Virtual Reality Technology Used in Civil Engineering.

Virtual reality refers to computer-generated environments or realities that are designed to simulate a person’s physical presence in a specific environment that is designed to feel real. The purpose of VR is to allow a person to experience and manipulate the environment as if it were the real world. 

Virtual reality can be divided into:

• The simulation of a real environment for training and education.
• The development of an imagined environment for a game or interactive story.

The use of virtual reality techniques in the development of educational applications brings new perspectives to the teaching of subjects related to the field of civil construction. In order to obtain models, which would be able to visually simulate the construction process of two types of construction work, the research turned to the techniques of geometric modeling and virtual reality. The applications developed for this purpose are concerned with the construction of a cavity wall and a bridge. These models make it possible to view the physical evolution of the work, to follow the planned construction sequence and to visualize details of the form of every component of the works. They also support the study of the type and method of operation of the equipment necessary for these construction procedures. These models have been used to distinct advantage as educational aids in first-degree courses in Civil Engineering.

How does Virtual Reality shape our engineering software?

What does Virtual Reality (VR) have in common with civil engineering? It turns out the similarities are many. Civil engineers need to review CAD drawings and paper plan sheets and visualize in their mind what their engineering project entails. They work with 3D elevation data to create terrain models that can be used in their engineering work, but generally only view the terrain using 2D contour lines. By blending together VR with civil engineering software, the engineer can enjoy a more immersive real-time experience, viewing and editing the engineering project in 3D space.

How virtual reality can help construction thrive ?

The construction industry is incredibly complex, requiring thousands of carefully organized moving parts to be successful. From working with multiple stakeholders to coordinating with suppliers and construction teams, the industry has its own challenges, difficulties, and inefficiencies. Virtual reality (VR) technology can be a powerful tool to address many of these pain points across all aspects of a project.

The architecture community has been relatively quick to adopt virtual reality. In the early stages of a project, VR allows architects to quickly and easily understand how a building will look and feel so they can evaluate design options and create better spaces. This also allows architects to better communicate with their clients.

VR’s communication benefits lend themselves perfectly to the construction industry. Contractors can better understand the overall vision and space, and identify any project dependencies or hurdles upfront.

Though VR technology is still relatively young, many firms across the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry are reaping the benefits of virtual reality walkthroughs, and industry experts expect adoption to increase exponentially in the next few years. Getting started with virtual reality is a simple process. There are two head-mounted display (HMD) options for fully immersive, desktop VR on the market: the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. Both are similarly priced, have comparable functions and capabilities, and operate when plugged into a powerful computer.

In the future, as virtual reality technology advances, it will become wireless and more lightweight, making it easier to transport, set up, and use in the field. Additionally, new features such as fully immersive, multi-user VR will enable multiple individuals in different locations to enter the same model in VR together. This technology will connect users by voice audio and their shared virtual environment, expanding on the concept of in-person meetings and streamlining both design and communication processes.