[AI Revolution](213) Searchdog: "Solving Construction and Engineering Industry Challenges with AI and Search Technology"

Connecting 2D Drawings and 3D BIM Data
Solving Industry Problems with AI and Search Technology
Pursuing Global Expansion... Direct AI Editing and Cross-Industry Applications

The construction and engineering industry faces significant challenges in utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. This is due to the vast amount of documents, drawings, and BIM (Building Information Model) data, which are constantly changing and remain interconnected. Documents are frequently updated and are often a mix of different languages and industry-specific abbreviations, making them extremely difficult to manage. Searchdog is a startup that has identified a business opportunity in solving these problems. Rather than simply providing an AI chatbot, Searchdog’s core technology lies in 'search'—extracting, structuring, and linking clause-level information from documents and shape and attribute data from drawings.

Paik Joonseon, CEO of SearchDog, is explaining AI technology. SearchDog

On August 28, CEO Paek Joonseon explained, "Searchdog connects complex datasets, ranging from contracts, specifications, and bid documents to 2D drawings and BIM, and solves industry problems based on AI and search technology." The founding members of Searchdog, including Paek, have experience developing search technologies at companies such as Naver and AWS. This expertise has allowed them to develop in-depth search capabilities that bridge the gap between user intent and actual data, forming the technical foundation of Searchdog. Founded in early 2024 and focused on the construction and engineering sectors, the founding team spent over a year preparing the business before launching. Today, Searchdog’s solution analyzes everything from documents to 2D drawings and 3D BIM data. Paek explained, "For example, when asked, 'Tell me the types and quantities of sanitary equipment,' even if the drawing says only 'toilet' or 'washbasin,' the AI correctly understands the context and retrieves the precise information."

Although numerous AI solutions have emerged, AX (AI transformation) projects in this field have consistently failed. This is because BIM and drawings lose nearly half of their location and category data during conversion into a common format, making it difficult to achieve reliable results. Searchdog addresses this by directly extracting the shape and attribute information from original BIM files and structuring even the drawing layer data to preserve the original as much as possible. Paek emphasized, "The key solution is connecting documents and drawings into a single network, which enables automatic verification of whether the design complies with laws and client regulations."

Searchdog’s solution is effectively addressing real-world problems on construction sites. For instance, when evaluating whether to extend the construction schedule due to delays, it is necessary to chronologically interpret continuously updated documents such as contract conditions, specifications, and bid sheets to determine if the delay qualifies as a justifiable extension reason. Searchdog interlinks these documents through its search function, providing the relevant evidence in response to natural language queries.

Having been recognized for its technological capabilities, Searchdog has served major construction companies as clients for over two years and is actively expanding into other leading construction and engineering firms. The company is also preparing for global expansion. Paek stated, "From the earliest stage, our goal has been overseas expansion. Currently, the fastest growing region is Singapore, where we expect measurable results within this year. Next, we will target Japan, and after establishing a foothold in Asia, we aim to enter the key target market, the United States, with meaningful progress anticipated early next year."

The company is also focusing on advancing its technology. Paek added, "This year, our main objective is to improve the accuracy of automatic verification for 2D drawings and 3D BIM. Looking ahead, beyond providing verification and reports, we plan to develop AI that can directly modify drawings and BIM, ultimately expanding into other industries such as semiconductors, manufacturing, and shipbuilding."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.