International Journal of Emerging Engineering Research and Technology Volume 7, Issue 2, 2019, PP 24-37 ISSN 2349-4395 (Print) & ISSN 2349-4409 (Online) A Comparative Review of Construction VR Applications: Functionality, Simulation, and Collaboration Yilei Huang, Ph.D., CM-BIM Department of Construction & Operations Management, South Dakota State University Solberg Box 2223, Brookings, SD 57007, USA *Corresponding Author: Yilei Huang, Department of Construction & Operations Management, South Dakota State University, Solberg Box 2223, Brookings, SD 57007, USA. Email: [email protected] ABSTRACT While the gaming and entertainment market was lit up by the arrival of Virtual Reality (VR) in 2016, it has brought significant consideration of immersive visualization to the architecture and construction industry since then. The capabilities of VR in architecture and construction today have reached beyond just walking into and seeing the built environment. It has become mature enough and been kept more consistent to be applied in real-world construction projects. In order to provide the architecture and construction industry more comprehensive and up-to-date knowledge of using VR applications, this paper presents a thorough comparative review of current computer-based construction applications that offer VR capabilities. Eight applications were identified through a literature review and Internet search, and their VR capabilities in terms of functionality, simulation, and collaboration features were compared and evaluated. Six of them were tested with three different types of VR headsets, namely Oculus Rift with Touch controllers, HTC Vive, and Windows Mixed Reality headset. The advantages and disadvantages of each VR headset were discussed, and recommendations were given on the selection of appropriate construction VR applications based on the most desired features. This paper provides the most current first-hand information to architecture and construction firms who are interested in applying the VR technology in their projects. Keywords: Virtual Reality, Construction, Application, Comparison. world construction projects. Therefore, there is INTRODUCTION an urgent need to identify what construction VR The Virtual Reality (VR) boom due to the applications are available, evaluate how their arrival of Oculus Rift in 2016 has brought VR capabilities compare to each other, and significant consideration of its uses in the assess the benefits these construction VR architecture and construction industry despite its applications can bring to the industry. main focus on the gaming and entertainment Through a literature review, it was found that market. As primarily a visualization tool, one of only a handful of construction VR applications the first advantages VR offers the architecture were identified and reviewed at their early stage, and construction industry is the ability to which likely did not cover their entire personally experience the built environment in capabilities after being fully developed. This an immersive manner that no other existing paper aims to present a thorough comparative visualization tools can ever match. Architects review of the functionality, simulation, and and construction professionals have soon collaboration features of current construction realized that VR is able to offer more than just VR applications in order to provide the letting people walk into and see the built architecture and construction industry more environment, and since then the capabilities of comprehensive and up-to-date knowledge of construction VR applications have developed using VR applications in real-world construction tremendously. projects. This study focused on computer-based After two years of development, these VR applications as these applications are able to capabilities have become mature enough and work directly with Building Information been kept more consistent to be applied in real- Modelling (BIM) programs, convert BIM International Journal of Emerging Engineering Research and Technology V7 ● I2 ● 2019 24 A Comparative Review of Construction VR Applications: Functionality, Simulation, and Collaboration models into the VR mode in real time, and and ASUS, and all come with very similar display BIM models through a VR headset with specifications at a resolution of1440x1440 per the same computer. As a result, mobile-based eye (1440x1600 for Samsung Odyssey) and a construction VR applications are not covered in field of view between 95 to 110 degrees. The this paper. Eight construction applications with two motion-tracked controllers for all Windows VR capabilities were identified and six of them MR Headsets are based on the same design. The were tested with three different VR headsets in Windows MR headsets use inside-out tracking this study. Through the comparative review of that detects the motion-tracked controllers as their functionality, simulation, and collaboration well as room boundaries with two cameras features, recommendations were given on how mounted on the front of the headset, and thus do architecture and construction firms at different not need any sensors for tracking. levels of interest in VR can apply these Besides computer-based VR headsets, there are applications more effectively in their projects. three other types of VR headsets that are outside BACKGROUND of scope of this study, which are PlayStation VR, mobile-based VR, and standalone VR. VR Hardware PlayStation VR works only with Sony Since the release of the consumer version of PlayStation 4 and is solely focused on the Oculus Rift in early 2016, there have been three gaming market. Mobile-based VR usually different types of computer-based VR headsets requires uploading BIM models to a cloud available: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and Windows server from a computer for VR processing Mixed Reality (MR) headset. Oculus Rift was before downloading to a Smartphone for released the earliest among the three with a viewing with a VR headset, such as Samsung headset, a desktop-mounted wired sensor, and Gear VR and Google Daydream View. an Xbox controller. The single sensor setup only Standalone VR works similarly to mobile-based tracks head movement in six degrees of freedom VR, except for that it has integrated all smart (direction and orientation change in three- phone components into the headset, including dimensional space). It does not support room- the processor, memory, storage, and battery. size tracking and does not track hand Such standalone VR includes Oculus Go, movement. Oculus Touch motion-tracked Lenovo Mirage Solo, and HTC Vive Focus. controllers were released later at the end of 2016 Similar to mobile-based VR, they are focused packaged with an additional sensor to support on the entertainment market. hand movement tracking and room-size Literature Review tracking. A standard setup of Oculus Rift would be the headset, two Touch controllers, and two Due to its ability in immersive visualization of desktop sensors, with the Xbox controller as BIM models, VR has been growing rapidly in alternative input if needed. the architecture and construction industry since the first modern VR headset, Oculus Rift HTC Vive was released soon after Oculus Rift Development Kit 1, was made available in 2013. with a headset, two wall-mounted wireless Considered as one of the most exciting sensors, and two motion-tracked controllers. technologies to hit this industry in years, VR This setup is almost identical to Oculus Rift offers its user a sense of scale, depth, and spatial with Touch controllers except for that the wall- awareness that simply cannot be matched by any mounted sensors allow large movement area rendering pictures, walkthrough videos, or scale within the VR room. The specifications of both models (Corke, 2017). A fully immersive VR headsets are also identical with a resolution of experience is able to fool a user’s brain to create 1080x1200 per eye and a field of view of 110 a feeling of presence inside the 3D model and degrees. provide the freedom to explore how a proposed Windows MR Headset, as a newcomer to the building will feel and function through VR arena, was released almost one and half inspecting the details, walking across rooms, years later than the other two. Despite being and teleporting through doors (Corke, 2016). named as an MR headset that runs the Microsoft Due to the unique benefits that VR brings to the Mixed Reality platform, it is actually a VR industry, research efforts have started to headset based on its functionality. It is investigate its uses in various areas in manufactured by a variety of vendors under architecture and construction. Froehlich and different names, such as Lenovo Explorer, Dell Azhar (2016) evaluated the use of Oculus Rift in Visor, Samsung Odyssey, as well as Acer, HP, construction safety training and jobsite 25 International Journal of Emerging Engineering Research and Technology V7 ● I2 ● 2019 A Comparative Review of Construction VR Applications: Functionality, Simulation, and Collaboration management, while Petrova et al. (2017) Vive in early 2017, namely Autodesk Live evaluated such use in end-user involvement in (rebranded to Revit Live), IrisVR Prospect, and building design. Dayan and Sasks (2017) Enscape, to demonstrate the process from Revit investigated the enhancement of cognition using to VR. These applications are able to convert Oculus Rift in apartment customization. Ozcelik everything in a Revit file into a VR et al. (2017) and Carneiro and Becerik-Gerber environment, such as the