How many times have you wondered to take a vacation to places like Paris, Switzerland, Greece, and many more? However, not every experience is possible. Still, what if you want to take such adventures without spending much money as you cannot travel everywhere. Here comes the solution, Virtual Reality (VR)! Virtual Reality has much more to offer than just time pass. It has many uses in the several industries, and construction industry leverages it the most in BIM!

Let’s see what Virtual Reality (VR) has to offer in the construction industry in sync with BIM!

The idea of VR is to substitute your reality with something distinct that does not exist in fact. Human brains can visualize any virtually generated environments like a high octane computer game, a park, or a movie. In short, we can see anything and everything which can be re-created using a VR headset.

However, what BIM has to do with Virtual Reality (VR)?

Imagine if you or your client can walk through your in-progress building model and evaluating every nook of it. This activity is indeed more productive than sitting at your desk and zooming into a screen. The use and development of VR are growing exponentially. Right from the initiation of the idea of VR, the AEC (Architecture, Engineering, and Construction) industry has got multiple benefits. As per the survey, companies began noticing quicker project approvals, improved real client communications and higher satisfaction of clients. The “what’s significant” and “what’s not relevant” checklist can smoothly save valuable time and bucks for the business as well as the client.

With all the speedy progress occurring, it is evident that engineers, architects, and construction techies are already traversing the dimensions of this technology. There are more than 50 tools of VR software and hardware accessible right now, which can change the way of BIM interpretation and implementation.

Take a look at some of the cool gadgets used for VR

Oculus Rift

It is a super interactive VR headset developed by the Oculus Company.

It consists of inbuilt IR sensor as well as 3D audio effect giving headphones which has a super accurate positional and rotational tracking plug-ins. With the correct technical knowledge, Oculus can replicate an entire structure and provide a detailed perspective of the project. It is unattainable using conventional monitor adapted systems. It also has a full viewing angle of around 110 °.

PrioVR

This device is for real-time motion capture using virtual reality. The user can operate the virtual environment by using body movements. This VR program equips the user with a full body suit having multiple interior sensors in it. So, when the PrioVR is connected, the user can calibrate according to the wish. Due to this, it is easy to capture even the tiniest movements accurately.

It also provides a 360° viewing angle, so it feels more realistic while operating a model.

PrioVR

(Image Source: https://goo.gl/images/kfK3CT)

Touchable Holograms

Due to rapid progress in engineering, VR is now on the edge of developing beyond ‘vision’ and ‘sound.’ Research projects are gearing up to make the Hologram projections into reality. This facility will enhance the end user experience due to different textures which the user can choose from different formats.

Other than the PC software mentioned above, several mobile apps are giving a similar experience.

Touchable Holograms

(Image Source: https://machineman1.deviantart.com/art/Iron-Man-Rainmeter-Desktop-319280092)

Augment

This handy app involves the users in a simplistic yet compelling simulation with certainly less rendering time. You need the 2D design of any particular project, which the team uploads to the ‘Augment Manager’ field on the app website. Further, the client scans the global augment tracker which comes with the 2D drawing sheets. So, it allows the client to see the 2D design in a 3D mode right through his mobile. Hence, it eliminates the need for architects/clients to deal with real models, paper designs and numerous site visits.

The future

As per the statistics, in the coming ten years or so, a situation would happen when the builders would begin using Virtual Reality as an obligation for development purposes. With Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality knocking the doors of BIM, it is definite that the blend of both will prove to be a WIN-WIN situation in upcoming future. The contemporary use of Virtual Reality is just the base of a big mountain with great powers yet in the search.