Maximising the Use of AR in Construction

Augmented reality (AR) is fast becoming an appealing addition to the digital construction toolbox. Adding digital elements to a live view, the user can experience the digital environment in real time, as opposed to the shut-out physical world VR offers.This session will give insight into how GRAHAM use AR to produce 3D models of buildings both conceptualised and built, to current and potential clients, offering a differentiating factor and unique selling point in the way we interact with clients. Including a live demonstration, the audience will see the transformation from a point cloud survey through to augmented reality, alongside the step-by-step process from development to exporting of 3D models into Unity using Autodesk Revit. To capture the point cloud, the Leica BLK360 Laser Scanner is used to scan an environment. Producing a high accuracy image, the portable and easy-to-use dome then transfers the scan to ReCap Pro, an Autodesk software package accessible from both a desktop or iPad. A compatible file format is created with an augmented reality app creation software. Discussing the developments of AR within GRAHAM, the audience will be shown the converted laser scan as it is uploaded to software tools such as Unity, alongside the associated model target that the AR camera will recognise. Linking the model and model target, the pair are exported into app development software where once tested and reviewed, the AR ready model can be deployed. With the transformation complete, users can visualise their finished project integrated with their live environment. We will show each step in our process of developing these models, exporting them to a mobile device for easy, on-the-go interaction, and how these models can then be manipulated in real-time in augmented reality. Using drawings created in Revit, we can convert these into 3D models to be used in Unity where they can be separated into their architectural, M&E, and structural models. Custom C# code is applied to each of the separated sections of the model so each of them can be toggled on or off by the end-user, allowing a more detailed view of the building at hand. Using the same method, a building’s plans can be converted into Unity and displayed in different stages of its development. By adding or removing aspects of the build, one can display the pre-construction, mid-construction, and post-construction of any building. This is a useful tool in spotting any inaccuracies in the build ahead of time