Nobody is seeing construction workers wearing augmented reality headsets while they work on active drywall job sites. But that scene will happen someday. AR, also known as mixed reality, is in its infancy, and it’s quickly advancing.
Last year, AWCI’S Construction Dimensions published the article, “Building with Holograms” (August 2017). It showcased AR research and development taking place among a few AWCI member contractors. “Building with Holograms” might have been the first in-depth report on AR in drywall construction. Others have written about virtual reality, the immersive but closed world experience of visualizing building information models on goggles. VR is helpful for architects, owners, and developers, but it’s not considered to be practical for constructors and fabricators. What construction will use is AR, which mixes project models with real-world job sites.