Smart devices, virtual reality gadgets and cloud technologies are paving the way for a new frontier in the construction industry, writes Izwan Ismail
AS soon as architect Razman Rahim enters the small residential mall which is still under construction, he puts on a special helmet which comes with a virtual reality (VR) head-mounted display.
He doesn’t bring along rolls of architecture drawings with him. The drawings are stored in the server at his main office. With the device, Razman is able to access all the architectural drawings in VR 3D format, streamed to his head-mounted display.
In this case, he is using A360 with Revit, an Autodesk software for building information management (BIM).
It’s a tool that allows architects to plan, design, construct and manage buildings and infrastructure.
Besides the VR head-mounted display, Razman also wears a smart badge, which gives a real-time view of the construction site to his supervisor and other colleagues who are not at the site.
COMPLETE VIEW
Even though Razman is walking in a half-completed building, what he sees via his head-mounted display is the full rendition of the project, layer by layer. So he knows exactly what the design is and what the work being done should look like. If there’s any flaw, he can quickly address the issue.
This is an example of how architects, engineers and managers at construction sites should be working today.
While the hardcopy of plans and designs may be needed at sites, the use of special BIM software and head-mounted display are paving the way for a better working environment.
NEW AGE
According to Autodesk Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, country manager Chris Lee, technology is radically disrupting the way buildings and infrastructure are designed, built and used.
“Working at construction sites is always challenging. For engineers and architects, overeseeing a project is not easy as a lot of factors have to be monitored to ensure the project runs accordingly, is safe, and on time,” he says.
Digitalisation, powered by cloud and mobile technology, smart devices, virtual reality and augmented reality, are replacing the manual way of doing work, transforming teams, roles and building project processes, making greater interconnection possible.
“We’re now entering a new age of working for builders, designers and engineers. With the Internet, the cloud and big data means we can connect people, processes, ideas and things like never before,” he says.
MOVIE QUALITY IMAGES
Photorealistic visualisations are increasingly being used across industries to tell a story, so that a building, a bridge or a railway can be “viewed” before it’s built.
For example, rendering in Autodesk A360 helps to create photorealistic images, panoramas, solar studies and luminance simulations. Designers can share these visualisations to support clients and stakeholders in making fast and informed decisions.
Lee gives a simple example on how apps like Autodesk A360 with Revit, Autodesk Live can be used to give house owners a “walk through” of their house before it’s completed.
“Once the design is completed using the software, data can be streamed or downloaded to the head-mount display, giving the house owners what VR and augmented reality feel of the completed house,” he says.
“Instead of looking at a static model or plans, you can now walk through the house, room to room, even though it will only be completed in the next two years.”
SHARING IDEAS
With such technology, architects and engineers can generate multiple options, ideas and scenarios more rapidly and impress clients with cinematic quality renders and optimal designs.
BIM tools can also help architects and engineers predict the performance and cost of a building during the design process.
Factors like location and associated weather data, including detailed information on temperature, the sun’s path and wind patterns, can be used to analyse and simulate issues such as heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) sizing, energy use, water use, shading, and lighting levels.
Designers can then make better, more sustainable design decisions.
Lee says the potential for these new technologies and gadgets in the construction, automotive and even oil and gas industry is huge.
“Work, time, money and even life can be saved through the adoption of this technology,” he says.
The technology will also create new types of professions, such as VR/AR experience curator, robot trainer, sensor system integrator, generative designer and 3D printing specialist.
IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE
A virtual reality headset provides immersive virtual reality for the wearer. VR headsets are widely used with computer games but they are also used in other applications, including simulators and trainers. They comprise a stereoscopic head-mounted display (providing separate images for each eye), stereo sound and head motion tracking sensors which may include gyroscopes, accelerometers, structured light systems, etc). Today, the construction, automotive and oil and gas industries are using virtual reality to plan, manage, construct and then market projects.