Infrastructure inspections in sectors such as mining and the forestry industry have historically relied on manual procedures, paper records, or digital folders processed by operators in the field. This work methodology not only demands considerable time during operational tasks, but also increases the margin of error and the unintentional omission of relevant findings during long workdays. The lack of automation makes it difficult to track the status of equipment in real time and to detect failures in a timely manner in demanding industrial environments.
Faced with this scenario, a team of students and graduates from the Universidad de Concepción designed Pair, a software that integrates artificial intelligence and computer vision to accelerate and automate data collection in the field. The technology allows the system, through the recording of photographs, videos, or voice commands on a mobile device, to instantly complete milestone forms, mechanical failure reports, construction progress reports, and inspections of electrical or construction equipment. The system works completely offline in areas with low or no connectivity, synchronizing the information collected once the network signal is restored.
Operational evaluations carried out at large-scale mining sites in the Tarapacá Region yielded results above ninety-five percent accuracy in identifying field observations. In this regard, civil engineer and co-founder of the project, Francisco Fuentealba Bizama, explained that "computer vision does not let anything slip by. In the tests at the worksite we were able to verify that, after long shifts, the inspector can overlook details, while the software manages to record more observations and complete the process three times faster than conventional digital applications."
The project is led by five young people from Curanilahue trained at the Universidad de Concepción: Francisco Fuentealba Bizama, graduated in 2024; Cristóbal Fuentealba Bizama, thesis student in Computer Science Engineering; Fernando Cuevas Fuentealba, master's degree in Astronomy; together with fourth-year Computer Science Engineering students, Tomás Gutiérrez Bizama and Martín Fuentealba Bizama.
Winners of Startup Biobío
The impact of this work allowed them to win the Startup Biobío competition, a milestone that includes a soft landing tour to New York and Miami to present their proposal to investment funds. This experience adds to their victory in the 7th Year Challenge contest of the UdeC Faculty of Engineering, where they received twenty-five thousand dollars that financed an acceleration internship in Atlanta.
This development has had the constant support of the Faculty of Engineering through its Outreach unit. Regarding this support, Fuentealba highlighted that "the University has helped us a lot, not only with mentoring, but also by bringing us directly closer to the industry. When you are a student that does not happen much, and this support allowed us to validate our solution under real operating conditions."
During the last months of the year, the team will carry out a pilot plan in large-scale mining operations, consolidating the value of the research and technological transfer generated from the Universidad de Concepción in the service of national productive development.
Source:La Discusión
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