Leading XR AEC vendors are paving the way to the next industrial revolution, delivering new and exciting ways for companies to evolve and innovate. Immersive technologies are helping to reimagine how building, streets, and cities are designed in environments around the world.
Already, the industrial metaverse is introducing new levels of efficiency, productivity, and creativity to organizations in every facet of the architecture, engineering, and construction landscape. With the right technologies, these companies can enhance productivity, and workplace safety, while reducing waste and improving sustainability.
Today, we’re exploring some of the most impressive XR AEC vendors in the world, with this comprehensive market map.
The article provides a snapshot of the vendors featured in our Architecture, Engineering & Construction Marketplace.
- XMReality
- NVIDIA
- Varjo (Reality Cloud)
- Unity Technologies
- Epic Games
- The Glimpse Group
- Magic Leap
- FutureSightAR (Dauntless)
- Arvizio
- RealWear
- Vuzix
- Iristick
- Autodesk
- Yulio
- Immersionn
- Twinmotion
- Trimble
- GE Digital
- Make Real
- Spinview
XMReality
Focusing on the world of virtual and augmented reality assistance, XMReality produces tools that help to facilitate the transfer of knowledge in the AEC landscape. The company promises businesses an advanced solution that allows them to eliminate the need for travel, save money, and resolve complex problems at speed.
With XMReality’s software, AEC teams can collaborate instantly with immersive tools, sharing and annotating 3D digital assets. The application is available on smartphones, tablets, and desktops, as well as a range of AR smart glasses, ensuring everyone can work together seamlessly. Plus, there are built-in security and privacy protections for enterprises.
NVIDIA
Leading technology company NVIDIA has long supported AEC vendors with technologies that help them to conceptualize new ideas, mitigate hazards, and collaborate more effectively. Solutions like the NVIDIA Omniverse give companies access to comprehensive cloud streaming solutions, specially designed to support fast-paced extended reality workflows.
The firm’s XR services allow end-users, like those in the AEC industry, to leverage high-quality XR applications on various devices, enabling users to create, simulate, and share immersive assets. At the same time, the company offers a range of tools and solutions for visualization with real-time ray tracing, extended reality, and reality capture. There’s even the option to use NVIDIA technologies to create comprehensive simulations for AEC decision-making purposes.
Varjo (Reality Cloud)
Specializing in a range of extended reality solutions for all types of industries, Varjo produces headsets, smart glasses, and software that can empower the AEC landscape. Varjo’s XR-4 series of headsets are specially designed for enterprise environments, offering access to comprehensive mixed reality experiences. The company also produces the Varjo Reality Cloud.
This cloud solution helps to simplify XR software access, and minimize the amount of hardware companies need to operate immersive environments. Companies can access solutions with exceptionally low latency, high-quality visuals, and built-in security.
→ Explore Varjo (Reality Cloud)
Unity
Unity is one of the better-known XR and 3D platform developers focusing on AEC vendors, designers, and creatives around the globe. The company produces one of the most popular RT3D engines, which provides the framework for many immersive experiences and content creation. With Unity, companies can create and grow real-time 3D apps for all manner of use cases.
The firm also works directly with AEC companies on the creation of digital twins and intelligent applications for collaboration, training, and development. Plus, Unity also offers businesses access to flexible authoring workflows, for designing apps for Apple’s Vision Pro headset.
Epic Games
Though best-known for their investment in the gaming landscape, Epic Games also works closely with AEC vendors to support the industrial metaverse. The company has a partnership with Autodesk, allowing Revit users to create real-time visualizations with an interactive design platform. Plus, Epic Games is also the parent firm behind the popular RT3D Unreal Engine.
Epic Games delivers technologies that simplify the creation of immersive environments, helping designers, engineers, and construction professionals deliver innovative projects in less time. Epic Games and Unreal Engine are also part of the Metaverse Standards Forum.
