Wherever heavy machinery is in operation, people are at risk. Construction sites rely on excavators, dump trucks, bulldozers, graders, and other large machines. These massive vehicles offer limited visibility. Even a momentary lapse in attention from the operator—or a person caught in a blind spot – can lead to serious accidents, often with tragic consequences. This kind of harm can be avoided – with the AI-driven vision system OmniVai® from 3rd Eye Robotics.
Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, the company has made workplace safety on construction sites its mission: "Your Safety. Our Mission." Dawn Cirkl, co-founder and CEO, explains: „For decades, construction equipment safety relied on mirrors, radar, and passive camera systems.“ According to Dawn, that was far from sufficient. Operators could only see a fraction of what was happening around them, leading to repeated and sometimes fatal incidents.
3rd Eye Robotics was founded to change that. “We started this company because we knew today’s technology could prevent these types of accidents,” says Dawn. The founding team brought deep industry knowledge and saw firsthand the limitations of conventional safety systems. Their solution combined modern sensors, AI, and intelligent software – and OmniVai was born.
Unlike traditional systems, OmniVai captures and interprets complex situations in real time. It not only detects people, but also hazards, vehicles, machines, and even accessories like pylons or barriers. It also understands motion direction. When a threat is identified, the system warns the operator both visually and audibly. All data is processed locally with ultra-low latency at the edge – meaning no cloud connectivity is needed. OmniVai remains fully operational even in remote locations with limited network access. The system allows for customizable safety protocols based on environment or machine type. Near-miss events are logged and can be sent via push notifications to safety managers, or stored for later analysis. This enables continuous visibility and real-time risk awareness on active job sites.
OmniVai relies on AI-powered stereoscopic cameras for real-time object recognition. Data is processed directly at the edge using an embedded AI computer from Syslogic. The system is deployed in rugged environments – including civil construction, infrastructure, mining, and aggregates – where dust, moisture, vibration, and extreme temperatures are common.
To ensure reliable performance in such conditions, 3rd Eye Robotics needed a hardware partner that matched its vision. “Syslogic, like us, is focused entirely on off-highway applications,” says Dawn. “We were simply searching for the most robust embedded system based on NVIDIA Jetson – and found it in Syslogic.”
For OmniVai’s hardware backbone, 3rd Eye Robotics uses the AI Rugged Computer RML A4NX. This fanless embedded computer meets IP67 and IP69 protection standards. Syslogic combines the NVIDIA Jetson module with its own carrier board designed to meet strict shock and vibration requirements. To protect electronics from moisture, water, and dust, the rugged computer features an ultra-durable housing and M12 screw-lock connectors. A GORE vent element also balances internal pressure.
But the RML A4NX stands out not just for its durability – it also offers an ideal interface layout for 3rd Eye Robotics. With four Power over Ethernet (PoE) ports, it enables the direct connection and power supply of sensors. These PoE interfaces, combined with the high-performance NVIDIA® Jetson™ Orin NX platform, allow the RML A4NX to run OmniVai®’s operating system and AI models entirely at the edge. When a hazardous event occurs, the operator is alerted in milliseconds. This low-latency inference directly on the embedded computer can make the difference between life and death.
With OmniVai, 3rd Eye Robotics is fundamentally improving workplace safety in construction by delivering real-time object detection and intelligent alerts to prevent incidents before they happen. The retrofit-ready solution has already been adopted by major North American contractors. Looking ahead, 3rd Eye Robotics plans to expand into global construction markets, enhance its predictive analytics to identify leading indicators of risk, and deliver fleet-wide safety insights that empower proactive decision-making across entire operations.
