The construction industry is suffering from a traditional hesitancy to embrace nascent technologies, caused partly because projects take years to plan and complete. Virtual reality (VR) and Augmented reality (AR) are rapidly developing fields, with the technology moving at breakneck pace. These technologies are changing the world, particularly for those organizations which are prepared to move beyond the traditional approaches. These are becoming powerful tools, allowing both private and commercial customers to see, before the foundations have been laid, how their new property will look like. Today, these cutting-edge technologies are playing an important role in creating new processes and applications which is enhancing efficiencies and productivity.
However, AR creates safer working environments and help to simplify the complexities of construction. With a focus on reducing cost and waste and increasing productivity, the system will improve the construction process at every stage, by delivering a high-quality building with fewer defects and more sustainable. As a result, the industry is more accessible, accountable and attractive to a millennial workforce.
Improving Construction Industry
- Safe Working Environment
Rather than personnel on-site learning, companies are making use of VR for pre-site inductions, identifying key areas of risk in a virtual and safe space. With the help of virtual sites, employees and customers as well can experience hands-on training before stepping out on site. VR can also serve as an essential tool for safety awareness. One can walk around the virtual site, either customer or employee, to familiarize them with existing fire, facilities and the layout of the building at any phase in the construction programme.
- Picturization of Final Product
VR and real-time visualization technology not only provides rich, life-like renders of completed projects, but enables every person or a group to walk through and interact with space in an infinite number of ways. It provides a wonderful opportunity to identify any issues before they even exist in the real.
- Help Cut Costs
AR/VR helps to cut costs by reducing rework. As the rework can get expensive, in fact around 9% of the total project cost is estimated as the actual cost of rework. However, when AR tools will be available to the construction workers, it can reduce the need for reworked areas that don’t match the plans.
VR Opening New Doors for Architects and Designers
VR provides an effective planning tool. By providing a virtual environment, architects can get a better idea for space before it physically exists. They can enable them to make more informed and accurate design decisions. Moreover, it allows architects and designers to actually take one on a virtual tour of the future space; instead of presenting a 2D rendering and a model.
What’s Next?
In the future, these tools like AR & VR will be used to show prospective buyers their future home. While the construction industry has taken the great initiative by adopting new technologies, the future is dynamic with endless opportunities for those organizations embracing a non-traditional approach. This, in turn, gives them the tools which helps achieving their future milestones. Digitization is changing mostly everything, including the competitors and the barriers to entry. Construction industries are moving forward to join the digital future and stay ahead of the competition—or risk being left behind. Looking to the future, in terms of what’s next? Over the next five years, robotics will be playing a bigger role.
Thanks to these incredible tech advancements; great value is generated by optimizing efficiency and productivity – at every stage, from planning to construction.
