Interactive AR-based tool for gamification of smart touristic places

Augmented Reality is a computer-generated image technology that transcends the user’sview of the real world, thereby providing complex vision, it adds to the real world digitalelements depending where the user is looking and how he is interacting with the realworld.One of the main goal is to produce an AR app in ”Biblioteca Museu Victor Balaguer”, atouristic site based in Vilanova i La Geltru (Barcelona,Spain). An AR application has beenbuilt using Android studio and Unity3D platforms evaluated and tested in the Museumgoing through many 3D modules, videos and images rendered and augmented in the realworld of the museum.Unity, which is the main platform used to build this AR app has different levels of renderingsover the real world. It varies from photos to videos rendered upon the real environmentpassing through 3D modules and animations and 360 degree scenes.AR applications canbe built on many devices other than a mobile phone. In this report we will see an implemen-tation of another application on Magic Leap glasses using the Lumin platform integratedwith Unity 3D. The output of the same Lumin application was visualized using the Oculusdevices to test the result in a virtual reality world.In this report we will take a look on some current state-of-the-art in AR, describing thework performed in many other touristic places all around the world passing by enlighteningthe main differences between their project and the project explained in this document. Al-though the AR field has entered into medical, visualization, military and other technologicalprograms, we will only touch the tourism part of the field. As any other touristic project, thisapp aims to encourage the touristic domain in some places that are not alive like it shouldbe, which will end by turning back more money and benefits than these sites were earningbefore. For that we implemented a plan and a business canvas model that explains howthese applications will make these changes.The results shows that the combination of many framework together can lead to a newkind of AR gamification. The interaction between the user and the AR environment isaccomplished from one side and between users from another. The mobile game appdescribes the site of ́Biblioteca Museu Victor Balaguer ́adding some fun for the users inthe way of interacting with the real world of the Museum. This app is already programmedand tested on the field. The last stage of our game show an app developed on MagicLeap One that contributes and transmits Point clouds from one site of the Mediterraneanto another, providing the user the ability to see and talk with another user at the same tim

Macro-BIM adoption: Conceptual structures

Building Information Modelling (BIM) concepts and workflows continue to proliferate within organisations, through project teams, and across the whole construction industry. However, both BIM implementation and BIM diffusion are yet to be reliably assessed at market scale. Insufficient research has been conducted to date towards identifying the conceptual structures that would explain and encourage large-scale BIM adoption. This paper introduces a number of macro-adoption models, matrices and charts (Fig. 1). These models can be used to systematically assess BIM adoption across markets, and inform the structured development of country-specific BIM adoption policies. This research is published in two complementary papers combining conceptual structures with data collected from experts across a number of countries. The first paper “Macro-BIM adoption: conceptual structures” delimits the terms used, reviews applicable diffusion models, and clarifies the research methodology. It then introduces five new conceptual constructs for assessing macro-BIM adoption and informing the development of market-scale BIM diffusion policies. The second paper “Macro-BIM adoption: comparative market analysis” employs these concepts and tools to evaluate BIM adoption and analyse BIM diffusion policies across a number of countries. Using online questionnaires and structured interviews, it applies the models, refines the conceptual tools and develops additional assessment metrics. The two papers are complementary and primarily intended to assist policy makers and domain researchers to analyse, develop and improve BIM diffusion policies

Bridging the gap between selection decisions of facade systems at the early design phase: Issues, challenges and solutions

Building facade has a significant impact on the environmental and economic performance of buildings and projects. The specification of their elements at the early design phase depends on numerous technical, environmental and economic factors and involves several stakeholders. The procurement and delivery of the facade work package from the early design phase, through detailed design and manufacture, to installation is a process with several inherent risk factors due to the involved cost, technical and engineering complexities and its position on the critical path in all projects. This research investigates the process of selection and specification of building facade elements at the early design phases with the overarching aim of identifying the issues affecting specification decisions, their root causes and impact on projects. The research utilizes a mixed research approach which combines a retrospective case study and an industry survey as two research methods that build on each other. The findings suggest that the complexity of specification at the early design phases is exacerbated by factors such as the inadequate technical knowledge of stakeholders involved in the decision making process, the non-involvement of building facade consultants, the late involvement of specialist facade subcontractors, and in a few cases by some commercial exclusivity agreements that restricts specification decisions

Blockchain in the built environment: analysing current applications and developing an emergent framework

Distributed ledger technology (DLT), commonly referred to as ‘blockchain’ and originally invented to create a peer-to-peer digital currency, is rapidly attracting interest in other sectors. The aim in this paper is (1) to investigate the applications of DLT within the built environment, and the challenges and opportunities facing its adoption; and (2) develop a multi-dimensional emergent framework for DLT adoption within the construction sector. Key areas of DLT applications were found in: smart energy; smart cities and the sharing economy; smart government; smart homes; intelligent transport; Building Information Modelling (BIM) and construction management; and business models and organisational structures. The results showed a significant concentration of DLT research on the operation phase of assets. This is expected given the significant resources and lifespan associated with the operation phase of assets and their social, environmental and economic impact. However, more attention is required to address the current gap at the design and construction phases to ensure that these phases are not treated in isolation from the operational phase. An emergent framework combining the political, social and technical dimensions was developed. The framework was overlaid with an extensive set of challenges and opportunities. The structured and inter-connected dimensions provided by the framework can be used by field researchers as a point of departure to investigate a range of research questions from political, social or technical perspectives

A Framework for Product Recall in the Construction Industry

The independent review into the UK Building Regulations and fire safety following the Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017 highlighted significant failings in traceability of construction products used in the UK, noting that the construction industry is “significantly lagging behind many other sectors” in this respect. One of the key drivers behind the need for traceability is to support product recall, such as might be required in the event of the discovery of issues in product manufacturing, testing or as a result of inappropriate product specification or substitution. This study investigates the need and benefits for a robust product recall system for the construction industry, develops a set of requirements for such a system, and proposes a framework for its implementation. The current state of the art for construction product recall is examined and compared to industries such as automotive and food where effective recall systems have been in place for a number of years. The particular requirements for traceability of products in the construction sector are defined and discussed. The framework for a construction product recall system was developed through a series of collaborative workshops with experts from industry and academia. This paper describes the framework and discusses the challenges facing its implementation. In particular, the paper discusses and compares in detail two approaches for product recall alerting; push and pull mechanisms. The paper concludes with the identification of areas for further investigation