marker being unique among a plurality of fiducial markers positioned on the construction site;

identify the detected fiducial marker in association with a unique identifier among the plurality of fiducial markers; and

align a coordinate system of the identified fiducial marker with a coordinate system of a computer model, which represents the construction site at points in time.

11 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of fiducial markers appears in a plurality of images captured of the construction site by the imaging device.

12 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the image is a two-dimensional (2D) image and the construction site includes a plurality of three-dimensional (3D) physical elements.

13 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the construction site is a partially complete construction of a three-dimensional (3D) structure.

14 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the system is further caused to:

cause a robotic unmanned vehicle including a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system of the imaging device, to traverse the construction site to capture a plurality of images.

15 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of fiducial markers is positioned such that a plurality of images of the construction site includes an image of each fiducial marker.

16 . A method tracking progression of a construction site at different points in time relative to an expected progression of the construction site as represented by a computer model, the method comprising:

generating an image of the construction site by scanning the construction site with an imaging device;

detecting a fiducial marker appearing in the image at a location on the construction site, the fiducial marker being unique among a plurality of fiducial markers positioned on the construction site;

identifying the detected fiducial marker in association with a unique identifier among the plurality of fiducial markers; and

aligning a coordinate system of the identified fiducial marker with a coordinate system of the computer model, which represents the construction site at points in time.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of fiducial markers is positioned such that a plurality of images of the construction site includes an image of each fiducial marker.

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein each fiducial marker is positioned on a surface of a physical element of the construction site.

19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein each fiducial marker is a two-dimensional (2D) barcode that is unique relative to every fiducial marker.

20 . The method of claim 16 , wherein each fiducial marker has a unique grayscale or binary pattern on a planar surface.