From entertainment and photography to product development and retail: modern technological advancements influence nearly all industries.
Integrating these technologies into architecture and engineering services makes it possible to improve nearly every aspect of consumer experience, including the speed of communication and delivery, quality of presentation, design, and building research.
These nine applied technologies can be integrated for producing high-quality designs with the added value for the clients.
Virtual Reality
Virtual Reality (VR) is an artificial experience created by a computer. Wearing a headset, one can immerse themselves in an entirely modeled environment. It feels like it’s real.
Augmented Reality
VR is usually used for educational and entertainment purposes but can also be utilized for design. For example, VR can be used for architectural presentations to show the clients the projects they offer. Putting on a headset and thinking the design through, the clients will decide whether to approve it or not.
In the case of Augmented Reality (AR), it seems that the virtual and real worlds co-exist. AR projects pre-designed elements including CGI and sounds onto a real environment: usually using a camera on a smartphone or tablet.
Using AR, architects could project their works onto empty sites they’re working at, which will offer the clients a visual presentation of a project inside its environment even before the construction starts.
3D Printing
3D printing transforms digital files into real objects by slicing the model into thin horizontal layers and joining them together.
Using 3D printing allows for the creation of physical models of the projects offered by clients. It will give them an idea about the size, weight, and windows before the construction begins. The models are complex and detailed, so the clients can definitely visualize the design at a smaller scale.
Laser 3D Scanning
Laser 3D scanning usually captures the shape and looks of the objects or environment. They have been successfully integrated into software services that capture and send information about existing conditions.
This way the project teams can get data about the parameters such as wall and floor thickness, as well as the information about discrepancies in existing draws. This catalog allows the designers to check information before starting their work.
Drones of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
It is known that drones can take photos and videos. This way to apply technology can also be useful for designers. The drones can be utilized for the initial site inspection, especially for exploration of hard-to-reach areas and finding problems or needs in research. The data will be sent to the workers at the stage of planning and documentation development. Progression of the construction process can be captured by drones and sent to the clients. The UAVs are a choice of modern photographers for situations where the technologies and architecture are important.
3D technologies bring disruption to many of the modern industries, including architecture. The advancement of such technologies as Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality will inevitably lead to collaboration between mastodonts of these new industries, and that will bring significant changes to the world as well as our daily lives. The rapid growth and advancement that can bee seen now, really makes one look forward to the future.
