BEAM-SCE: Building an environment for augmented reality monitoring of structures in civil engineering

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Augmented Reality (AR) is a technology that superimposes a computer-generated image on a user's view of the real world. The display can consist of different devices: goggles, monitors, screens, immersive CAVEs, tablets, etc. The virtual content is superimposed to the real world in order to achieve a variety of goals to be described in the next sections. For AR to be useful, the virtual content must be well aligned with the real world on which it is superimposed. Virtual content should also be such that it can occluded by real content. Ideally, AR should be interactive and run in real-time, meaning that the real world captured by a camera and the virtual components should be aligned, rendered and displayed in real-time on the user display device giving the impression that the virtual elements are actually part of the physical world. This project proposes research for developing an Augmented Reality Framework for monitoring structures in civil engineering. The structures of interest may be existing structures or structures under construction and may consists of visible structures (e.g. buildings, etc.) or hidden structures (e.g. underground pipes, cable inside walls, etc.). The framework will be used for a variety of applications, including: i) construction site monitoring (comparing the 3D construction model with the actual building, enabling the identification of discrepancies or work delays); ii) identification and query of physical objects (by "clicking" on an object, the AR system would display its attributes); iii) displaying hidden objects (e.g. cables or studs behind walls, underground pipes); iv) facilitating 2D drawings interpretation by displaying them at their 3D position in the physical world; v) obtain an "as- built" model of the construction work for future reference; vi) displaying 3D maintenance instructions.