As a bit of a tech geek, I was pretty excited to get my hands on Google Glass for the first time. As probably the most well-known of wearable technology that hasn't even been put on general sale (properly) yet we like new toys, Google Glass is essentially a voice and touchpad controlled computer in front of your eye with internet connectivity, cameras, accelerometers, gyroscopes, sensors and a teleporter (that last one may be a lie!). Chatting to a company called 3Squared who do software consultancy for construction firms amongst others, based just a few hundred meters from Autodesk's Sheffield office in the UK, a plan came together to try and link this very portable technology with BIM 360 Field, our construction management application to get information out to, and back from workers on site, whether that be issues, tasks, drawings, models or commissioning data.
Now we are aware that Google Glass isn't in its current state the perfect device for the construction site, there are obvious health and safety and connectivity issues to think about but it is indicative of the sort of technology that many people including me think will be common place in the next 5/10 years. Whether this is through safety protected glasses, watches, or gloves, information on site to workers who want to work hands free is surely only a matter of time.
This video shows a proof of concept of Google Glass looking through existing issues, creating new issues and updating others as shown by the web interface to Field. There's plenty of places we could take it next, but really this is just the start to show that the API can be used to connect into the BIM 360 platform backend to produce new ways at looking at, creating and harnessing this project information. We know we've only just scratched the surface and know some of you out there can take it even further!
You can learn more about how to use the BIM 360 API's at the 360 View blog. Your best route to using the API's however is to join the Autodesk Developer Network (ADN) which gives you access to our experts, community and software for the purpose of creating apps that help your business, or be a springboard for a whole new business of your own!
If you want to know more about the prototype, have ideas of what else it could be used for, or you are looking at other wearable technology for the construction site, please do contact me on [email protected] or 3Squared at [email protected]
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As a pipe fitter who has a background in mathematics and physics with a passion for Ai, VR/AR, and applied torch; I have been saying for years that Google Glass, 3D CAD, and robot Layout are the future. I have been so perplexed that no one has incorporated the three where large scale jobs could Literally be walked by office personnel and site management with an augmented view of what the finished product will actually look like in real time.
Posted by: Zack M | 06/10/2018 at 07:36 PM