Improving Human-Machine Interfaces for Construction Equipment Operations with Mixed and Augmented Reality

Construction equipment operation and management is a process that operates the machine in different working conditions, monitors the operation condition of equipment, maintains and repairs equipment components by referring to technical specifications, and generates more information for future access (Wang & Dunston 2006a). These construction operations are being carried out on different platforms. This makes it difficult to visualize and process critical information at any time and place. Many evolving information technology (IT) systems bring solutions into the construction field data management and sharing (Yang et al. 2000). Based on the data/information managed and stored in such IT tools, innovative and efficient human-machine interfaces that could visually merge these data into the current workspace of crew can be developed to increase the operators’ situational awareness and achieve less information access cost of operators and maintenance crew. Mixed and Augmented Reality can fulfill this vision by creating an augmented workspace through inserting digital contents into the physical space where operators work. Such augmented workspace is realized by integrating the power and flexibility of computing environments with the comfort and familiarity of the traditional workspace (Wang & Dunston 2006a). Augmented Reality (AR) opens a promising gate for integrating designs into their to-be-built real-world context. For example, AR could assist in quality assurance by comparing as-built facility with corresponding design as well as constructability review prior to the actual construction. Outdoor AR systems could assist in demonstrating architects/designs/constructors/owners what a new structure/building would look like at its final setting for evaluating functions and esthetics of a design. For example, an urban designer could show clients/politicians what a new building would look like as they walk around the neighborhood, to better understand how a tall building might affect surrounding residents. Outdoor and mobile AR systems have just begun to become feasible due to advances in tracking and computing. Traditional tracking systems used for AR registration are intended for use in controlled indoor spaces and are unsuitable for unprepared outdoor environments such as those found on typical construction sites (Behzadan Kamat 2006). Except wide applications in tabletop and indoor AR systems, fiducial markers could also be an easy way for outdoor AR. For example, Klinker et al. (2001) accurately erected a virtual