INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK: AUGMENTED REALITY CONSTRUCTION​

Article by Asst. Prof. Suwan Juntiwasarakij, Ph.D. || Senior Editor

Look at a calendar and you might be surprise that the year 2019 is coming sooner that you think. The incoming year, as always, brings us more advanced technology and also raises the competitive spirits and we therefore cannot afford to plan no actions. In this issue, MEGA Tech would like to offer you an industrial technology trend for the year to come.​

AUGMENTED REALITY (AR) FOR CONSTRUCTION

In the not too far future, augmented reality software and hardware will become commonplace in the construction industry. Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are becoming powerful tools in the construction industry, allowing both private and commercial customers to see, walk through and even feel what their new property will look like, before the foundations have been laid. Customers using AR construction software application and wearing a VR headset can see virtual, 3D, 360-degree images of what their new property will look like. They can physically walk around these virtual spaces, inspect the smallest details, see how shadows move as the sun passes overhead, and adjust the interior design to the content.

Virtual reality replaces the real world with a simulated version. Augmented reality takes the reality the real world and adds to it, such as overlaying a 3D design model over a real view of the project area. In augmented reality, real images interact with computer-generated images in a way that is helpful to the viewers. Construction is one of many industries that put augmented reality into practical application.  Some builders have already started using augmented reality to know clients their proposed designs using iPad or other mobile devices, right there on the construction site.

AR APPLICATION SOFTWARE & HARDWARE

As for the hardware, Microsoft has made the HoloLens available to developers and enterprises back in 2016. Shipments started in 2016 those in North America, with a release in Australia, Ireland, France, Germany, New Zealand and the UK following. Recently, Microsoft has added Singapore and the UAE to the list. The HoloLens was conceived as a workplace-first product. It can be a powerful tool for collaborative working, for training workers or for other educational experiences. In the field, we’ve seen it used for visualizing 3D architectural renderings; for auto prototyping, without the need for models; and for medical training, without the need for real bodies.

HoloLens has see-through holographic lenses that use an advanced optical projection system to generate multi-dimensional full-color holograms with very low latency so you can see holographic objects in your world. The key to a great holographic experience is holograms that are light point rich, i.e. have a high holographic density, and are pinned or anchored to the world around you. To achieve this, HoloLens has been designed for optimal holographic density of 2.5K radiants. The more radiants and light points there are, the brighter and richer the holograms become. HoloLens contains advanced sensors to capture information about what you’re doing and the environment you’re in. The built in cameras also enable you to record, something we call mixed reality capture (MRC), HD pictures and video of the holograms in the world around you to share with others.

SPEAKING OF THE KILLER APPS​

There are a number of software products responses AR construction demands. HoloBuilder, for example, is one of the very often-cited application software that has been gaining popularity among construction companies. HoloBuilder enables builders and engineers to create immersive progress views of construction sites with 360 virtual reality capturing. HoloBuilder Inc., founded in 2016, assists builders and engineers to create immersive progress views of construction sites. Since then, HoloBuilder has been used in 190 countries around the world, where more than 15,000 projects have been created, which have been viewed almost 800,000 times.

Besides construction companies, targeted businesses are realtors, architects, designers, and Industry 4.0 companies who use it to create Virtual Tours of real estate properties, construction sites or digital Augmented Reality user manuals. The cloud-based software www.HoloBuilder.com providing the leading cloud and mobile software for virtual reality capturing of construction sites. HoloBuilder focuses on the whole development process, from the planning phase up until maintenance management. ​

PRACTICAL CHALLENGES IN CONSTRUCTION AR

Although augmented reality proves to be a viable technology for construction industry and is more accessible than it ever has been, it has been very slow adopted. Perhaps, what might be responsible for such friction lies in price and accuracy. Big construction companies still dominate AR implementation because many augmented reality firms charge big up-front-fee of hundreds of thousands of dollars for an enterprise solution. That high price tag inevitably decreases as AR technology improves and more competition enters the market, but that process tends to be slow.

Furthermore, the second major problem is that augmented reality often provides inaccurate information. For example, an AR system allows you to see a pipe underground and the location of that pipe is not 100% accurate; contractors following the AR images might end up hitting the pipe when they start digging. Construction companies need to be able to rely on the tools they use, whether it is their construction management software or new augmented reality hardware. A construction zone is a place of constant movement as structures are being built, heavy objects are being moved around, and plans constantly change on the fly. Augmented reality, on the other hand, works in a statics environment where everything remains the same.

FINAL THOUGHT

When it comes to possible consumer applications, there’s a whole world of potential yet to be explored. AR for construction has gradually been gaining speed in construction as it is one industry that will clearly benefit from it. Construction companies that have implemented augmented reality are already seeing the financial benefits. As the technology gets better, augmented reality will be more common on job sites and in meeting rooms