Towergram

Towergram extends augmented reality from a speculative dream to a real onsite tool. Towergram was a project collaboration with Makers of Architecture in Wellington. The project took holographic models of a digital model and projected it onto site. 

The projection enabled the builders to visualize the building as it would stand in its real position on site, allowing the construction team to first see where potential hazards and improvements could be made, this initial visualization would help in minimizing risk and controlling safety hazards at an earlier stage potentially cutting costs.

As the construction went underway identifying each panel and orientation was made possible through markers placed on each panel. These makers would highlight each panel within the hologram and show the user where each panel must be placed. Because the tower was not a very complex structure there were not many panels and so this technique was not heavily relied on. But if the project had many pieces and was of much higher complexity this method of markers would be one of the best and fastest possibly solution of construction.

The augmentation of nail positions also had a relatively high success. A builder with an augmented reality device could look at the augmented markers and pinpoint where each nail or screw must be placed. This meant the builder does not need to measure any distances for correct placement of screws and nails saving time and also developing a better method of quality control.

This projection enabled many different methods of augmented reality to be tested in a real construction environment. Proving the use of augmented reality can be of benefit and a major upgrade to current construction environments.