The Impact of eXtended Reality Technologies on AEC

It is not so far away when the theory of disruptive innovation and the emergence of new breakthrough technologies which have simpler, cheaper and higher performance like Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, Big Data, Cloud Computing, Additive Manufacturing, Blockchain, etc., radically change all sectors included Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC). Exponential changes are happening at a dramatic speed around us. Previous industrial revolutions liberated humankind from animal power, made mass production possible and brought digital capabilities to billions of people. The last Industrial revolution is characterized by a range of new technologies that are fusing the physical, digital and biological worlds, impacting all disciplines, especially economics and industries. The main aim of this research is to highlight the “grey zone” and side-effects related to the impact of eXtended Reality – XR – Technologies: Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR) on AEC Industry. This paper argues that these technologies can be considered as means to bridge the gap between construction process and design process as well as creativity and design. It states that the extended reality applications are not limited to the projection of the models’ exterior surfaces as it was in the first-generation VR technologies, but the second generation can simulate in real-time physical phenomena and behaviors inside the models as well. One of the main attributes of extended technologies is that it can be considered as a medium that allows people with different skills and expertise to deal with a problem as they are all in the “same boat”, and thus, it enables a real “Collaborative Design” and idea exchanging happens. On the other hand, this technology is very well intertwined and related to the new design process paradigms: Collaborative Design, and Pro-Active Design. In this sense that every actor involved may have its own role and responsibility to aim the final goal project. XR technologies affect the pro-active design process in terms of suggestion offered by experts involved in the projects in advance. The virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) technologies continue to gain more and more attraction in consumer gadgets and software. Although, many leading-edge AEC firms and also tech start-ups are investing heavily in AR and VR, the construction industry as a whole has remained laggard behind the curve when it comes to tech adoption. Much of this failure can likely be attributed to a general lack of awareness and understanding.