While almost every industry can benefit from access to immersive XR experiences, few sectors are seeing quite the same benefits as the construction landscape. For those in the construction space, XR has unlimited opportunities to inspire speed and creativity.
With a VR environment, teams can come together to build complex blueprints in a digital environment, without having to worry about wasting resources or getting staff together in person. AR and MR solutions can allow for rapid approvals, auditing, and supervision of construction projects, as well as strengthening the overall collaborative experience.
While countless innovators in the XR environment have begun to explore new opportunities in construction, some companies are making particularly interesting strides in this space. Here are some innovators worth checking out in 2022.
Realwear
Probably one of the biggest companies in the XR environment for construction brands today, Realwear promises a rugged, durable, and industry-ready immersive experience. High-strength wearable solutions created by Realwear ensure construction innovators can access all of the immersive content and collaborative abilities they need, without worrying about damaged tools.
Hands-free, ruggedized, and built with a focus on extending the computing “Edge”, Realwear tools are leading the market for industrial-strength extended reality. With these tools, companies have the power to deliver remote expert guidance to professionals on the move, and ensure teams always have access to the information and documents they need.
Realwear even makes it easy to access real-time data when operating, maintaining, and inspecting equipment in the construction space.
Microsoft
Bringing perhaps the most exciting mixed reality experiences into the construction landscape, Microsoft is changing the way teams work together on building and discovering new ideas. The company has already worked with leading brands like Ford to transform the way cars and futuristic machinery can be designed for the modern world.
Through the Microsoft HoloLens 2 landscape, companies can connect their team members like never before, offering access to holographic interactions, and virtual twins of products and buildings. Microsoft’s technology is empowering countless next-generation companies in manufacturing, construction, and engineering, to help them accelerate their path to market.
The Microsoft ecosystem even produces HoloLens headsets specifically created to endure the unpredictable landscapes in the construction industry.
Sia Partners
Inspiring a new generation of construction companies, Sia Partners is a forward-thinking management consulting firm offering a unique blend of design and AI capabilities. Taking traditional consulting solutions to the next level, Sia Partners shows companies how they can leverage some of the most inspiring and innovative new tools on the market.
Ideal for companies looking to evolve beyond the challenges imposed by the pandemic over the last couple of years, Sia Partners concentrates on finding new ways to empower future businesses through intelligent and immersive tools.
The company is already helping countless companies to unlock new levels of performance and efficiency with XR hardware and software.
HTC VIVE
Another market leader in the development of XR devices for the construction landscape, HTC VIVE works alongside brands in a wide variety of different industries and environments, including the construction sector. HTC VIVE headsets provide companies with an immersive and flexible environment, perfect for bringing teams together for collaboration.
In a world like construction, where countless experts may need to come together at any given time to discuss the different components of an upcoming project, HTC VIVE can provide an alternative to expensive and time-consuming travel.
With an enterprise-grade headset, anyone can join the conversation in the construction environment, and interact with powerful 3D representations of important models.
Unity
Quickly emerging as one of the most valuable companies in the XR landscape, Unity is the brand powering the creation of software-based virtual and augmented reality experiences. The Unity Reflect ecosystem is specifically built for those in the Engineering, Construction, and architecture landscape.
With Unity Reflect, companies can connect stakeholders and BIM data through every stage of the construction lifecycle in a fully immersive and collaborative platform. Companies can also access a range of bonus tools, like the Unity Industry Collection where you can import and optimize all kinds of 3D data in the Unity environment.
With Unity, business leaders in the construction space can design and share a range of mixed and augmented reality experiences too, allowing for better real-time guidance on the job.
Magic Leap
Focused exclusively on the enterprise environment, Magic Leap has introduced a new era of AR innovation to the XR space. The latest hardware creation from the company (the Magic Leap 2) delivers industry-leading optics for powerful image quality for construction professionals on the move. The lightweight headset is perfect for people who need to be able to move around freely in a range of environments.
Magic Leap has already successfully worked alongside a range of construction and architectural companies to empower professionals with access to all the collaborative support and information they need to excel in their roles.
With a user-friendly approach to XR technology, Magic Leap is introducing a more accessible route to the future of design, construction, and collaboration.
Varjo
Another dedicated enterprise-first company in the XR environment, Varjo builds XR devices for some of the most demanding industries in the world, including the AEC, design, and construction sectors. The company has worked alongside a variety of companies to help transform the way they deliver training and collaborative experiences.
Through powerful Varjo headsets, team members can come together to explore designs, innovate, and come up with new ideas in an instant. The Varjo environment can integrate with leading tools form the construction industry, and make it easier to explore complex ideas in an immersive 3D environment.
Varjo’s constructure, architecture, and engineering solutions help to eliminate the cost of physical mock-ups, and reduce costs and emissions for modern brands, without compromising on productivity and performance.
