Feature
Reality extensions in AEC Many innovations start out labelled as gimmicks, only to wait for other technologies and culture to catch up with them. Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality have enthralled future-gazers but they are still rarely deployed in the design market. There is scope for change. by Martyn Day
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e are only just starting to realise the possibilities of what can be done with the designs that we create in 3D by moving to 3D workflows. Investing time in using Building Information Modelling (BIM) on a project is not just about being able to produce faster 2D drawings, or purely about better co-ordination, BIM models are an asset for all phases of building design and that includes collaboration, simulation, analysis, 3D printing, animation and revolutionary applications like Virtual Reality (VR) and live interaction with Augmented Reality (AR). Unlike classic VR, AR takes its main source imagery from the real world, i.e. what is displayed by a smartphone or tablet camera, and adds graphical and audio layers on top. Up to now the primary and most successful use for AR has been to deliver tourist information overlaid on histori-cal sights, or locations of nearby restau restau-rants. Some large brands have also adopted the technology for advertising and adding to the so-called ‘customer experience’.
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Swedish homeware retailer Ikea models all of its furniture products in 3D CAD, and has recently introduced AR applications, which enable customers to see catalogue items projected into their homes. There are many examples in different market segments where AR is seen to have a future role. In medical, for instance, a surgeon could get MRI or ultrasound 3D data displayed through glasses as they operate. Battlefield technology has also been driving AR development as well as hardware, with
Google Cardboard is a self-build cardboard headset that can mount an Android Phone in front of your eyes for a low cost VR experience
advanced Heads-Up Displays (HUD), technology which is now appearing in cars such as BMW, Mercedes and Audi. According to Tomi Ahonen in a recent TEDx presentation, current adoption of AR is estimated at around 60 million people using apps and features on a regular basis. By 2018, this is expected to grow to 200 million and there are estimates that this will exceed one billion users by 2020. While many of these will be gaming and lifestyle professional applications, AEC apps are starting to emerge out of the R&D labs of major players and start-ups. In the manufacturing space, companies such as Boeing, BMW, and Volkswagen already use AR on their assembly lines. Volkswagen has what it calls MARTA (Mobile Augmented Reality Technical Assistance) for servicing, which shows engineers how to perform the tasks of the spe specific job, step by step, with relevant supplemental information such as the tools to be used, assembly configu configurations and test specifications. Quality control and laser scanning firm Faro has enabled its engineer inspection www.AECmag.com
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