Hedral Wins $175,000 for AI Infrastructure Solutions
The company was one of five winners who delivered cutting-edge, artificial intelligence (AI)-driven solutions to optimize building design across disciplines, codes, and site conditions.
Hedral took the top spot and received $175,000 in the AI Infrastructure Challenge, held by the National Security Innovation Network (NSIN) in partnership with the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC), and Program Executive Office Industrial Infrastructure (PEO II).
Hedral’s solution edged out the others with an approach based on generative AI and advanced computational geometry and physics. The solution not only automates design work while optimizing cost and constructability – taking into account the metrics required by the challenge – but also produces more accurate cost models. This approach delivers unprecedented productivity while minimizing costly mistakes and requests for information and change orders that can emerge downstream in the design process.
“The Navy’s Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program (SIOP) Think Different, Build Better strategy was successfully supported by the recent prize challenge. The goal is be able to execute real-time adjustments across multiple disciplines—foundation, architecture, structural, mechanical, and electrical engineering—by considering factors like local codes, site conditions, and historical designs to expedite design exploration, develop optimized design solutions in terms of cost, schedule, and performance, and produce more accurate cost models,” explained Mark Edelson, Program Executive Officer for Industrial Infrastructure.
Selected from a pool of 22 companies to pitch their technologies at a virtual Pitch Day, Hedral, second place winners AICrete and Prezerv Technologies ($25,000 each), third place winner Motivf Corporation ($15,000), and fourth place winner Bucephalus ($10,000), developed solutions that have the potential to help the Navy leverage AI to optimize building design, allowing the branch to rapidly generate and evaluate multiple design options, iterate throughout development, and ensure compliance with standards and regulations.
Second place winner AICrete focused on the impact of efficient concrete usage to the cost savings, overall efficiency, and environmental impact of DoD projects. Their solution, AICreteOS, employs AI, machine learning, computer vision, and automation to create an optimal concrete mix design that meets or exceeds performance criteria such as strength, air content, and slump. Their technology also optimizes the mix to reduce costs and carbon footprint.
AICrete was just one of the challenge participants that found immense value in the process as a means to make inroads into the federal market. “If you are considering participating in an NSIN program, it is absolutely worth the time and effort, even just to go through the experience and learning process, but being selected was the cherry on top,” said Michael Fletcher, AICrete Corp.’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing.
Prezerv tied for second with their solution to automatically map subsurface conditions, helping construction teams avoid unanticipated encounters with underground utilities, which can cause accidents, injuries, damages, and significant costs. Although existing 3D radar scanning helps address the issue of outdated and incomplete historical records of subsurface conditions, the data produced requires slow, costly interpretation by experts, meaning that the technique is not widely employed. By automating the interpretation process and generating 3D maps, Prezerv’s technology gives the DoD and private industry better access to critical information.
Motivf’s third place solution, Artie, combines AI and geographic information system (GIS) tools to enable design teams to quickly scan and organize a range of data sources about site conditions, project constraints, historical solutions, land use regulations, building codes, and other regulations. Artie also ties constraints to their on-site geospatial location and considers impacts including resilience, environmental threats, and land use restrictions. By combining this information into a coherent baseline, Motivf’s solution helps project leaders optimize designs and avoid costly mistakes.
Bucephalus’ AI-driven platform allows planners and designers to incorporate predictive and generative AI into their workflows. The platform incorporates visualization and simulation capabilities, allowing users to make changes and iterate while evaluating potential designs in real time. With the teaming between human operators and Bucephalus’ powerful software, projects can be completed efficiently and collaboratively while ensuring that all designs remain compliant with current and evolving regulatory frameworks.
“Together, the solutions presented have the potential to impact multiple facets of the design-build process, saving time, money, effort, and reducing risk and environmental impact along the way” said Edelson. He further explained, “each of the solutions presented has the potential to improve operations beyond NAVFAC and PEO II and although the event is notionally SIOP specific, this approach could improve Navy and industry-wide practices design processes.”
“The showing by these companies at Pitch Day was incredible. When industry steps up to provide multiple viable solutions with the potential for wide-ranging impact on DoD challenges, the Department wins,” echoed NSIN Venture Portfolio Director and DIU Deputy Chief of Global Partnerships Abigail Desjardins.
About National Security Innovation Network
NSIN is a program office in the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), nested within the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). We are set up to collaborate with a wide variety of innovators to include universities, researchers, students, entrepreneurs and start-ups. We create opportunities for collaboration across communities and connect those that might not traditionally work in national security. Together, we help drive national security innovation and develop technologies that directly support the individuals responsible for protecting our country.
For more information or interview requests with Team NSIN, please contact us at [email protected].
NAVFAC is the Naval Shore Facilities, Base Operating Support, and Expeditionary Engineering Systems Command that delivers life-cycle technical and acquisition solutions aligned to Fleet and Marine Corps priorities.
Program Executive Officer for Industrial Infrastructure (PEO II) is the executive responsible for cost, schedule, and performance of the Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program (SIOP). SIOP, the Navy’s multi-decade effort to integrate facilities, utilities, and industrial plant equipment investments to meet nuclear fleet maintenance requirements at the Navy’s four public shipyards (Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, VA; Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard in Pearl Harbor, HI; Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, WA; and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, ME).
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