Extended reality (XR) technology is helping construction firms improve planning, safety and productivity. Learn more in our industry guide.

Construction is one of the world's oldest industries. But that doesn't mean it's old-fashioned.

Throughout history, the construction industry has embraced transformative technologies that allow for faster, safer and grander building projects. These range from the stone tools of the neolithic age to the heavy machinery of the 20th century.

The latest in this line of era-defining advancements? Extended reality (XR).

Construction brands are fast embracing XR technologies to improve communication and decision-making in building projects – all the way from planning to closure.

In this post, we'll explore how. But first, a quick explanation of XR.

What is XR?

As is often the case, the clue is in the name.

Extended reality is an umbrella term for several technologies that alter (or extend) our perception of reality in some way.

You can think of these technologies as a sliding scale of immersion:

Least immersive: assisted reality (aR)

These devices actively avoid immersion. They're designed for industrial situations where safety and situational awareness are key.

Wearing an aR headset, an employee can access schematics or conduct video calls from the frontline. But – crucially – these features are all but invisible when they're not required. Like the SatNav in your car, their screens are situated just out of eye-line.

Somewhat immersive: augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR)

AR blends elements of the real and the virtual. For instance, you could wear an AR headset and conjure up realistic 3D models right there in the room.

That's why it sits in the middle of the scale. Users maintain awareness of the environment around them while experiencing a degree of virtuality.

MR can be considered a sub-category of AR. These technologies work on a similar principle but allow for a greater degree of interactivity with their virtual objects.

Most immersive: virtual reality (VR)

No doubt you've heard of VR. It was the first XR technology to enjoy widespread press attention, with a history stretching back to the 1950s.

Today's VR devices deliver on the principle those early developers were aiming for – total immersion in realistic 3D environments.

VR has seen widespread adoption in consumer gaming but has plenty of potential for industrial use too – especially in training.

How construction companies are using XR

Project presentation

If you've helped plan a construction project, you'll know the score. Securing stakeholder buy-in is essential, but it can be difficult to explain the scores of complex variables involved.

Equipped with augmented reality devices, planners can take the concept of "show, don't tell" to a whole new level. Stakeholders can slip on an AR headset and explore an easy-to-understand 3D visualisation of your plans in real-time.

Let's say you have your blueprint laid out on a table in a meeting room. Using AR, you can layer on details such as floor-by-floor plans, dimensions or infrastructure details.

Or you could generate a model of your finished building on a 3D map, so attendees can see exactly how it will look on-site.

Just think how useful this could be in getting your ideas across. Thanks to the powerful 3D graphics capabilities of devices like the HoloLens 2 and Magic Leap, you can present concepts with almost no room for misinterpretation.

Of course, it will make your presentations all the more impressive too. (And a little pomp and ceremony never hurt.)

Health and safety inspections

Health and safety inspectors face a seemingly insurmountable problem: as soon as they appear on-site, everyone's behaviour changes.

It's natural. Workers want to make a good impression, so they start second-guessing what the inspector wants to see. However, this is unhelpful because it makes it difficult to conduct honest, transparent inspections that reflect reality.

Remote inspections – using mobile devices – are possible. But these present their own challenges. For instance, it's difficult to safely film staff while they're using ladders or working in confined spaces.

Assisted reality devices can help overcome all of these hurdles. They allow for non-intrusive, remote inspections without the safety or logistical problems presented by traditional mobile devices.

Equipped with aR headsets, frontline workers can stream real-time "see-what-I-see" video to remote healthy and safety experts.

Inspectors enjoy the best possible view of the action – effectively, they're seeing through the eyes of on-site staff. And because aR devices are lightweight and can be used hands-free, workers can carry on with their jobs without feeling watched or encumbered.

Remote support

To carry out their jobs safely and effectively, workers need to feel supported. This means having access to senior experts, either to ask questions or escalate issues.

However, this can present staffing challenges. Expertise is sometimes in short supply, so it can become a stretched resource – especially if you're operating across multiple sites.

Your experts can't be everywhere at once… or can they?

Again, assisted reality has the answers. Provide frontline staff with aR headsets, and they can dial into expert help as and when they need it.

This means one specialist can assist multiple workers across multiple sites, wherever they happen to be. And because they can access high-quality, "see-what-I-see" video, they can offer step-by-step instructions to solve the problem at hand.

Not only does this address staffing issues, but it empowers experts to deliver more effective advice, which can lead to improved staff performance in the long run.

And this is just the beginning. With the right video conferencing software, staff can connect to experts from almost any location.

This is especially useful when extremely specialised help is needed. When a problem requires niche expertise, it's not unusual to reach out to specialists in other parts of the country – or even other countries.

Needless to say, this can be expensive. Flying in remote expertise means paying for travel costs, accommodation and – of course – the expert's time.

Using aR, you can forgo much of this expenditure, as it lets you bring remote video streaming technology to the frontline.

Thanks for reading! If you're interested in this transformative technology, you can buy XR devices in our online store or learn more about XR's use cases in construction.