Main contractor Willmott Dixon is using collaborative VR technology to help improve decision making using a single-source model
Willmott Dixon has deployed two fully integrated FULmax VR CAVES on the £606 million University of Birmingham campus re-development project, part of the long-term expansion strategy, ‘Birmingham 2026’.
Nick Gibb, deputy managing director at Willmott Dixon in the Midlands, explains how the walk-in VR CAVE, which can house up to six people at any one time, is being used on the project, “Before projects even go to site, it has enabled us to give complete transparency to people working in the buildings as they are able to see specific design elements that wouldn’t be visible in 2D drawings.
“It enables greater sharing of data with our supply chain and design partners, with all parties having a clear view of projects and making decisions using a single-source collaborative model.
“Customer and student engagement and interaction has also improved through use of this technology, with people being able to fully immerse themselves into the environment through virtual reality,” he says.
The FULmax is designed to help teams from multiple disciplines identify and cost effectively solve problems as they occur, rather than being left to intensify into more complex, time consuming costly delays. It supports a range of software and model workflows including: AutoCAD, Bentley, DGN, FBX, iModel, Navisworks, OBJ, Revit, Revizto, Solibri, Synchro, Unity and 4k 360-degree video.
Read more about the FULmax VR CAVE in AEC Magazine’s article about the installation at the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE).
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