Technology is advancing by leaps and bounds, and provides the opportunity for engineering professionals to take advantage of the benefits it brings to projects. Among these new technologies is virtual reality (VR), which initially entered the market for entertainment purposes, like video games and virtual immersive experiences.
When presenting engineering projects, the goal is always to communicate effectively. By experiencing an engineering project in VR, the viewer can visualize the construction details and engineering works and understand not only the projected elements but also the current conditions of the area. Generally, VR presentations make use of federated models, meaning they include all disciplines: civil (roads, retaining work, bridges, gutters), mechanical (mechanical equipment), structural (steel structures) and urban furniture (traffic signs, trees, objects). For realism, the landscape is created using orthomosaics obtained by drones. In the end, the more detailed the 3D model, the more the immersive experience will affect the viewer.
The Prospect VR application offers important tools, like identifying dimensions, making annotations, inserting comments and taking photographs. It is compatible with well-known and widely used design programs such as Revit, InfraWorks, Bentley and Civil 3D, and its files can be exported into universal formats like OBJ and FBX. The software is fully compatible with Meta Oculus V2 or later versions of VR headsets. The best way to visualize the information or experience it is by using a computer with good hardware specifications connected to the VR headset via a cable. This way, the computer acts as the graphics processor and the headset serves as the display, preventing visualization issues or lag.
This tool has been relevant not only for clients, but also helps our designers and operators find and measure faults or construction problems that are not perceived in other forms of modelling.
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