Kit that clocks on.
A site radio that signs the crew in and calls the announcements. Safety specs that log a hazard when you say so. Both plug straight into Smoko and the crew.
Concept hardware. We’re looking for sites to help us build it.
The site radio that runs the site.
It still plays the footy. It also signs the crew in as they arrive, calls the announcements in Gaz’s voice and lets the foreman talk to the whole site with one button.
- Site beacon. Phones with Smoko sign in as they come through the gate, and out when they leave. Nothing in between.
- Announcement screen. Shows what was just said, for when the saw’s too loud to hear it.
- Talk button. Hold it and talk to the whole site. Your words also land in the job chat.
- Big speaker. Music, the footy, and announcements that cut through both.
- Roll cage. Built for the back of the ute and the odd drop off a trestle.
- Charging ports. Top up phones and Smoko Specs at smoko.
- Its own 4G. If the signal drops, the day’s schedule keeps running.
Make an announcement
Pick one and watch the radio. The music fades, the right agent says it, and phones that need it get it too.
“Smoko’s at 9:30. Two quick bites today, both easy. Bring a biscuit.”
- Music fades, then comes back
- 6 phones on site get today’s bites
“It’s 35 degrees. Tools down at 1pm, as Mel called it. Water and shade are at the ute.”
- Mel (foreman) made the call in the app first
- Sam gets a check-in. It’s his first week on site
“Crane lift in ten minutes over the north side. Keep out of zone B until it’s down.”
- The 3 people working north side get it on their phones too
- Each taps “Clear” so the dogman knows
“Evacuate now. Go to the muster point at the front gate.”
- Siren tone, then the message, on repeat
- Every phone on site shows the muster list. Tap “I’m safe”
- Backs up your site’s alarms. It doesn’t replace them
No clipboard at the gate.
The radio sits on the trestle and quietly keeps the day moving.
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First ute through the gate. Phones sign in as they pass the radio. No clipboard, no QR code on a fence.
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Pre-start. Kev plays the two-minute toolbox talk. The crew tap “Got it” on their phones.
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Smoko. Gaz calls it and drops today’s bites.
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Heat call. Maggie: tools down at 1pm, as Mel called it.
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Crane lift. Skip clears zone B ten minutes out.
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Knock-off. Everyone’s signed out. Fran files the day’s sign-ins and announcements as evidence.
You’re on site. The radio signed you in at 6:42.
Two bites before you start. Both under a minute.
See it. Say it. Sorted.
AI camera glasses inside a safety goggle shell. Spot a hazard, say what it is, and keep working. The photo and the paperwork take care of themselves.
You say it. Specs take one photo. The capture light shows everyone around you.
Maggie drafts the hazard with the photo and where you’re standing, then asks in your ear: “Taped it off?” You say “Yep.”
Mel ticks it on his phone. Gaz books the scaffolder. Your hands never left the job.
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Pre-starts out loud
Skip reads the checks in your ear. Answer out loud with your hands still on the machine.
Skip, Plant -
Handover photos
Say “handover” and look at it. Prue files the photo against the right room and job.
Prue, Quality -
The SWMS step, read back
Ask “what’s the next step?” and Kev reads you the step from your own SWMS. No guessing, no new advice.
Kev, Training
Smart glasses aren’t safety glasses. So we built them a shell.
AI glasses on their own won’t stop a flying chip. The Smoko shell fits over them, so you get the camera and the protection in one.
- Impact-rated shell. Being designed to AS/NZS 1337.1, the Australian standard for eye protectors.
- Camera window. Optically clear, so photos aren’t foggy or bent.
- Capture light window. The light that shows you’re taking a photo always stays in view.
- Anti-fog vents. Because the ute’s air-con doesn’t follow you onto the slab.
- Hi-vis strap. Swaps for clips that fit your hard hat.
- Fits over the glasses. They lift out to charge, and drop back in at smoko.
Until the shell is tested and certified, Smoko Specs aren’t eye protection. Keep wearing your usual safety glasses.
Kit that watches the job, not the crew.
Cameras and beacons on a work site need clear rules. These are built into the gear, and your crew hears them before anything’s switched on.
Photos only when asked
Specs take a photo when you say so. No always-on recording, no video by default.
The light stays visible
The shell keeps the capture light in view. The glasses won’t record if it’s covered anyway.
Other people blurred
Faces of anyone else in the shot are blurred before a photo is filed.
Arrive and leave. That’s it.
The radio notes when your phone arrives and when it leaves. It doesn’t track where you go on site.
Quiet on the tools
While you’re signed on to a machine, Specs hold anything that can wait.
Backup, not the alarm
Radio announcements back up your site’s emergency alarms and procedures. They don’t replace them.
Fair questions about the gear.
Is it still a normal site radio?
That’s the idea. FM, DAB+ and Bluetooth from your phone, loud enough for the job. The Smoko bits come on top.
Do I need the radio to use Smoko?
No. The Smoko app works on its own. The radio makes signing in automatic and gives you a site-wide speaker.
Which AI glasses do Smoko Specs use?
We’re designing around camera glasses that let other apps use their camera, microphone and speakers, starting with Ray-Ban Meta through Meta’s developer toolkit. The shell will be made to fit specific models.
Are Smoko Specs safety glasses?
Not yet. The shell is being designed to meet AS/NZS 1337.1, but it hasn’t been tested or certified. Until it is, wear your usual eye protection.
Does the radio track my crew?
No. It notes when a phone with Smoko arrives at the site and when it leaves. Nothing in between, and nothing off site. Your crew is told before it’s switched on.
What if there’s no reception on site?
The radio has its own 4G connection. If that drops out too, it keeps the day’s schedule and catches up when it’s back.
Want the gear on your site?
We’re looking for a handful of sites to help build and test the radio and the Specs. Tell us which you’re keen on.