Telefónica and Halotech drive smart industrial safety with IoT and AI

Looking to evolve traditional safety models, moving from reactive management to predictive management based on real-time data analysis using the internet of things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI), Telefónica Tech, the global telco’s digital business unit, is partnering with Halotech to transform worker safety and industrial operations in the US.

At its heart, the partnership will look to enable Telefónica to offer more and better services to its customers with the US launch of a technological solution that combines its managed IoT connectivity, via its Kite platform, with the functionalities of Halotech AI. It is targeted, and can be adapted to different regulatory and industrial environments across various sectors and key areas of activity in the US, such as energy, construction, mining, refineries and smart cities.

The software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform has an integrated data analytics system, AI capabilities, and offers real-time support and historical reporting, providing management tools for the industry. It is designed to manage the occupational safety of field operators working in challenging environmental conditions within complex industrial settings.

It integrates natively with the smart devices HALO I, a smart helmet for the mobility of the future; HALO III, the wearable adaptable to any operator; and HALO III+, an advanced version for demanding environments such as mines or oil rigs.

Telefónica believes its IoT connectivity can ensure that HALO devices are always connected and transmit information in real time, while its Kite platform facilitates the centralised management of these devices. Kite’s IoT Data Ready functionality sees use in transforming generated data into valuable insights and facilitates the integration, processing and secure transmission of this data from IoT devices to Halotech AI.

Through this combination, the partners say the Halotech AI platform can offer advanced capabilities, such as SOS alerts, automatic fall detection, real-time geolocation, environmental monitoring (temperature, gases, noise or heat stress), smart virtual perimeters, risk zone control, anti-collision systems and the tracking of operators in the field.

Data extracted from smart devices and processed using the Halotech AI platform facilitates real-time decision-making and predictive analysis, reducing workplace incidents by up to 60%. Furthermore, they can be used to help increase operational efficiency and workforce productivity, and ensure compliance with environmental, health and safety regulations, enabling organisations to transform occupational health and safety into a smart, connected operation governed by data.

Furthermore, the two firms believe the implementation enables organisations to centrally manage the connected smart devices worn by their operators and extract data easily and securely for analysis using Kite and IoT Data Ready.

“We are witnessing a structural shift in the way companies approach safety,” suggested Manuel Marín, global CEO of Halotech. “By combining Telefónica Tech’s global connectivity capabilities with Halotech’s AI, we are moving from reacting to incidents to anticipating and preventing them. Our mission is clear: to save lives, reduce risk and transform industrial operations on a large scale.”

Luis Lepe Márquez, country manager for Telefónica Tech in the US, said: “The partnership with Halotech reinforces our commitment to building a safer society by doing what we do best – applying technology to the daily challenges faced by businesses – and represents a step forward in our aim to become the best gateway for citizens, businesses and public administrations to digital technologies.

“By integrating Halotech AI into our portfolio in the US, we are empowering our clients to transform workers’ day-to-day activities into data in a seamless and straightforward manner, and to convert that data into actionable intelligence to improve safety and operational excellence within businesses.”