Students from Moravian Academy have founded a company, Solvis, aiming to address the issue of hazardous materials in construction runoff using artificial intelligence. The three 17-year-olds, Aveer Chadha, Nikhil Skandan, and Qayn Jaffer, developed a computer vision product capable of identifying pollutants, which could significantly help companies reduce their environmental impact.
To create their AI algorithm, the founders collected nearly 18,000 photos to train their system. The product, named Solvis Pure, features a camera that monitors construction sites and employs a proprietary algorithm to analyze data. It alerts companies via a mobile app if harmful runoff approaches or exceeds regulatory limits. The initiative aims to place test cameras at 25 construction sites by the end of 2024.
The concept for Solvis originated during a walk along the Lehigh River, where the founders noticed debris and suspected pollutants from a nearby construction site. This moment sparked their interest in the broader implications of construction runoff, leading them to research industry statistics. Their findings highlighted a significant issue: according to a 2015 study by construction blog BIMhow, the construction sector contributes to 40% of drinking water pollution.
“We found that the problem was two-sided,” Chadha explained. “Not only was construction contributing to such a large portion of environmental harm, but this increased environmental damage also poses serious risks for companies due to fines imposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).”
The team received support from Tasdemir Marble and Granite, which provided photographs for training their algorithm. Initial testing indicates that Solvis Pure achieves an impressive accuracy rate of 91.2% in identifying materials found in construction runoff.
According to Tony Mattei, the director of entrepreneurship at Penn State Brandywine, the startup is addressing a critical community issue. Mattei oversees the Brandywine LaunchBox, which collaborates with the Ideas X Innovation Network, known as i2n, to support emerging startups. Solvis recently won a $2,000 Rising Entrepreneur prize at the LionCage pitch competition, a testament to their innovative approach.
“Building connections with customers and forming partnerships will be crucial for Solvis’s next steps,” Mattei noted. He suggested that securing government grants could help the startup tap into a network of environmental regulators, paving the way for future contracts beyond one-off projects with construction companies.
The construction industry in the Lehigh Valley is closely interconnected, often involving collaboration among multiple companies on projects. Jaffer emphasized that establishing trust and reliability within the industry, coupled with effective word-of-mouth marketing, has been essential for their progress.
The LionCage award marked Solvis’s second significant achievement in November, following the receipt of a $10,000 Be More Fund grant at the National Society of High School Scholars Day in Atlanta. As they look to apply their technology in real-world settings, i2n Director Matt Cabrey highlighted the importance of consistent success for scaling their operations. “When you can repeat the success of a technology like this reliably, it elevates the organization to the next level,” he said.
Currently, Solvis is leveraging Skandan’s expertise in robotics and coding to refine their devices and enhance the mobile application that generates monitoring data for participating companies. However, scaling production poses challenges, particularly the need for high-quality cameras capable of capturing the necessary images for material identification. Skandan acknowledged ongoing efforts to find cost-effective solutions for company growth.
For Skandan, the journey of creating a business has been enlightening. “Discoveries can have a tangible impact, and they can be scalable to actually help people,” he remarked. The team’s commitment to addressing environmental issues demonstrates their dedication to creating a better society through innovative technology.
