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Implementing Augmented Reality for the Holographic Assembly of a Modular Shading Device
... Additionally, the application provides instructional videos to guide assembling rebars. Another two AR use cases facilitate the assembly of some complex architectural building components, such as sun shading and tessellated structures [11,54]. AR can guide the user to assemble the structure step by step and show the spatial relationship between each assembly part. ...
... Only one paper proposed the prototype using Google Glass [52]. While wearing HMDs, users could use their hands to assemble physical building components [54] or operate heavy equipment virtually via a controller [50]. Users can move freely due to the wireless solution provided by Microsoft HoloLens [24]. ...
... In Khalek et al. [47], participants without maintenance experience performed well using AR in identifying maintainability issues from design models. Kontovourkis et al. [54] presented similar findings that AR enabled less experienced workers to assemble windows quickly and accurately. As for the construction site transportation planning, AR allows participants to observe virtual trucks' movement directly. ...
Augmented reality (AR) has been extensively researched for its applications in the construction industry. However, there is limited focus on its effects on productivity. This paper aims to bridge the gap by using a systematic literature review to investigate AR applications in the planning, design, and construction phases, focusing on their mechanisms for enhancing productivity. The paper classifies AR applications by their target construction tasks, features, and factors contributing to improved productivity. Additionally, it proposes a framework for prototyping AR applications and evaluating their effects on productivity. Key findings reveal several contributions: the need for further investigation of AR for positioning and hazard notification tasks; the utilisation of different augmentation methods, display tools, and tracking methods based on specific construction tasks; AR's positive impact on productivity in design review, discrepancy check, assembly, and hazard notification , while future research on evaluating productivity in progress management, planning simulation, and positioning.
... Utilized technological attributes: Fologram, according to Kontovourkis et al., enables interaction in the real world by augmenting, superimposing digital results and the digital information that goes with them [10]. Furthermore, this SDK allows the development and control of parametric structures. ...
... The SDK's opportunities include the simple ability to assemble sophisticated holographic structures. Construction costs and time are cut out [10]. It provides designers with an easy approach to control the robotics for the creation of manual-unachievable materials through AR, even if they lack specialized computer or programming experience [11]. ...
... The SDK has a few shortcomings, one of which is that users frequently have to rotate their heads to see all of a visual object in front of them. When live streaming or video recording takes place, there is an error in the way that virtual objects and the real world are superimposed [10]. Holograms and real-time alteration is delayed by a bad internet (Wifi) connection. ...
Technology is employed in the fields of architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) for characteristics like producing visual representations and offering assistance during the building phase. Both users and creators of these tools are able to immediately take advantage of the technology's potential as well as create a variety of workarounds for its drawbacks. Both viewpoints will be looked at in this study with regard to mobile extended reality SDKs (software development kit). By excluding the articles that did not provide the relevant information, this research concentrates solely on the papers that discuss the technological aspects of the SDK that were used, the opportunities the SDK offers, and/or the flaws of the SDK. The study's main objective is to compare the technological contributions made by the SDKs employed in the scope of the examined literature to the AEC disciplines and to the contexts in which such contributions are made. Through applications in literature research, the study aims to highlight the contributions of mobile extended reality SDKs to the fields of architecture, engineering, and construction. An entry-level developer can use the SDKs in accordance with his work by using the comparison diagrams, produced in this study, to see the relationships and comparisons between them, as well as to build a framework for what uses should be made in which domains. The technological capabilities and constraints of SDKs have an impact on how research is designed. Making relationality diagrams on the SDK to use and the effects it will have throughout the research phase is also crucial. As a result of the research, SDKs permit flexible uses in a variety of sectors, and their use also financially and logistically supports literature studies.
... Previous studies looked at three AR related aspects such as: 1) standardisation, compatibility, modularity and upgradability of building elements, 2) re-using and remanufacturing, and 3) renovation, rehabilitation and conservation. Kontovourkis et al. (2019) investigates the potential implementation of AR in the assembly of a modular shading device and found that through AR usage, it is possible to improve users' assembly time performance. The study also highlights the potentials of AR use in unskilled users. ...
... Disassembly should be safe and use standardised tools, and to assist with this process, reusable connectors and fixings should be used, and the use of chemical connections minimised. Within the scope of this paper, a couple of previous studies included disassembly aspect of a non-load bearing small scale projects (Hahm, 2019, Kontovourkis et al., 2019, however neither mention the strategy in great length. Both studies consider the disassembly process is to be conducted not long after the assembly. ...
... A noticeable body of research exists presenting and validating the application of AR throughout the architectural design process [29][30][31][32]28,33,34,7,[35][36][37][38][39]18,40,41]. The design process was explored on building redesign activity with students to enhance their skills in generating, visualizing, and assessing exterior walls by proposing a retrofit design to improve its sustainable performance [37]. ...
... AR employment is still rising, which means that there is room for AR tools research and performance evaluation [27]. In AEC, AR use includes visualizing buildings on-site and rendered interiors, integrating design and as-built environments, for example [25,28]. In heritage buildings, there is also an investigation aiming at developing guidelines for their enhancement and preservation [34]. ...
