Unlocking spatial understanding
New York-based IrisVR is one of the world’s leading companies
when it comes to the use of VR in the construction industry.
Its software system is currently used in more than 100 countries,
including Canada. The company was founded in 2014,
by partners Shane Scranton and Nate Beatty, both of whom
had been working in the AEC industry and encountered difficulties
communicating design intent using conventional 2D
and 3D models.
Scranton, a self-professed “geek,” had become fascinated a
few years earlier with the new generation of VR headsets that
was available. He and Beatty soon began thinking of how this
technology could be used to overcome some of the communication
difficulties they had been dealing with.
“I was interested in trying out the new technology and
got some 3D files of buildings into a headset manually so you
could walk around and look,” said Scranton, the company’s
CEO. “Suddenly in a headset, it was such a clear representation
that really unlocked spatial understanding for building
design much earlier in the process. VR and AR are really
the only mediums where it’s a literal representation of what
you’re going to get. You don’t have to stretch your brain to
imagine it. It feels like you’re physically there. It’s such a fundamental
difference.”
How does it work?
Scranton says the IrisVR software system was designed to
be user-friendly for everyone, including people who aren’t
overly familiar with the technology.
A user can upload virtually any kind of 3D design file,
including Navisworks or Revit files, to a cloud-based server
where it is converted for use with a VR headset. It can then be
shared with any number of colleagues or clients regardless of
where they may be located. Users can choose to use a standalone
VR headset (which cost about US$400) or one linked to
a personal computer for a premium experience.
Once the user is connected to the IrisVR system, they
become completely immersed in a building’s design. They
can literally walk anywhere within it and view it from multiple
angles.
Scranton says one of the system’s biggest benefits for
construction clients is that it allows them to catch errors
earlier in the design process and correct them much sooner
and cheaper.
“You’re not doing it on a jobsite that way, you’re doing it
when you’re in the office or in your home office. You’re able to
make changes earlier in the process so that things don’t pop
up later and cost you a lot more,” he said.
Another advantage of the IrisVR system is that it helps
promote collaboration between company staff, other construction
firms and various trades. Regardless of where they
may be physically located, every stakeholder tours the virtual
building site at the same time and can communicate
with each other in real-time thanks to a built-in voice-chat
feature. The system also allows users to delineate workflows
and mark up any proposed changes to a building plan, which
Scranton says is ideal during the current pandemic when
many people are working from home or remote locations.
The IrisVR system is already used by a number of Canadian
construction companies including SNC-Lavalin and Exergy
Consultants. One of the advantages of the system when
it comes to deep foundation or piling work, according to
COVER STORY
IMAGE: IRISVR
IrisVR’s technology allows team members to immerse themselves in a project’s design
14 Q4 2020 www.pilingcanada.ca
/www.pilingcanada.ca
