B4 - Term Project

For the term project I will be writing a paper exploring how augmented reality (AR) actually works at a technical level and expanding on its potential uses in construction. This investigation will primarily focus on aspects of Building Information Modeling (BIM) that can be easily conveyed and communicated by using AR as medium. Derek from Whiting-Tuner mentioned in a previous lecture that this is a technology his company is actually experimenting with implementing; I was a bit surprised by this, I had seen a video about this idea years ago, back in sophomore year, but didn’t think anyone was actually taking it on and making it a reality.

               

We’re all familiar with BIM and how it works; it’s a platform that allows designers to model all the major elements of a building and assign varying data points to those parts of the model. Creating a BIM model is in effect building the building in the computer before it ever goes to be built. This allows designers to rapidly design buildings in an integrated manner and avoid clashes between different systems. Despite all this technology in design the final output is almost always a set of paper plans which are given to the contractor to be built. With the model being presented in 2D but needing to be built in 3D it’s quite possible to make a mistake or miss something during construction especially on large complex projects.

                

This is where AR comes in, it effectively allows a user to project a digital image onto a real life location allowing for an altered spatial awareness. What is a BIM model other than a very particular digital image? A model could be projected to actual scale over a building site using AR allowing for conflicts to be seen more easily and ideally before becoming a problem during construction, easier project tracking and coordination. More importantly it could simplify construction by removing steps necessary to measure, and mark out things that need to be built (like walls) because it could allow for materials to be placed directly onto their AR projection. This would make it easier from a final review standpoint to see discrepancies between the model and the as-built conditions. These are just few potential applications; the paper will expand on some of these further.

Comments on Other Posts:

Alec, your topic seems interesting, what aspects of manufacturing do you intend to focus on? Modular construction is gaining in popularity and could be a great topic to explore from the manufacturing side; I’m sure robotics could find significant application there.

Kyle, what do you see as the biggest challenges in using 3D printing and what do you think some ideas might be to address those challenges? Also, where do you intend to find data on the properties of 3D printed steel?

Albert, Incorporating Dynamo into the 391 project is a good idea. If you come up with some scripts that save a lot of time you’ll have to share them with me. Where do you think the best application might be? I would think it could be useful for sizing beams given enough inputs based on the code.