While augmented reality has been touted as a tool to view 3D models and on-site construction together in context, the size of a 3D model limits its application, especially with headset viewers such as Microsoft HoloLens.
When designing virtual-reality training programs for equipment operators, Serious Labs works to simulate as much of the real-life experience as possible.
On Sept. 26 in New York City, the Boston-based construction company Suffolk officially opened the first of six Smart Labs that it is building in the heart of its key offices in the U.S.
While thinking up new workflows for designing mechanical systems, Amanda Comunale is making sure that her team members are spending enough time in virtual reality.
Suffolk Construction Co. held a "virtual" groundbreaking for its 38,000 sq-ft addition to its Boston headquarters on Thursday. During the ceremony, city officials and executives from Suffolk donned virtually reality headsets to view and animation of the groundbreaking as well as a virtual model rendering of the project being erected.
Technology for true augmented reality—with 3D models and metadata floating before a user’s eyes and mapping to the environment in real time—is still in development. But technology firm Scope AR is trying to get augmented reality into the hands of industry professionals today, providing the tools to build their own AR visualizations.
The future of wearable technology for the construction industry conjures up images of workers covered in clunky machinery—hydraulically powered exosuits multiplying the wearers’ strength, while gleaming visors with information-dense heads-up displays block their vision.