Titolo della tesi: XR - Extended Reality Technologies in Architectural Design: An Interactive-Platform Framework for Collaborative Design
It is not so far away when the theory of disruptive innovation and the emergence of new breakthrough technologies which have simpler, cheaper, and higher performance like Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, Big Data, Cloud Computing, Additive Manufacturing, Blockchain, etc., radically change all sectors included Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC). Exponential changes are happening at a dramatic speed around us. Previous industrial revolutions liberated humankind from animal power, made mass production possible and brought digital capabilities to billions of people. The last Industrial revolution is characterized by a range of new technologies that are fusing the physical, digital and biological worlds, impacting all disciplines, especially economics and industries. The main goal of this research is to design and develop an “Interactive Platform” between BIM and eXtended Reality – XR – Technologies: Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR). This research argues that these technologies can be considered as means to bridge the gap between construction process and design process as well as creativity and design. It states that the XR applications are not limited to the projection of the models’ exterior surfaces as it was in the first-generation, but the second generation of eXtended Reality (XR 2.0) can simulate in real-time physical phenomena and behaviors inside the models as well. One of the main attributes of eXtended technologies is that it can be considered as a medium that allows people with different skills and expertise to deal with a common problem, and thus, it enables a real “Collaborative Design” and facilitate “Idea Exchanging”. On the other hand, this technology is very well intertwined and related to the new design process paradigms: Collaborative Design, and Pro-Active Design. In this sense, every actor involved may have its own role and responsibility to aim the final goal of the project. XR technologies affect the pro-active design process in terms of suggestions offered by the experts involved in the projects in advance. The virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality technologies continue to gain more and more attraction in consumer gadgets and software as well. Although, many leading-edge AEC firms and also tech start-ups are investing heavily in VR and AR, the construction industry as a whole has remained laggard behind the curve when it comes to tech adoption. Much of this failure can likely be attributed to a general lack of awareness and understanding. VR is proving to be an effective planning and rendering tool in architectural design. By providing an immersive, virtual environment, architects can get a better sense for a space before it physically exists, enabling them to make more informed and accurate design decisions. Moreover, it allows firms to make a more convincing case when making a bid for a new project. The point is, as the overall level of demand and complexity in modern building design continues to increase, embracing XR, will be the key if the construction sector wants to get advance. AR like VR also has ascending impact on the architecture engineering sector as the technology is collaborate with the other emerging technologies. Real-Time training education, worker safety and controlling could guide inexperienced users through complex construction operations. The continued evolution and integration of these and other technologies will yield systems that improve both the efficiency and the quality of building construction, maintenance, and renovation.
This thesis is composed of 5 parts and 11 chapters which each part encompasses 1 to 3 chapters related to the main focus of that part.
In Part One, as an initiating part, the structure and the logic behind this research is explained. It clarifies the problems caused by the emergence of advanced technologies in the field of architecture, and the necessity of grounding this research – to step forward in order to “Improve the Architectural Design” – stated. It puts on the table the research motivation, objectives, methodologies, and the conceptual framework.
In Part Two, the State-of-the-art and in-depth literature review on Architectural Technology and Collaborative Design carried on. This part sheds light on the New Design Paradigms compared to the traditional principals of design and influenced by the technology advancements. It underlines the BIM chapter as it is considered as a means for further development of an interface linked to XR in this research. Disruptive Technology Trends in 2020, and the digital transformation leading to “Status quo” in Industry highlighted in this part. Finally, the gaps identified in the domain of literature review distinguished in order to set the research problems and structure the methodology of research.
In Part Three, the eXtended Reality (XR) Technology as a disruptor in architecture field – as well as other industry sectors – opened up to be investigated in various sections. XR technology types, XR User Interface (UI) and XR User Experience (UX) are explained separately and the samples of XR labs in Universities and Industry as well as the wide span of XR technical specifications questioned. XR 2.0 versus XR 1.0 (previous generation) is defined with its new futures and characteristics too. This part also, points out to the impact of XR technology on Education and Market in architecture sector.
In Part Four, the experiment of practicing the XR-BIM Interface based on the collaboration of Autodesk© Revit Software and IrisVR Prospect as an XR Platforms have been studied with a corresponding case study to set up the proposed interactive-platform framework for collaborative design.
In Part Five, as the closing part, the framework of XR-BIM interactive-platform offered, and the final considerations discussed. The suggestions for future works on the application of XR technology alongside with other disruptive technologies underlined. In the appendix chapter, beside the list of publications, XR events attended and glossary, the three papers published during the Ph.D. life period have been enclosed.
Keywords: Architectural Design, Extended Reality Technologies, Interactive Platforms, Collaborative Design, BIM