Description
Key Learnings
- Technologies to complement Autodesk Build deployments
- New methods of jobsite administration and management with digital twin solutions
- Utilizing engineering-grade Augmented Reality with Autodesk Build and with digital twin solutions
- Benefits of deploying digital twin and augmented reality at infrastructure project sites
Speaker
ALEC PESTOV: Hello, and welcome to the future of job site visibility and management thanks to vGIS and Autodesk Construction Cloud. My name is Alec, and I'm the founder of vGIS, and I'm going to take you through this session today.
Augmented reality and virtual reality has huge promise for construction industry. We all want to put on the goggles or use your regular phones and tablets, point it at the place where you want to build something or see something, and then that something will just appear, like the bridge you see on the screen right now. And if it's done properly, then you can see not only how it will blend into the environment, but you can also see all the specifics of the structure of that object so that the traffic can be visualized or whether the ships will fit under the bridge. All of that can be done from the same view.
So let's start with a bit of AR history because it's relevant to how we've got to the current state of vGIS and vSite. Usually, when technology begins to develop, it starts with small steps, and then it takes a massive leap forward, and based on that progression, upwards to project progression, we all start expecting unrealistic things. Eventually, those unrealistic things don't materialize and we wind up with something much more practical and less impressive, but something that we end up using on a daily basis.
There is what's called the hype curve, the hype that rises with technology advances and then disappointment because it doesn't deliver quite the results we expected. The same hype curve is very well applied to vGIS and augmented reality, AR and VR tools for infrastructure and utilities and construction.
Some concepts started developing in the late '90s and in 2008. One of [? German ?] students released a concept of a new tool that you can deploy in the field to visualize utilities under the surface of the ground. The video is a bit grainy because the tool was not-- was done with the technology of 2008, but the concept is there you use a typical tablet or phone, pointed at the ground, and see what you need to see.
The first commercial product was released in 2012 and with the emergence of Google Glass and other smart glasses, people always thought that by 2020, we're going to have a mind-blowingly good augmented reality for construction and with that hope we released all HoloLens-based vGIS in 2016.
However, just like with the hype curve, then everything went down for the industry. Initial challenges then led to initial disappointment with the adoption. So first they were hardware limitations. So some hedges look like what you see on the screen, quite bulky, and even our own headset HoloLens, and the initial receiver were not the most elegant solution.
Another challenge of the early AR tools was the accuracy of AR visuals. So this is from one of earlier tools, and as you can see, AR visuals move all over the place, and it's very difficult to pinpoint the exact location of which pipe.
So accuracy played a massive role in the AR adoption. Ease of use was another roadblock, as well as capabilities. Early products were not as capable as they could have been, and therefore, users did not have sufficient need to use those products. And lack of use cases, it was, of course, another element that contributed to the adoption challenges, as everybody wants to see how others use it first before they start deploying the technology.
So CGI versus the reality was approximately like this. When we think about virtual reality, when we think about augmented reality, we imagine ourselves standing on the bank of the river or sea and letting the sea disappear before our eyes so that we can see the foundation of the bridge that we are building.
In reality, it looks less than impressive So many users who initially try to adopt AI technology in 2016, 2015, they felt a bit like this. They felt that the technology did not exactly meet their expectations or satisfy their needs.
But something happened in 2019. 2019 would be considered to be the turning point for the year as multiple companies began mass adoption of AR tools and VR tools. So there are a couple of reasons for that. One of them was the hardware and frameworks start catching up.
So Microsoft heavily invested in developing HoloLens 2, Apple and Google developed their own frameworks for phones and tablets, which made are much more accessible, and continuous R&D investments from the surviving companies finally started developing capabilities that are needed by the industry. And that led to positive ROI in some areas that, of course, finally resulted in adoption of the technologies.
With that history in mind, let's switch over to more practical nature-- to more practical issues, and one is the job site challenges, specifically on the infrastructure construction sites. Infrastructure construction sites use and produce massive amounts of information, from point clouds, to GPI scans, to BIM models, and a lot of that data is processed and stored in siloed environments either on desktop or in the cloud, and then it just drills down to individual drawings that are handed over to the construction crews.
Very rarely on the construction site the same person has access to all the data that they need to do their job in the most efficient way possible, and that leads to numerous problems in the industry, including delays, errors rework, and litigations. In fact, if you look at the cost of rework alone, then it will be almost as much as the industry profits.
When we looked at AR, we decided that we needed something else, and we extended our tool to also create a digital twin that is powered by the same data that we put in the AR. So when we talked about the history of AR, one of the things we realized at that point is that we need more than just a to make it work. We're solving that problem with bad data on the construction site by organizing that data and then building a three-dimensional digital twin, accessible anywhere through your browser, and then the same digital twin is complemented with our engineering grade augmented reality. So welcome to the future.
vGIS and vSite is the same system. They're designed to bring BIM, point cloud, GIS data, any types of data into your direct view on the construction site. It allows you to time travel with reality capture, which allows you to see reality capture from the field instantly in the office, and you can use it for planning both in AR and web-based environments.
