From drones to robots to real-time big data, we’ve seen how technology has affected the world of construction. But is the construction industry about to change once again? And does augmented reality have a place onsite and in the industry’s field? The answer is yes, and it’s going to be its future.
What Is Augmented Reality?
Augmented reality, or AR, is a technology that overlays data via a computer generated image onto the real world that we see in front of us, in real-time. AR allows users to see anything from numbers to information to instructions right in their direct line of sight, offering not only a new view, but an entirely new perspective on the world. The technology allows the users to not only view the world, but become interactive with it. And because of these distinctions alone, it’s easy to see that augmented reality has huge potential for application in the construction industry.
Its Potential
Augmented reality has the the power to revolutionize the construction industry by bringing data of all kinds to every corner of the project site.The technology will be able to provide information that matters, in context to both people and things within the worksite’s proximity in real-time. That has the potential to significantly change the speed at which a project can get done as well as reduce wasted time and resources.
But how? Project leads can physically change the way their staff works in real-time by viewing an activity map to track the progress of the team. If there needs to be any changes made to the speed and/or quality of work, the project lead can issue out changes via the technology and notify members immediately while their work is in progress (without the need to stop and check email), allowing them to make changes on the fly.
Onsite workers would also be able to walk up to almost any object of importance onsite, and obtain information from it. For example, if they walked up to a caterpillar, they could instantly see a health report, when the machinery was last used, who was using it, if it’s operating correctly, etc, right in front of them, overlaid onto the actual environment. Safety alerts can be received using AR while a worker is performing tasks, helping reduce onsite hazards.
One of augmented reality’s most interesting attributes is its ability to allow low skilled workers to perform harder tasks and for skilled workers to become even more specialized in their craft. With AR, a low skilled worker can be provided with information on how to build, service, and maintain things on a real-time display in front of their eyes. For more skilled workers, their craft can become even more specialized through their enhanced environment, allowing them to understand their craft even better with the information that they can physically see while they work. Any worker onsite, ideally, can have all the information they need whenever they need it.
The Problems It’s Looking to Solve
Augmented reality can solve time and resource management problems that are a common occurrence onsite today. In construction, time and resource management are equal to profit which is equal to how well a company is performing in the market.
AR gives professionals instant communication and instant information, particularly information on the allocation of resources in real-time. All information, instructions, reports, notifications, safety concerns, etc. can be delivered in real-time to any member of a team.
The technology removes wasted time on things like walking back and forth onsite to explain instructions or to see progress, and things of that nature. By tackling these issues, AR will help companies gain a competitive advantage.
The Negatives
While in theory augmented reality seems great, there is still this one important question: How will it perform onsite? Will it be a distraction? Not many companies have put augmented reality to the test onsite (DAQRI is one company who has), and the technology, for industrial use and onsite application, is still in its infancy.
Although hands free devices prove to be more safe than hand held devices, the former still decreases the human’s ability to concentrate. This has the potential to be a major safety hazard. AR will definitely need more onsite testing.
Is AR a Possibility Onsite?
The answer simply is yes. But, in reality, it will probably not be fully ready for about another 15 years. Yes, the technology does already exist today, but humans have an inability to embrace change quickly, especially when they feel threatened by it.
In addition, the manufacturing industry has difficulty producing new technology fast. They simply do not have the capability to deliver it to the public. Most technologies today are already three to five years old simply because of the slow production process.
Some of you are probably wondering though, is augmented reality on a construction site viable today? Unfortunately, AR will have limited capabilities. Only large companies who have already embraced big data and other technologies will have the capacity to fully harness augmented reality. They have the technical prowess, whereas smaller companies do not.
Looking Ahead
There is going to be big changes ahead for the construction industry as we move more towards automated processes. Augmented reality will have a huge impact, without a doubt, and the questions isn’t if it will, but when.
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