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New visualisation, VR & AR innovations to be showcased at Digital Construction Week 2019

From the latest software integrating BIM with virtual reality headsets, to hand-held augmented reality systems for visualising designs on-site, exhibitors are preparing to show off the latest in visualisation, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) tech for the built environment at next month’s Digital Construction Week.

Taking place on 16-17 October at London ExCeL, it’s set to be a showcase of some seriously impressive products revolutionising the construction industry.  Here’s a preview of just some of the new innovations that will be on display:

KOREC is introducing Trimble SiteVision, a high-accuracy augmented reality system that can be held in the hand.  Users can visualise geospatial data, such as new designs and underground utilities, in the field.  Walk around the model and view from various perspectives or click on the model for attribute information (stand D18).

Fulcro is announcing the FULmax and Revizto partnership to deliver Digital Collaboration for teams using Immersive VR at the show.  Visitors will have the opportunity to explore the benefits that can be realised using Revizto and FULmax together: to aid their team’s project engagement, design reviews and defect tracking, while standing inside live project data at life-size (stand C42).

Fuzor is exhibiting a next generation VDC tool offering solutions for design review, design analysis, BIM validation, real-time collaboration, stunning 4D output, 5D with VR and AR support.  Fuzor 2020 is designed to help AEC professionals to stay competitive, reduce cost, improve safety and win more business (stand A8).

Vectorworks UK is promoting Vectorworks Architect 2020, a leading modelling, drafting and documentation solution from sketch to BIM.  New developments include Live Data Visualisation, Walkthrough Animations, enhancements to the data tag tool and model sectioning for documentation, as well as a Vectorworks Graphics Module that offers faster file navigation and more responsive models (stand D40).

IRIS VR is demonstrating Prospect for Oculus Quest.  The software is designed to make immersive coordination and collaboration easy, allowing engineers and BIM/VDC professionals to instantly navigate their 3D models in virtual reality and perform totally true-to-scale walkthroughs on the Oculus Quest with tools built specifically for AEC (stand C20).

For those looking for even more visualisation, AR and VR tech, products and solutions, other relevant exhibitors include Enscape, FARO, Igloo Vision, Lumion, Make Real, Matterport, NavVis, Revizto, Solius, and Sublime.

The Visualisation Theatre

It’s not just the central exhibition where visitors will find insights on the latest VR, AR and visualisation technologies for the built environment – these technologies will also take centre stage over in the Visualisation Theatre. 

Over two days the theatre will play host to more than 20 expert-led sessions exploring the application and future development of virtual, augmented, and mixed reality technologies, as well as 3D modelling, mapping, and rendering, for design, construction, operation and even training and education.  Highlights from the theatre include:

  • VR & AR – Making it more than a buzzword (10.30am on Wednesday 16 October) with Jonathan Hooper, senior digital engineer at Laing O’Rourke: this session will explore how we can harness VR and AR technology to go beyond visualisation and make it a real asset to a workflow
  • Contex-City – Visualising complex organisations through 3D environments (12pm on Wednesday 16 October) with Jamie Robertson, senior information consultant at Mott MacDonald: a look at Contex-City, an intuitive, interactive 3D city-scape that portrays the entire operating environment and/or IT architecture of complex organisations 
  • The augmented worker – An innovation journey (9.30am on Thursday 17 October) with Chris Freeman, VP for industry at Sublime: insight into Sublime’s two Innovate UK funded activities, the Augmented Worker and Mobius and how the platforms will help validate the viability of immersive technology, and enable a more efficient and effective method for deploying it at an enterprise scale
  • Design with intangible data (10am on Thursday 17 October) with Ed Tibuzzi, associate director of AKT II: this session will explore the benefits of employing new technologies such as artificial vision and augmented reality, and demonstrate how they have helped on real life projects including Google London, the Neuron, the Vessel of Hudson Yards, and more 
  • M6 J2-4 SMP people plant interface VR training (12pm on Thursday 17 October) with Navroop Rai, digital engineering manager at Vinci: this session will demonstrate how virtual reality technology can be used for more effective safety training for construction sites

To see the full programme for the Visualisation Theatre please visit www.digitalconstructionweek.com/visualisation.