From hands-on client design and tried-and-tested visualisation to improving the training of staff, immersive technology is changing AEC for the better
Quick read
➨ VRdirect, Arkio, Theia Interactive, XYZ Reality, Sentio VR, Numena, Holo-Light, Make Real and From The Future are all appearing in the next issue of VRWorldTech Magazine
➨ The AEC sector has much to consider when it comes to immersive technology, not least because it is ready and waiting to play a crucial role right now
➨ Print pre-orders for issue 8 of VRWorldTech Magazine are open now. Digital publication is scheduled for 28 June
The story
VRdirect, Arkio, Theia Interactive, XYZ Reality, Sentio VR, Numena, Holo-Light, Make Real and From The Future are all appearing in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) issue of VRWorldTech Magazine.
Focusing on the AEC sector, issue 8 reveals a sense that we are only just beginning to scratch the surface of what immersive technology can achieve. But also, right now, that is actually quite a lot.
Look no further than this issue’s The Reality Wire. VRdirect offers excellent insight into leveraging 3D models in ‘lightweight’ virtual reality experiences for the AEC sector.
Then there is Arkio, a new immersive collaborative design tool for architecture that features a custom-built solid modelling kernel optimised for mobile headsets, enabling architects to design inside virtual reality instead of simply using it as a medium for visualisation.
Of course, there are those that argue that virtual reality in particular isn’t being used to its full potential. Andreea Ion Cojocaru, a licensed architect, software developer and chief executive officer and co-founder of Numena, an award-winning interdisciplinary company based in Germany that designs and develops both physical and virtual spaces, argues that “visualisation is the least interesting thing about virtual reality in AEC”.
Germany-headquartered Holo-Light, developer of AR 3S (Augmented Reality Engineering Space), saw immersive technology as the means to upgrade current engineering software and give engineers and designers a new tool to improve and simplify workflows in planning, development, and production.
But Holo-Light did not stop at solving those problems and turned its attention to streaming immersive content and apps, a key problem for AEC businesses dealing with bulky CAD and BIM (building information modelling) files.
There is also a need for the AEC sector to increase its awareness of what immersive technology can achieve.
For example, Make Real, a studio and publisher focused on immersive technology for training and learning based in the UK, has been working with businesses in the construction, energy and utilities sectors, which it collectively calls the built environment, for over 10 years.
From The Future, the subject of the Meet profile in issue 8, also excels in virtual reality training for AEC.
The AEC sector has much to consider when it comes to immersive technology, not least because it is ready and waiting to play a crucial role right now, whether for hands-on client design, tried-and-tested visualisation, or improving the training of staff.
Print pre-orders for issue 8 of VRWorldTech Magazine are open now. Just get in touch with jonsavage@vrworldtech.com to find out more.
Digital and print subscriptions to VRWorldTech Magazine are the easiest and most cost-effective way to read the latest issue. Find out more here.
Issue 8 of VRWorldTech Magazine is being published digitally on 28 June. Sign up here to be the first to be notified.
Images: VRdirect, Arkio, Theia Interactive, XYZ Reality, Sentio VR, Numena and Holo-Light
