Tag Archives: construction

Topcon IoT Construction

IoT for Construction

Greater interconnectivity is transforming the way we go about construction. Probably the best definition of the Internet of Things (IoT) appears in a Forbes magazine article written by the futurist Jacob Morgan; it’s the concept of “connecting any device with an on and off switch to the internet (and/or to each other).” This includes everything from...

banner image for xyHt March edition editorial

xyHt and The First Four Ds of Construction

It is high time that xyHt gives a shout out to our new readers who have subscribed since our 2014 launch. We have gained thousands of readers in surveying, engineering, and the construction sector. This issue will be circulated broadly at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2017, one of the largest trade conferences in the world and most definitely...

HoloLens users are able to see both the real world around them and virtual-reality objects, such as design features that have not yet been built.

Blending Realities

A 3D design and visualization tool with phenomenal potential in the AEC world is coming from a collaboration between Microsoft and Trimble. Imagine designing an object, in 3D and color, using only gaze, gestures, and voice (GGV) commands. Imagine designing an entire building the same way—or modifying an existing one. Imagine moving in a physical...

This heavy excavator (left) resolves orientation via GNSS antennas on the counterweight, and a series of tilt sensors calibrated to the moving sections of the boom provide highly accurate feedback to the operator (inset) as to progress of the bucket towards design grades per the 3D model uploaded into the controller. Another level of productivity gains comes from the telemetry fed into the site-management software and its virtual-reality viewing tools that provide real-time visual status of all equipment on the site.

The Digital Site

The complete digital site is more than just machine-controlled heavy equipment. Recent advances in heavy civil have been profound in connectivity, automation, and visualization. How long has automation played a role in heavy civil construction? As far back as the late 1980s when early GPS-guided (or informed) systems began to reach the market. But it...

Heads-up Hard Hats

A new smart helmet brings VR to the workplace.  Virtual Reality (VR) and “wearables” are all the rage now, but we expect the hype to subside at some point, and then we’ll start seeing products suitable for real-world applications. Sure, there is Glass and Oculus, but how can such devices move beyond gaming, marketing, (and...