HoloLens Helps Engineers Visualize Virtual Models of Buildings

Microsoft recently announced a collaboration with Trimble and the University of Cambridge in order to explore new ways of utilizing the HoloLens. This partnership hopes to help engineers visualize future designs in real scale, promoting a mixed reality workspace.

Researchers are focused on two main applications of the HoloLens. Automated Progress Monitoring is the first implementation, aiming to address the most arduous and error-prone situations in the Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operations (AECO) industry. The laborious task described above is the regular inspections of remote structures.

Currently, the inspection process is conducted manually through visual examinations and many documented reports. By adding HoloLens technology into the mix, all physical and digital information is displayed through the goggles. This allows inspectors to report, check, cross-reference, and collaborate in a quicker, more efficient way, since engineers can visualize relevant data at the construction site.

The second application of the HoloLens is called Automated Bridge Damage Detection. In this scenario, local teams can take high-resolution photos of specific buildings, send those photos back to a remote location, and overlay the data onto the project’s 3D model. Working in mixed reality, engineers can review the integrity of certain structures and recommend solutions for repair.

The main objective of the HoloLens trials within the AECO industry is to give engineers access to critical information so they can make informed and educated design decisions. To learn more about the potential future of mixed reality, watch the HoloLens demonstration in the video below.