ACEC-MN Design Technology Forum - Augmented Reality in AEC

Yesterday, at the regional ACEC Design Technology Forum, I had the opportunity to share our work at LHB in the AEC space (Architecture, Engineering and Construction) with Augmented Reality (AR) using the Microsoft HoloLens. Thanks to BARR for hosting this month's meeting.

This post will share the highlights from the meeting, including my slides and video links.

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Microsoft HoloLens on LHB Urban Street and Utilities Reconstruction Project

I wanted to share an example of how the Microsoft HoloLens can be used on Public Works projects. With the impending release of the next generation HoloLens 2, the use of holograms in design and constriction is only going to become more prevalent... so check out this post to get up to speed!

This post features an LHB urban street and utilities reconstruction project.

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Microsoft HoloLens 2 is Coming - This Will be Awesome for the AEC Industry!

Coming soon... a more powerful HoloLens with a "greatly increased" field of view! Including more natural use of hands to interact with holograms and eye tracking.

I have written a number of posts about our professional, on real-world projects, use of the HoloLens in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry; see a list of links below. We have two Microsoft HoloLens devices with the Trimble hardhat (original versions for both, of course).

I am super excited to get my hands on the new Microsoft HoloLens 2 and test it out! And, not that this was too hard to predict, but I did in this Enscape blog post:)

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MnOPS 2018 Pipeline Safety Educational Conference

As a multi-disciplinary firm, LHB does work in Public Utilities, Industrial, Pipeline and Land Survey. An important event we usually attend each year is the Minnesota Office of Pipeline Safety (MnOPS) 2018 Pipeline Safety Educational Conference.

MnOPS inspects natural gas, propane and hazardous liquid pipelines, and investigates leaks and accidents. The conference educates operators on a number of issues including best-practices, regulations, and new technologies.

In addition to having a booth in the Exhibit Hall this year, we also presented a "New Technologies" session on our application of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) in this space. We have used this technology with our clients and at public meetings to help with key stakeholder design comprehension and buy in.

Here is a picture of our booth (which was not completely set up yet).

As part of describing our design services, we offered two real-world AR project examples using...

First Look - Trimble Hard Hat for Microsoft HoloLens

We were lucky to get early access to the official Trimble Hard Hat for Microsoft HoloLens. They arrived today, so I will offer my first impressions in this post.

But first, why would anyone need a hard hat for the HoloLens? If you want to even step foot on a construction site today you must have proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE); hard hat, safety glasses, reflective vest, etc. At LHB we have a profession Safety Coordinator to ensure we stay in compliance in general and on the various government and industrial projects we work on. Thus, if we want to start exploring uses for Augmented Reality on job sites, a hard hat that accommodates the HoloLens is a must.

I can sum up my first impression in one word...

HoloLens Case Study Project Coming to Life - Vertical Endeavors

A while back I wrote the third most popular post on this blog: Microsoft HoloLens in Architecture; Case Study with Vertical Endeavors Rock Climbing.

Our client, Vertical Endeavors, is making great progress on their new facility, The first image below is a screenshot from their YouTube video they just posted. The second image is from the previous post, showing the Microsoft HoloLens view, which is a holographic projection within the existing facility.

These images are not form the same vantage point, but is an interesting comparison none the less.

The next image is from our site visit back in August 2017...

First Look: Fuzor Support for the HoloLens

Kalloc Studios recently implemented support for the Microsoft HoloLens in their Fuzor VDC product. I had the opportunity to try it out and am bringing you this post with the rundown. With voice activated commands, voice to text annotations and element filtering... prepared to be impressed.

First, you export the model from Revit to Fuzor VDC. Before exporting from Fuzor to the HoloLens you have the option of placing a QR Code marker in the model and then printing  the QR Code on paper. You position the printed QR code in the same relative location to speed up the positioning of the hologram in the physical space.

The image below shows the QR Code marker placed in the Fuzor model.

Microsoft HoloLens in Architecture; Case Study with Vertical Endeavors Rock Climbing

This week the "stars were aligned" for LHB's first on-site test of the Microsoft HoloLens with an architectural client. This had nothing to do with the solar eclipse, although that was amazing too. Rather, I am referring to a perfect sized project, in a re-purposed facility, with an amazing client who also uses 3D design software.

The Project:

We are working with Vertical Endeavors (VE), a company that specializes in designing and manufacturing rock climbing walls and operating indoor rock climbing facilities. They are expanding by opening a new facility in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Metro area. This new gym will be housed in an existing warehouse building with exposed wood trusses and a barrel-vaulted roof as shown in the next two images.

Revit Model - Overall View

Revit Model - View from Main Entry

The model shown above is a composite of LHB's Revit model and a climbing wall model provided by VE.

Additionally...