Improving Design with Virtual and Augmented Reality.
Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are becoming much more popular thanks to hardware such as Vive and Oculus, as well as cheaper options such as Google Cardboard and games such as Pokémon Go. This is great for the gaming community, but we are also starting to see some real use cases in the construction and design industries.
We have been using 3D models for many years as a tool to improve designs. 3D models allow us to review new design in full size scale – laying something out to fit among some existing plant is easy (especially when combined with 3D Laser Scanning).
But what if you could ‘walk around’ inside the proposed design? Well, now you can!
We have already worked on a few trial projects using virtual reality. The fact that we already create the 3D data makes it much easier for a design office such as ours. Advances in software mean that we can now convert the 3D models we already have into virtual spaces that can then be viewed using basic VR viewers (which we have 5 different types of these in the office!) or more high end units.
Imagine how much more accurate a design review would be if you could allow the operators to walk around a new plant?
This technology is improving all the time, and we are staying up to date with it – I think this is going to be a huge opportunity for improving our designs in the future.
Check out a recent article HERE from the MIT Technology Review on using AR in construction.
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