Structural Inspections using 3D Building Models and Augmented / Virtual Reality

For the road safety in Germany, the role of bridge inspectors is of great importance as the 39,500 bridges within the net of federal highways are inspected by them in regular intervals in so called "manual examinations". In the project "Structural Inspections using 3D Building Models and Augmented / Virtual Reality" the question of how to support bridge inspectors through visualizations of three-dimensional building models and connected metadata using Mixed Reality. A real major bridge hereby serves as an example. Furthermore, damages should be captured digitally using a tablet and linking the information directly with the model. Therefore, a demonstrator will be developed and evaluated practically during a bridge inspection. Conceptionally and methodologically, the combination of BIM methods and VR / AR technology builds the basis of the research work.

Within the project, Fraunhofer FIT develops amongst other things a mobile Mixed Reality prototype that can be used in-situ. BSCW, a cloud solution developed by Fraunhofer FIT, functions as central Common Data Environment (CDE) component. With BSync®, the BIM data can be synchronized as well as through a REST interface. The project covers the underlying workflows and processes as well as possible adaptions to ensure a practical realization of the project.

The project is funded by the "Bundesanstalt für Straßenwesen (BASt) – Federal Highway Research Institute".