Augmented reality for underground engineering and installation of utility cables and pipes: field tests in Küsnacht and Pfäffikon, canton of Zurich
Project overview
Today, municipalities, utility companies and building contractors sadly often lack information about what exactly is below the road surface. But with augmented reality (AR) we have a tool at our disposal that helps us shed light on the matter for our customers. Together with the startup v-Labs from Geneva, Basler & Hofmann has tested the use of AR in the area of underground infrastructure systems in two field tests as part of an innovation project. In the first field test, the project team uploaded utility cable and pipe data from the municipality of Pfäffikon, Zurich, to the AR glasses. The second field test confirmed that AR also offers great potential for construction management and building firms: In the Eigenheimstrasse project in the Zurich municipality of Küsnacht the project team used HoloLens to provide on-site access to a digital twin of the road. The potential of this technology is significant: The routeing of utility cables and service pipes can be staked out with the aid of the AR glasses. It is no longer necessary to carry plans to the construction site, and municipalities and utility companies can improve the quality of their utility cable and pipe data – helping building contractors to ensure that they do not hit any cables or pipes during excavation works.
Client
Basler & Hofmann AG
Our services
Preparation and export of the data both from the GIS software and from the BIM software. Field tests on location in Küsnacht and Pfäffikon, canton of Zürich, in relation to accuracy, handling of HoloLens and the practical suitability/reliability of the technology.
