Civil Engineering Application for Virtual Collaborative Environment

Abstract The motivation for this project was to find a way to give engineers, and the community affected by Civil Engineering work, information that is often difficult to visualise via computer screens, 2D plans or even scale models. We developed a Digital Scale Model using the existing expertise at the University of Nottingham on Space Geodesy and Mixed Reality. The user works in a collaborative Virtual Environment (VE) where it is possible to share with other users, new ideas, points of view and solutions that appear in the timeline of a construction, pursuing reduction of costs and improving agility. This paper is an introduction of the project developed at the University of Nottingham and describes the concept of Digital Scale Models. Hardware, software and results will be presented and discussed . Key words: Augmented Reality, Civil Engineering, Collaborative Environment 1. Introduction Civil Engineering scenarios have been the subject of study of Augmented Reality researchers for a long time. Piekarski[8] and Feiner[3] are just a few examples of what has been developed involving the visualisation of VE in outdoor areas using AR. But due to the low-cost technology and easy access to mobile computers, most engineers are still using the scale models or 2D layouts to demonstrate the modifications that will be implemented in the area of a new construction. The investors, builders and the public affected have to use a lot of imagination to realise how the environment will look in the future. The problem with this representation is that it does not give us the sensation of being side by side with the changes. In our approach, the engineers will not only have the facility to make decisions on, for instance, the best position for the Civil Engineering project, but they will also be able to observe, analyse, share information and discuss with their team the best way to carry out the work. The users of our system are divided into two main groups: field and office users. The first refers to the person that will wear the developed system in the target area, where the project is to be (or is being) carried out. The field user will see, with the help of a see-through Head Mounted Display (HMD), the digital and real environments seamlessly. The outdoor user shares the VE with the office users thanks to a wireless network. The latter, with the help of a computer screen and a mouse, can operate the VE from their desks. The public affected by the construction is a sub-set of the field user. With only part of the equipment used by the field users, they will be able to liaise with the engineers, solving possible doubts about what will be modified and giving suggestions about the new investment.