How does it work?
Scranton says the IrisVR software system was designed to
be user-friendly for everyone, including people who aren’t
overly familiar with the technology.
A user can upload virtually any kind of 3D design file,
including Navisworks or Revit files, to a cloud-based server
where it is converted for use with a VR headset. It can then
be shared with any number of colleagues or clients regardless
of where they may be located. Users can choose to use a
standalone VR headset (which cost about USD$400) or one
linked to a personal computer for a premium experience.
Once the user is connected to the IrisVR system, they
become completely immersed in a building’s design. They
can literally walk anywhere within it and view it from multiple
angles.
Scranton says one of the system’s biggest benefits for
construction clients is that it allows them to catch errors
earlier in the design process and correct them much sooner
and cheaper.
“You’re not doing it on a job site that way, you’re doing it
when you’re in the office or in your home office. You’re able
to make changes earlier in the process so that things don’t
pop up later and cost you a lot more,” he said.
Another advantage of the IrisVR system is that it helps
promote collaboration between company staff, other construction
firms and various trades. Regardless of where
they may be physically located, every stakeholder tours the
virtual building site at the same time and can communicate
TECHNOLOGY
with each other in real-time thanks to a built-in voicechat
feature. The system also allows users to delineate
workflows and mark up any proposed changes to a building
plan, which Scranton says is ideal during the current
pandemic when many people are working from home or
remote locations.
The IrisVR system is already used by a number of
Canadian construction companies including SNC-Lavalin
and Exergy Consultants. One of the advantages of the system
when it comes to deep foundation or piling work, according
to Scranton, is that it allows companies to provide site-specific
training to workers before they ever set foot on a job and
thereby increase worker safety.
“You can put on a headset from the safety of your home
or office, and using our technology, you can essentially walk
through a project site and walk through any kind of sequence
that would have to be done on-site. And by the time someone
who is an operator or in maintenance shows up to the
project, they are much more situated about what they need
to do, how to do it and what the safety requirements are
around a project,” he said.
What a difference
While IrisVR’s core customers are in the AEC and oil and
gas sectors, its system is also in use in several other industries:
defence, aerospace, automotive and manufacturing.
Scranton says what differentiates it from other similar systems
is that its enterprise grade thanks to the company’s early
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