So at this point, it's worth mentioning us, and we are vGIS. Our website is vgis.io. We've been in business since 2016. We've been working on the Ar solution since 2017, and over that time, we built strong relationships with industry leaders such as Autodesk and Esri. Our product was recognized with multiple industry awards over the years, including the Esri partner award in 2023.
We are dedicated solely to building this solution, and this solution is called vSite. So what is vSite? vSite is the web-based digital twin that can be accessed from any device over traditional web browser and augmented reality that can present visuals with up to a centimeter level accuracy in the field.
When reviewing the system. Let's focus on as it's something that's been in production for six years now, and multiple companies around the world use it. vGIS AR was designed with a simple idea in mind. We wanted to replace traditional two-dimensional maps with something more intuitive, which is 3D data.
The idea was to take traditional GIS data or BIN data and then bring it into the view of the user. So they can see the environment around them in full 3D and what makes this particular view unique is that the model you're looking at is not built by a human, but it's rather procedurally generated from the data that is stored in the user's database. So all the objects all the colors are applied based through the symbology, applied based on the attributes embedded within the data set itself.
Projecting utilities on-site was our first step, but then the system gradually expanded to also cover ground structures and fairly complex structures such as buildings, bridges, overpasses and others. And the same information can be viewed with multiple devices such as phones and HoloLens.
Subsurface utility visualization is another aspect of the original vGIS. Especially in the really complex urban environments, the system makes it a breeze to find utilities that you need, especially as you can turn layers on and off and focus on the specific element that you need.
The system also works well for Earthworks visualization, and in this example, we are combining two surfaces. The brown surface is the actual scanner with the LiDAR, and then the purple surface is the design surface. So you can see where you have to cut and fill.
Another aspect of vGIS AR is the ability to project reality capture on top of the physical world. With just your phone or tablet you can look at the ground, and if you have RealityCapture from the past, the system will superimpose that RealityCapture with up to centimeter-level accuracy. And you can time travel by looking into now closed trench before it was closed.
And that approach works well with any open trench. It also works well with closed structures, in this instance, we're working with the city of Toronto to convert traditional 360 inspection videos into three-dimensional objects through photogrammetry, assigning them back to the GIS assets so that when somebody looks at the specific manhole, they can see what it looks like inside without lifting up the lid.
Accuracy is paramount in this industry, and we ensure centimeter-level positioning accuracy by integrating our system with high-accuracy instruments. We can work with mobile instruments. We can work with survey-grade instruments. We can also work with robotic total stations. Our preferred partner in this space is Leica Geosystems. However, we support close to 45 different receivers, and you have a lot of options from the hardware that you may already have on site.
We also support other positioning methods and that makes the system quite flexible as the system can work in both indoor and outdoor environments. In indoor, you can rely on QR codes or total station integration for automatic tracking to visualize all your BIN models coming directly from Autodesk Construction Cloud or from Navisworks, Revit, and other files.
And on the construction side, thanks to our integration with high accuracy devices, we can position objects with up to a centimeter-level accuracy and maintain such accuracy throughout the session. That is the component. This component has been deployed by almost 200 customers globally and deployed on different construction sites and utility maintenance site.
And this is where we realized that we need something more, so we designed a new breed of productivity solutions that allows you to expand the capabilities of AR significantly and way beyond AR. So we called it vSite, and the vSite is a web-enabled solution that allows you to place your construction data in the geographic context.
With no effort at all we can connect to Autodesk Construction Cloud and bring all relevant models, be that from Civil 3D, Navisworks, Revit, IFC, or other formats. We will combine it with all available information for the job site, and present it as a single digital twin in the full geographic context around it.
That view can be used for the tailgate meetings, where you can do your planning for the day. And as soon as you're done, you can transition to vGIS, and you can view the same data. So there is no integration. It's the same database that powers both the digital twin and component. So you can view the same data with high accuracy on-site.
Viewing is powerful but only part of the equation. You can also do-- complete certain tasks with AR and vSite. For instance, if you want to document a specific issue, there is an easy issue-reporting tool built right into, so this is the AR component.
You can take pictures, and you can add voice notes or written notes to make sure that the user the user has full context, and when you click on Send, the same issue will appear in vGIS and. vSite. It's an oriented image, and the oriented image allows you to see the exact angle from which the image was taken. So instead of guessing what's on the image, you can actually see you can align yourself with that image, and it puts everything in a good perspective.
During testing, we found some good anecdotes where the valve was taped over, so you could see that valve in the AR but not in physical world. So this was the most efficient way of connecting and reporting such problems back to the office.
Another component of tasks is that all the tasks and all the issue reporting done in vGIS and vSite are georeferenced. So you can take a typical issue assign it as a task on-site, and then when the user uses, VJS they can see the same issue hovering in the AR marking the exact spot when they need to perform a specific action, and that label will give them all the details they need to know about this.
So the issue-reporting component that we have is designed to be not just a standalone component, but we integrate it currently with Autodesk Construction Cloud. So if you have an issue that originates in venture 60 or Autodesk Build, then it will be synchronized with the issue engine we have in vGIS and vSite, placed in the geographic context so that the users can complete the issue and then channel it back to your Autodesk Construction Cloud automatically without you having to do any migrations.
