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

增强现实（AR）是一种将计算机生成的图像叠加在用户对现实世界的看法上的技术。显示器可以由不同的设备组成：护目镜、显示器、屏幕、沉浸式洞穴、平板电脑等。虚拟内容被叠加到现实世界中，以实现将在下一节中描述的各种目标。为了使AR有用，虚拟内容必须与它所叠加的现实世界很好地保持一致。虚拟内容也应该能够被真实内容遮挡。理想情况下，AR应该是交互式的，并且是实时运行的，这意味着由相机捕获的真实世界和虚拟组件应该在用户显示设备上实时对齐、渲染和显示，给人的印象是虚拟元素实际上是物理世界的一部分。本项目建议研究开发一个增强现实框架，用于监测土木工程中的结构。感兴趣的结构可以是现有的结构或正在建造的结构，可以是可见的结构（如建筑物等）或隐藏的结构（如地下管道，墙内电缆等）。该框架将用于各种应用，包括：i)施工现场监控（将3D建筑模型与实际建筑进行比较，从而识别差异或工作延误）；ii)物理对象的识别和查询（通过“点击”一个对象，AR系统将显示其属性）；Iii)展示隐藏物品（例如墙后的电缆或螺柱、地下管道）；iv)通过在物理世界中的3D位置显示2D图纸，从而促进2D图纸的解释；V)取得建筑工程的“竣工”模型，以供日后参考；vi)显示3D维护说明。

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.