This paper's goal was to develop an Augmented Reality (AR) app using a three-dimensional marker inspired by the Rubik's Cube and evaluate its performance. This is an exploration of a new approach for early stages of architectural design coupling the acquired knowledge of traditional briefing methods and contemporary technology. We considered the concept of patterns to outline geometric forms and associations using visual programming. The Design Science Research was applied to develop the study. An SDK was used in a game engine to generate the AR app. The tool's functionality was assessed by verifying the readability and precision of the reconfigurable 3D marker. The results indicated an inconsistent response. To use AR in the early stages of architectural design the system must provide consistent information and appropriate feedback. Nevertheless, we conclude that our framework sets the ground for looking deep into AR tools for briefing design.
... The cognitive support/instruction use cases leverage primarily AR technology to augment our workforce's cognitive ability by displaying instructions or providing remote guidance to our operators. These use cases often promote increased quality assurance, workforce inclusiveness and ramp-up time for new operators by providing on-the-job guidance and work instructions via an AR headset, for instance as described in paper [16,25]. Furthermore, AR technology and cognitive support functions could be used to minimize maintenance time and travel by the possibility of remote assistance from a technician or manager via an AR application, as described in the paper [17]. ...
In response to the transformation towards Industry 5.0, there is a growing call for manufacturing systems that prioritize environmental sustainability, alongside the emerging application of digital tools. Extended Reality (XR) — including Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR)—is one of the technologies identified as an enabler for Industry 5.0. XR could potentially also be a driver for more sustainable manufacturing: however, its potential environmental benefits have received limited attention. This paper aims to explore the current manufacturing applications and research within the field of XR technology connected to the environmental sustainability principle. The objectives of this paper are two-fold: (1) Identify the currently explored use cases of XR technology in literature and research, addressing environmental sustainability in manufacturing; (2) Provide guidance and references for industry and companies to use cases, toolboxes, methodologies, and workflows for implementing XR in environmental sustainable manufacturing practices. Based on the categorization of sustainability indicators, developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the authors analyzed and mapped the current literature, with criteria of pragmatic XR use cases for manufacturing. The exploration resulted in a mapping of the current applications and use cases of XR technology within manufacturing that has the potential to drive environmental sustainability. The results are presented as stated use-cases with reference to the literature, contributing as guidance and inspiration for future researchers or implementations in industry, using XR as a driver for environmental sustainability. Furthermore, the authors open up the discussion for future work and research to increase the attention of XR as a driver for environmental sustainability.
... The cognitive support/instruction use cases leverage primarily AR technology to augment our workforce's cognitive ability by displaying instructions or providing remote guidance to our operators. These use cases often promote increased quality assurance, workforce inclusiveness and ramp-up time for new operators by providing on-the-job guidance and work instructions via an AR headset, for instance as described in paper [25] and [16]. Furthermore, AR technology and cognitive support functions could be used to minimize maintenance time and travel by the possibility of remote assistance from a technician or manager via an AR application, as described in paper [17]. ...
Although modern software has paved the way for architects to design complex forms, such as free-forms, construction remains challenging, costly, and time-consuming which requires skilled workers. Advanced digital fabrication technologies can offer new ways to fill the gap between design and construction. Augmented Reality (AR) technology is one such technology that has many potentials in various fields, however, its capabilities are not sufficiently explored yet, especially in the field of digital fabrication. This study presents a new affordable interactive multi-marker augmented reality tool for constructing free-form modular surfaces implemented by integrating common accessible devices. The proposed tool consists of two digital cameras, a head-mounted display, a processor, and two markers that enable the user to virtually see the accurate location of any proposed object in the real world. A controlling subsystem was also designed to enhance the accuracy of construction. Method efficiency was studied in five full-scale prototypes. The results showed that the majority of errors (91%) were less than 6 mm, and 2° for lateral placements and orientation errors.
Architectural design is developed in conjunction with technological innovations. These developments are not merely informed by new tools and techniques of production, but also by technologies of representation and dissemination (Carpo 2001). The last decade has seen a marked increase in both realms: parametric design, CAAD (Computer Aided Architectural Design) and CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) on one side, and networked mobile visualizations on the other (augmented reality, smart phones, Microsoft’s Kinect technology, Web 2.0, etc.). In this paper we utilize a combination of these technologies to explore the design potential of using robotic fabrication tools in conjunction with a specially developed low-cost augmented reality system. We propose and implement a work-flow in which forms are (1) generated using skeleton- tracking and human gesture, (2) visualized, explored and modified in 3D first-person- view in situ with a head-tracked seethrough augmented reality headset, and (3) fabricated in position using a robotic manipulator. We will discuss the communication protocol behind several variations of this procedure and their architectural implications upon design scale, on-site design, and the modular.
With the increase of research experiments engaging the potential uses of industrial robotics in architecture, it becomes necessary to categorize the components of these exercises within a number of directions and motivations which can be related to the field, and to their larger consequences within the architectural discipline. In this chapter we present a number of approaches to robotic design/fabrication exercises that deal with information, interactivity, and material dynamics. We outline the concept of 'informed operator' fabrication, in which computer numerical control (CNC) is used as a means for providing information to the operator in addition to the conventional use of providing instructions to the machine. Building upon this, the concepts of embodied computation and augmented materiality are discussed within the context of robotic manipulation. Embodied computation is introduced as enabling a protraction of the design/fabrication sequence beyond the scope of digitally controlled tools, such that robotic or human actions trigger ongoing material responses. Augmented materiality is presented as the human occupation and influence upon this "material in the loop" procedure, as enabled through interactive and digitally mediated interfaces.