Another aspect of vGIS and vSite combination is the ability to provide information almost instantly in high details to the office. In case you identified an issue or in case you identify the area of interest, you can use vGIS to scan that issue, just like you see on the screen right now.
The process is fast and easy and uses the LiDAR built into your iPhones and tablets and the iPads. And once you have completed the scanning, you can see the model right on your iPad instantly, and when you click Share, it will be shared with vSite. So seconds later your colleagues in the office, can pull up information in the vSite and they can see the same scan in the full context of the construction site, which will help them to make a decision.
The same reality capture can be reused later through the AR, as vGIS will place visuals with centimeter-level accuracy in augmented reality, and that will enable users to time travel as they will be able to look inside previously excavated trenches and see what was there.
This functionality is also helpful for comparing different stages of construction as you can stack multiple scans of the same area and then by turning them on and off you can compare the progress on the construction site from day to day. And just a reminder, all of those scans take no more than 30s to complete just like you saw in the previous video.
And the same AR can be used in augmented reality. So if you are an augmented reality user, just pull out your phone, and then you can see what this trench looks like before it was excavated. The system is also quite useful for design reviews, you can upload multiple models or multiple versions of different-- of the same asset, and then in AR, you can view how it would look like on site. You can provide instant feedback by reporting issues and performing scans. So the designer is fully aware of what your feedback is
Another component of this integration is data collection if you found any discrepancies on-site, you can simply trace them with vGIS's data collection module. The tracing offers survey grade accuracy, so within a couple of centimeters, and the benefit is that you can see collected data in real time so that you can check the depth and the placement. And you can also use the same approach for creating nodes for yourselves and then taking those nodes and using them in planning software because they can be exported from vGIS as shapefiles or DWG in the future.
Anything that you do in AR is instantly available in vSite. So in that example, when the person collected the missing water main, that water main that appeared in vSite links to the original ticket, links to the original request, and the person who collected that.
Finally, the tool can be used for recording for remote assistance as you can dial in experts from another location, share your screen, and they can see your screen and the visuals in real time both the physical world, and AR overlays, and since you can maintain two-way voice communications while doing that, you will be able to receive guidance from the remote person without having them join you in the field.
That is also useful for stakeholder engagement in sending the entire group to the field. You can have a single technician doing the site walkthrough, showing assets from different angles through a combination of AR and the physical world, and the rest of the group can join remotely and guide that person to a specific area of interest.
On the technology side, vGIS and vSite besides support traditional augmented reality devices, which is Android phones and iOS devices-- sorry, phones, and tablets and iOS devices. We also supporting mixed reality currently with HoloLens 2 and in the future with Apple Vision Pro. And the vSite can be run on any conventional device, such as PCs, tablets, and so forth. All in all, if you look across the spectrum. We support over 800 devices, so you have quite a few options for deploying the system.
There are more than 200 organizations that use vGIS and now vSite in the field, and in the use cases, they trying to address most commonly is the common data environment, they want to see their BIN models, their GIS data, their reality capture, not in isolation, but in one place as a single digital twin in the full geographic context, the system also helps you use site visits, as you can provide a lot of information without physically sending somebody on-site by simply assigning tasks and doing reality scans and oriented image collection.
The RFI process is simplified and also backed up with three-dimensional evidence and oriented images or evidence. Utility locates are streamlined, the progress documentation is improved, and as-built documentation, which is very relevant to owners is streamlined as they can receive the full archive of the entire project, including all the scans and images at the end of the project.
On the implementation side, vGIS is very easy to implement and manage. It's a SaaS solution that can be set up in minutes, and then it connects to the systems through the API that we designed for it. The visuals are produced in real time, and then sent to the endpoint-- end device in real time, so the user in the field doesn't need to think about which version of the model they need to pull up as the system gives them the most recent up to date information.
We are working on several elegant workflows that allow us to plug into the Autodesk Construction Cloud. We can read BIM 360 or model information already. So if you put any model-- any BIM model in the Autodesk Construction Cloud, this same data can appear in vGIS and vSite in the geographic context. We are also building integration for the tasks and issues. So soon, if you keep your task or manage your task through Autodesk Construction Cloud, we will be able to synchronize it with vGIS and vSite, complete all the tasks in AR or through the web, and then all the changes will be reflected back in your Autodesk Construction Cloud.
Our typical project usually starts with a field trial. We will be happy to give you our system for two weeks free of charge, no commitment so that you can test it with your data on your devices to make sure it's the right choice for you. And then, you can choose the subscription. So we have multiple subscription methods. One is the user license-- per user license. Another one is site license. So we offer site license for construction projects so that you can have unrestricted access unlimited licenses for that specific construction site, and the cost per license will be up to 75% cheaper than buying individual licenses as we want to promote mass adoption and crowdsourcing of information.
Thank you for joining me today. My name is Alec, and I'm the founder of vGIS. You can find us on the internet at www.vgis.io, or you can email me directly. Once again, thank you for joining me today. And if you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us.