Trimble announced the expansion of its mixed-reality offerings with the addition of the Trimble® Connect® AR app. Connect AR is an augmented reality app that gives building construction workers even greater accessibility to 3D models in the field. The app runs on Android and iOS tablets and smartphones. With Connect AR, users can leverage augmented reality, field-oriented construction workflows and constructible 3D models from different sources to transform daily work such as assembly and inspections.
Connect AR is an extension of the Trimble Connect for Mobile app. It integrates with Trimble Connect and the Trimble mixed-reality portfolio, making teams more collaborative, and enabling workers in the field to get more value from constructible 3D models. Trimble Connect is a powerful cloud-based collaboration platform that empowers teams involved in the design, construction and operation of buildings.
"The ability to view a digital model at scale, on site and in context from a mobile device is a game changer," said Martin Holmgren, general manager, Building Construction Field Solutions at Trimble. "Anyone on a jobsite with Connect AR and a smartphone or tablet can now easily identify clashes, verify as-builts and collaborate to quickly resolve issues."
Connect AR makes augmented reality more accessible to more people on the jobsite. Project managers, engineers and contractors now have the ability to visualize 3D BIM models in the real world to make complex situations, such as design reviews, issue resolution, and health and safety matters more intuitive and collaborative. Using Trimble Connect, augmented reality screenshots captured in Connect AR can be shared with the wider project team. This data can then be used for subsequent Requests for Information (RFIs), punchlists and checklists.
To quickly and easily position the model in the real world, a network of QR code markers are generated in Trimble Connect, and can be placed around the jobsite using either a Trimble Robotic Total Station or a manual method. Users can then accurately compare as-built construction to the digital design, which speeds up QA/QC inspections and enables immediate decision making by project stakeholders. In addition, the ability to measure distances and areas between real and virtual objects can provide valuable information to supplement issue reports or estimates.
Trimble's mixed-reality portfolio is part of the Trimble Connected Construction ecosystem. Connecting contractors from different trades and in all phases of the construction lifecycle enables more automated layout and fabrication. This is directly driven by constructible data, reducing the need for data conversions and the potential for error. Using constructible data and real-time collaboration, project stakeholders can work together seamlessly, optimizing the design, build and operate lifecycle.