The Glimpse Group
The Glimpse Group is an augmented and virtual reality platform company, comprised of various subsidiaries who offer immersive solutions to a range of industries. In the AEC landscape, the Glimpse Group works with vendors to create and showcase realistic models of projects to team members and clients, through VR and AR.
AEC professionals can use the company’s immersive platforms to visualize an area’s potential construction options, and even submit ideas for approval by regulatory bodies. With end-to-end support offered by the vendor, organizations can design solutions that adhere to a huge selection of use cases and requirements.
Magic Leap
Well-known in the enterprise extended reality landscape, Magic Leap produces flexible mixed reality headsets, designed to suit the needs of various industrial applications. The firm’s Magic Leap 2 headset can run a variety of augmented reality apps tailored to the AEC industry, to assist with optimizing design processes, and improving safety training.
Magic Leap’s technology can leverage clash detection capabilities to reduce the risk of rework, and support companies with building compelling client presentations. The headset ensures employees can maintain spatial awareness and avoid disorientation on job sites, with comprehensive passthrough.
Dauntless XR
Previously FutureSightAR, Dauntless is an XR company focusing on empowering frontline teams in AEC landscapes. The company’s product portfolio supports business leaders in creating custom experiences for real-time guidance, collaboration, and training. Solutions include Katana XR, a no-code platform for building augmented reality workflows.
There’s also the Aura solution, which ensures companies can convert existing data and documents into MR visualizations with 3D development. Dauntless also offers custom assistance and guidance to companies leveraging AR for the first time, with deployment, hardware procurement, and development support.
Arvizio
Focusing on supporting AEC vendors and frontline teams, Arvizio produces tools that guide and support employees with mixed reality and AI. The Arvizio AR Instructor solution enhances training and collaboration in an immersive environment, ideal for rapid onboarding and field workers support. The Instructor offering also includes advanced AI services for validation and work verification.
The company also specializes in creating digital twins for the AEC space. Arvizio gives businesses a comprehensive platform that allows them to bring 3D models into the digital world, and access it through a range of devices, from smartphones to headsets.
RealWear
Innovator in the industrial metaverse, RealWear produces hardware and software solutions for AEC vendors. The companies solutions include the RealWear One ecosystem, which allows companies to rapidly create intelligent and immersive workflows with minimal coding knowledge. There’s also the RealWear Cloud, for extensive XR scalability.
Plus, RealWear’s hardware solutions address a variety of industrial use cases, with thermal imaging cameras, and Navigator headsets designed for immersive collaboration and training. Companies can leverage Industrial IoT data within the RealWear landscape and access virtual assistant tools to combine the power of XR with artificial intelligence.
Vuzix
Delivering both hardware and software solutions for AEC vendors investing in extended reality, Vuzix focuses on delivering technologies that enhance the flow of work. The company’s wide range of smart glasses combine 3D content with intelligence, cameras, and integrations with collaborative platforms, like Zoom and Webex.
Alongside a selection of smart glasses, Vuzix also provides companies with numerous software solutions and accessories. The Remote Assist application offered by Vuzix helps companies to train employees, enhance real-time collaboration, and improve safety in the AEC industry. There’s even a comprehensive support service available from Vuzix for beginners.
Iristick
Specializing in the AR smart glasses space, Iristick produces dedicated wearables intended to address the needs of any industry. Their certified smart safety glasses are equipped with central cameras, an extended field of view, and powerful augmented reality applications. Headsets like the Iristick G2 Pro even include a premium barcode scanner for hands-free productivity.
Companies can also leverage solutions like the Iristick.H1, a head-mounted smart glasses solution designed for use alongside other safety equipment in the AEC space. Iristick also has its own pick-by-vision applications, digital workflow tools, video conferencing options for businesses, and a platform for enabling remote AR assistance.
Autodesk
A well-known technology vendor in the AEC industry, Autodesk produces a host of software solutions created to streamline and enhance design and development processes. For organizations investing in extended reality, Autodesk offers solutions like the Autodesk Workshop XR. This allows teams to visualize and interact with complex data with accurate depth and spatial perception.
