DPR Construction tries to resist being driven by the technology of the moment, says Chris Torres, the firm’s Technology Integration Manager.
But there are times, he admits, when attention must be paid. That happened last November, when Torres got his first glimpse of Indoor Reality, a backpack with a built-in laser scanner that its creators claim can scan 200,000 sf in just eight hours—roughly 30 times faster than stationary scanners.
The product—one of several similar backpacks on the market—goes wherever the user roams, using cellphone-based indoor GPS as its guide. The manufacturer claims the unit can help project teams generate Revit models three times faster than traditional point cloud methods.
Indoor Reality’s $100,000 price tag might be prohibitive for some AEC firms, but Torres says the supplier also showed a hand-held version that goes for around $15,000.
The reality capture world is replete with new products; so many, in fact, that it’s a wonder buyers can keep up with the releases. Here are a few new products and platforms that caught our eye:
- RTK and PPK. These are acronyms for real-time kinematic and post-processing kinematic GPS sensors. They are part of systems that provide accurate camera locations when using drones for mapping. They reduce the need for surveyed ground control to produce accurate digital terrain models and orthophotos from photogrammetry. PPK doesn’t require a radio link. Accuracies of 25 mm (XY coordinate) and 50 mm (Z coordinate) are achievable.
- A host of hand-held laser scanners has been making its way onto the market. One that’s been getting attention from AEC experts is Leico Geosystems’ BLK 360 scanner. Size: 6.5 inches by 4 inches. Weight: 2.2 pounds. It is capable of 360-degree spherical imaging, thermal imaging, and full 360-degree reality capture in less than three minutes. Price: under $16,000.
- SLAM, which stands for simultaneous localization and mapping, lets construction workers walk through a project site and map it in extreme detail in minutes. SLAM scans in real time and doesn’t require GPS. One company in this arena, GeoSLAM, recently launched Desktop V3, which incorporates a 2D and 3D viewer so registered point clouds can be viewed without moving to third-party software.
- Product tie-ins are the rage these days. Enscape, which provides visualization software for architects, just released a real-time rendering plug-in for Revit. Early adopters include Kohn Pedersen Fox and Foster+Partners. “What’s important,” says Thomas Schander, Enscape’s CEO, “is that now you don’t need to be a rendering expert to create stunning presentations.”
Related Stories
| Nov 11, 2011
Streamline Design-build with BIM
How construction manager Barton Malow utilized BIM and design-build to deliver a quick turnaround for Georgia Tech’s new practice facility.
| Oct 24, 2011
Kolbe adds 3-D models of direct set windows to BIM library?
Beveled Direct Set SketchUp and Revit Models available.
| Oct 14, 2011
BD+C Survey on Building Information Modeling: The Good, the Bad, and the Solutions
In a recent survey conducted by Building Design+Construction, more than 75% of respondents indicated they currently use BIM or plan to use it. Respondents were also asked to comment on their experiences with BIM, what they liked and disliked about BIM, and what BIM-related advice they would give to their peers.
| Oct 12, 2011
BIM Clarification and Codification in a Louisiana Sports Museum
The Louisiana State Sports Hall of Fame celebrates the sporting past, but it took innovative 3D planning and coordination of the future to deliver its contemporary design.
| Oct 5, 2011
GREENBUILD 2011: Johnson Controls announces Panoptix, a new approach to building efficiency
Panoptix combines latest technology, new business model and industry-leading expertise to make building efficiency easier and more accessible to a broader market.
| Oct 5, 2011
GREENBUILD 2011: Software an architectural game changer
Interactive modeling software transforms the designbuild process.