When I go to events that center around technology for the AEC industry, one of the biggest themes over the last year or so has been the increase in tools utilizing virtual and/or augmented reality. The potential value of this technology has been known for quite some time, but it was easier said than done to actually provide tangible solutions until recently. To be clear, the problems aren’t completely solved today as there is still skepticism around wearables and the technology has not been perfected even for AR, but major strides have been made. In fact, the strides have gotten to the point where mixed reality is being utilized in job sites all across the world, and adoption continues to grow. It’s something we’ve covered quite a bit here at Geo Week News from a number of different angles. Below, you can find recent articles covering some specific products and companies working in this space, and commentary around the sector’s growth.
Gamma-AR embraces simplicity in mixed reality for AEC projects
When many of us think about mixed reality, we immediately think about headsets that cover most of our faces in order to be transported into virtual worlds. In construction, though, AR using common hardware like tablets is the most common use case. In this article, Geo Week News spoke to the founders of Gamma-AR, who offers this kind of solution for the AEC industry. The conversation talks both about their specific project as well as the state of AR in the industry more broadly.
Pokémon Go’s Unlikely Impact on AEC Technology
Instead of focusing on a specific product, this article delves into an unlikely motivation for many AR-based solutions in the AEC industry. In so many conversations with developers of these AR tools – including the aforementioned founders of Gamma-AR – Pokémon Go comes up as one of the inspirations for why they started out in this space. The article talks about why this gaming application sparked an industry, including quotes from some who were inspired by its launch in 2016.
Autodesk unveils Workshop XR for virtual design workflows
For this article, we go back to specific products, this time from one of the biggest companies in the AEC industry. Autodesk unveiled their Workshop XR at Autodesk University last year, and Geo Week News was able to demo the product. This is a VR-based solution – differing from what’s been mentioned above – and this article delves into some of the details around the release.
Unboxing Ergonomics in the Apple Vision Pro and other VR Headsets
The biggest story in the world of mixed reality – we’re talking broadly here, not just within AEC – of the last year or so has been Apple’s foray into the space. The company released the first generation of their Vision Pro mixed reality headsets earlier this year to mixed reviews. One of the biggest deterrents for VR picking up in the AEC industry is the comfort of wearing headsets for extended periods of time, so in this article Lucas Marshall looks at the ergonomics behind Apple’s first headset.
Navigating the Next Era of 3D Visualization
We’d be remiss to not mention a full report that Geo Week News put together last year about 3D visualization in the AEC industry and how these methods are changing. It covers a number of topics, including mixed reality. The report includes insights from experts within the industry who are well-versed in this space and who share where they see the industry today, and where they see it moving in the future.
