1
Using 3D Technology to Architect Communities
Carrie Sturts DossickIn World: Anne Anderson and Helen Juan
S k a n s k a U S A B u i l d i n g • U n i v e r s i t y o f W a s h i n g t o n • V i r g i n i a T e c h
2
NEED TO SHARE VISUALIZATIONSConstruction is heavily reliant on visual media for communication.Distributed teams are challenged with finding an effective way to coordinate construction over distance, mediated by technology.
3
Problem statement - example #1
July 27, 2012Grand Staircase Coordination
VDC Manager on the phone with a superintendent (after several
minutes of conversation): “Oh, you are talking about the thickness!”
4
Problem statement - example #2
July 27, 2012Floor Trench Coordination
[PE is sharing his desktop with VDC Manager via screen-sharing]PE (in Everett): “…right here.”VDC Manager (in Seattle): “I can’t see what you are pointing at if
you are pointing.”
5
Partnership Development
CIRC 2011: CyberGRID Experiments
Skanska/UW/VT Innovation Award
Sococo/CyberGRID Use
SecondLife/CyberGRID Demo Development
NSF Studies2010 - 2013
6
Study description
FIVE participants– Skanska employees– Working on Boeing EDC
7
Study description
THREE collaboration technologies– Sococo (2D)
– CyberGRID (3D)
– Second Life (3D)
Phase I: Sococo
• Voice
• Text chat
• Screen sharing
• Video conferencing
• Avatar icons
July-August 2012
Phase I: Sococo
July-August 2012
Easy to use, share screensSupported existing workflow processesPassive viewing of models from shared screen
• Voice
• Text chat
• Team Walls (screen sharing and white board)
• Thought bubbles
• C-mail
• File Repository
• Building Model Imports
• Avatar location and position
Phase II: The CyberGRID (Unity)
December 2012
Current EDC import – July 2013
Phase II: The CyberGRID
Early EDC imports – December 2012
First-person perspective and independenceAbility to use translated Revit model
Inability to gestureTime consuming to insert colliders
Phase II: The CyberGRID
Current EDC import – July 2013
Phase III: Second Life
April 2013 CIRC Expo
• Voice
• Text chat
• Screen sharing
• Avatar location and position
14
SecondLife (CM + iSchool – 2B3D)
Photo Credit: Helen Juan
Phase III: Second Life
April 2013 CIRC Expo
First-person perspective and independenceGestures and emotion abilitiesManipulated space/features/object in real-time
Rebuilt in Second Life to take advantage of featuresNeeded to rent virtual space to host building
Potential for persistent space: virtual war room, design phase, leasing phase
16
Key Takeaways
Photo Credit: Helen Juan
Copresence: “being there together”
Teams who are able to self-navigate a BIM in the same interactional space may be able to communicate ideas more efficiently and effectively using avatar location/position.
Skanska’s firewall requires working with IT to open ports before attempting to launch new technologies
Bandwidth/connectivity at jobsite trailers may hinder use of some technologies
Difficult for the PEs to be in the virtual world and the physical world at the same time
