ASHRAE Journal - May 2021 - 28

INDUSTRY 4.0

there is an ability to leverage game engine platforms
and other tools to develop custom applications, " he
said.
Messner notes that the technology is not without its
challenges. For instance, he said extended reality goggles can make a virtual model feel real, but sometimes
it is hard to communicate when immersed in the technology. The technology can " extract you from the real
world " and makes it challenging to communicate with
other team members, he said.
" The challenge of geospatially positioning two eyes
in the world can still be technologically challenging,
so locating the AR headset in the real-world is not
always perfect, but the technology is rapidly maturing.
Application can leverage image markers to improve
their positioning or have the user manually align the
model, " said Messner.
Getting used to AR technology is just part of the learning curve users experience with any new technology,
said Lawver. He said typical challenges include logging
into their accounts using a virtual keyboard and getting
used to aligning a model with an object or on the construction site.
Common questions about the technology include how
the technology works and how it can fit into their existing workflows, said Lawver. " The only thing that we're
disrupting is the way in which the user is interacting
with the data, and not the actual workflow or the data
itself, " he said.

How Will AR Technology Affect the Built Industry?
AR is still an evolving technology. " I think AR is going
to be a real game changer in the future. But it's still in
its infancy, " said Messner. " I think there are some really
good examples [of how to use AR], but not a whole lot of
them coming from our industry. "
Messner predicts it could become a valuable tool,
with a merging of immersive technologies, such as
virtual reality and mixed reality. " We are still waiting
for the lower-cost, high-quality AR devices to appear.
I guess the best that we currently have is a phone, " he
said. " But when low-cost, high-quality glasses-based
AR is readily available, there will be many emerging
uses, such as easy model visualization anywhere onsite, readily collaborating with experts while in the
field and easily seeing future work while walking a job
site. "
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ASHRAE JOURNAL

ashrae.org

M AY 2021

Access Augmented Reality
With Your Phone

A phone app lets you visualize 3D models through
AR for free and without sharing your email.
Download the " Augment-3D Augmented Reality "
app to your mobile device (iPhone or Android).
Explore the app's public galleries to visualize the
extended reality. Under the " Architecture " section,
take a virtual tour of the Guggenheim Museum's
lobby, which demonstrates how AR models can
transport users to places at scale.

Lawver said extended reality, which includes augmented and virtual reality, is a rapidly moving industry
and is the direction computing is heading. " There's a ton
of investment going into AR and MR from all of the tech
companies. They're all dumping billions of dollars into
this, " he said.

Next Steps for HVAC&R Professionals
If AR is the way of the future, Lawver suggests people
learn the basics of AR and then grow with its evolution
as opposed to waiting until the technology develops and
then work through a higher learning curve.
" My vision is that it doesn't matter what authoring
software you're using; it doesn't matter what kind
of BIM model you have; it doesn't matter if you're a
plumber or HVAC [technician] or electrician; or if
you're tech savvy or not. I want anyone on that site
regardless of what their workflow is to be able to don
this headset and load their data from their existing
workflows and get more value out of it, " Lawver said.
" Ultimately what we're trying to do is remove the paper
plan and remove the iPhone and remove the iPad and
remove the laptop on the site and just move that computing to be hands-free. "
AR is part of the HVAC&R industry's digital transformation, as the technology leverages the power of
dynamic information embedded in a digital model, said
Gulledge.
" The HVAC world is evolving from geometry and paper
to smart objects and connected knowledge, " he said.
" Applied physical-digital-physical realities rely on this
connection. "

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ASHRAE Journal - May 2021

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