AutoDesk also offers access to the Create VR solution for Alias, for product design and development, as well as IrisVR for project visualization. Moreover, clients wanting to design realistic assets for VRED workflows can leverage Reality Capture, a photogrammetry software for creating RT3D models of real-world objects.
Yulio
Specializing in the support of architecture and design teams, Yulio produces simple but powerful VR solutions for the AEC industry. The company’s immersive platform supports organizations in creating enhanced VR and AR experiences, for presentations, walkthroughs and more. Using cube maps and 360-degree photos, businesses can build comprehensive digital twins.
Additionally, Yulio allows users to add depth to VR projects with hotspot tools, images, audio, and text. Plus, solutions can be presented through a number of headsets and digital devices. Yulio’s technology also supports cloud rendering from tools like Revit, CET and Sketchup.
Immersionn
Web 3.0 and metaverse company, Immersionn, transforms flat 2D assets into 3D virtual worlds for businesses in the AEC space. The brand’s world-building services allow companies to create completely customizable virtual experiences, ideal for showcasing blueprints and building designs in a more immersive format.
The company’s platform also comes with an environment where team members can keep track of multimedia content and push new streams into their immersive worlds, whenever they choose. There’s also an option to integrate analytical tools into the platform.
Twinmotion
Twinmotion is a real-time visualization tool that empowers companies to create high-quality real-time simulations for architecture, consumer products, and more. The system works with a range of popular software solutions, ranging from Revit to SketchUp Pro and Vectorworks, ensuring teams can consolidate all of their technology in one place.
Plus, the drag-and-drop design tools ensure teams can build immersive environments with a highly flexible library of assets, without having to invest in complex coding processes. Twinmotion supports one-click source data syncing, for on-the-move integration with various major CAD, BIM, and other modelling products in AEC.
Trimble
Trimble empowers AEC vendors and other companies across the globe to bridge the gaps between real-world and visual assets. The company’s extended reality solutions include offerings for mixed reality and augmented reality, designed to improve safety and productivity in any workplace. The organization even offers intelligent cloud services for AEC companies.
Trimble works alongside companies like Microsoft, to build accessories for leading MR devices, such as the XR10. The company is also responsible for the FieldLink MR software, a scanning solution that empowers companies to increase precision and productivity in the field.
GE Digital
A subsidiary of General Electric, GE Digital focuses on delivering software that empowers companies in the energy and AEC landscapes. The company is responsible for solutions like GridOS, the world’s first grid software portfolio for grid orchestration. The organization also produces a range of intelligent software systems for manufacturing and automotive development.
The firm supplies various tools to help firms manage mission-critical data, including Asset Performance Management (APM) and Manufacturing Execution System (MES). Additionally, the firm allows enterprise end-users of its IIoT framework to leverage digital twins.
Make Real
Immersive technology vendor Make Real helps companies in various industries develop virtual worlds for training, productivity, and collaboration. The organization’s technologies ensure AEC vendors can build highly engaging simulations of real-world environments, with digital twins and custom assets, to help improve safety and performance.
The Make Real team has already produced numerous learning modules for companies for various industries, including slinger-signaller guides for construction experts and end-point assessment courses. Make Real also provides businesses XR strategy tools, including a narrative logic engine, gesture input control system, and AR construction planning and rehearsal tools.
Spinview
Spinview is a company that aims to transform building management with the use of intuitive digital twins. The company’s AI-powered platform allows AEC vendors to access a comprehensive environment for building VQmodels based on existing data, documents, and designs. With the full VQEcosystem, organizations can access modelling tools, visualization intelligence, and comprehensive analytical and reporting tools.
Finally, companies can leverage the VQInsights ecosystem to monitor team progress, track important metrics, and leverage real-time updates on employee performance. Spinview also promises companies comprehensive privacy and security tools, for end-to-end compliance.
