3D visualization techniques in the AEC industry: The possible uses of holography

Abstract

Different visualization techniques are used to display and communicate information in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. While 2D representations have been historically used to communicate designers' intent, 3D representation technologies have been increasingly used in the AEC industry. In this regard, designers gained more flexibility to express their 3D designs on one hand, and to communicate their intent to involved stakeholders on the other. However, current 3D visualization tools still rely on different forms of screens as a communication interface between information stored in a computer and involved users which may affect the interpretability of modeled information. In this context, this study explores the use of holography to represent and share construction information in both the design and construction phases of AEC projects. This paper reviews the current state of art in holographic visualization, examines the various techniques used to create holograms, evaluates the potential use of holography in construction, and compares it to other physical and digital modeling methods currently in use. The authors speculate on the future of this technology in construction environments in conjunction with the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM). In effect, this paper helps construction companies and researchers find out how the benefits brought by holographic models compare currently and in the near future to other rapidly evolving platforms such as the computer tablet and augmented reality technologies. © 2019 The author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.