When construction workers, electricians, and architects visit a job site they have to use heavy tools and also have to take detailed notes. Construction teams that are following AR and VR technologies now have Visual Vocal to take high-resolution spherical images of job sites with an iOS or Android smartphone.
Easier Job Site Collaboration with Visual Vocal
In under two minutes, Visual Vocal users will take pictures of job sites by using their mobile phones to snap spherical VR and AR images. Before this, foreman’s, architects, and workers had to take pictures in 2D and then email, text, or hand the pictures over to whoever needed them and then provide details about it. This was almost as archaic as cavemen drawing plans on a wall.
Now, site workers have the privilege of taking a VR or AR picture using Visual Vocal and using it as a project collaboration tool they call Mobile Authoring. They can share these high-quality images with teammates and partners and then explain an issue, share progress, or see how a job has evolved over time by using a Vv (a nod to its title).
A Vv is a message that’s “quickly shared with team members or stakeholders via mobile phone and/or VR viewer.” The virtual or augmented reality message is compatible with Unearth and other construction platforms. Project confidentiality is secured with a “globally unique 7-digit code called a Vv ID”, their statement says.
The Mobile Authoring tool captures 360-degree images with cameras like the Lenovo Mirage and Google’s VR180. “Visual Vocal’s solution for construction and facilities professionals is a fantastic, practical application of enterprise Virtual Reality,” said Ryan Cassidy, Product Manager for VR Cameras at Google.
It also enables users to write on the images like a digital document so making adjustments and fixes with notes added in can help construction or design move along more smoothly. John SanGiovanni, CEO of Visual Vocal shared, “With Vv’s rapid markup and annotation system, you can easily author and share immersive messages or training content, right from your smartphone. It’s a revolution in the speed and efficiency of 3D communication.”
Group Meetings in AR and VR
Why use a word document or text when partners need to see a real-time image of progress? Up to 20 users with AR and VR enabled mobile devices can join in a group meeting at one time from locations that are outside a job site. So, business partners spread across different offices and countries can discuss and collaborate with on-site and off-site workers.
Visual Vocal’s Mobile Authoring allows for images to be taken over time to show how a job or project has evolved or fallen behind with their Time Travel feature. The person or group taking the pictures can also take a snapshot of specific pipes, wires, and spaces and then edit the image so it zooms in to a specific area with their Teleportation feature.
The construction collaboration tool can also be used to tour job sites, train employees and lead others through a work space. One thing to note about this tool is that Vv’s can be programmed to be accessed by employees or partners at any time they are available.
