Stacker- BIM & AR

Bringing BIM into Reality
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Stacker is an innovative mobile app that will extend construction workers reality with ‘intelligent’ Building Information Modelling (BIM) data. With Stacker, Exergy aims to foster a reduction in construction installation errors, time and waste whilst making useful immersive content available. 

Our tool is specially designed to respond to the needs of the prefabricated construction industry (also known as off-site) in order to improve the efficiency of construction processes throughout the value chain.

Stacker will provide access to animated installation sequence that can be viewed directly through Augmented Reality (AR) via a smartphone application. 

It will also facilitate the access to streams of communication between manufacturers, constructors and sub-contractors with built-in functionalities.

Stacker’s users will be able to:

  • Use BIM data in a user friendly and intuitive manner
  • Collect and store work package tasks and deliverables' information
  • Visualise models in AR using mobile phones
  • Capture on site progress via photos and videos
  • Track work package installation progress on site
  • Reduce construction rework

The construction industry challenge

Get it right the first time

The product

Stacker mobile app will extend users reality with ‘intelligent’ Building Information Modelling (BIM) data, making useful immersive content available. We aim to reduce construction installation errors, time and resource waste.

Management

With Stacker construction workers will be able to collect, store and display work package tasks and deliverables information and also track work package installation progress.

Visualisation

Users can visualise animated sequence of products in AR via mobile phones. Users have access to BIM data in a user- friendly and intuitive manner and capture on-site progress via photos and videos to reduce construction rework.

AR and AI

Digital installation will become accessible through: i) AR-enabled
BIM objects ; ii) ‘Pinformation’ using existing camera functionality to identify installation information in AR; iii) camera as a browser using computer vision.

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With Stacker, constructors can simply click and drag for step-by-step visualisation and use ‘camera as a browser’ assisted AR on their smartphones.

Stacker's potential

There is clearly untapped potential in the use of immersive technologies to improve the installation of pre-fabricated products and eliminate incessant waste of building materials, resources and time due to un-skilled workers and misinstalled products.

The majority of the workforce will gain access to a valuable yet affordable product and eliminate the need for expensive high spec. desktop computers or high processing powers required from tablets. 

‘Getting it right the first time’ with Stacker will mean an opportunity to benefit from cost reductions in housing, an improvement of quality within the construction industry and a contribution towards a better environment for current and future generations.

Environmental and social gains

Stacker will not only benefit off-site constructors in the better management of construction projects in terms of the project management triangle: time, cost and quality. Instead, it will also serve our greater mission in the reduction of resource and construction waste. In the UK, poor design and management leads to approximately 13% (approx. 10 million tonnes) of wasted construction materials which frequently end-up in landfills for which the construction industry is also seen as the largest generator of industrial waste. 

Why offsite construction?

The offsite construction industry, together with digitalisation, is considered the future of construction. The Construction Leadership Council identified the use of artificial intelligence, digital techniques and off-site manufacturing as key strategies to deliver the government’s Construction Sector Deal.

Globally, the offsite construction industry was valued $116 billion in 2018 and it is estimated to reach $157 billion by 2023.

iConkrete, our Spanish off-site construction partner will put Stacker to the test

AR and AI Technologies

We are using current state-of-art Android AR API development and computer vision toolkits. Digital installation manuals will become accessible for operators through:

  • AR-enabled BIM objects -to access dynamic animated 3D design data for installation
  • 'Pinformation' using existing camera functionality to identify installation information in AR
  • Camera as a browser using to recognise already installed products from the Stacker database

Our progress

We already have a prototype!  Stacker capabilities include:

  • BIM model visualisation
  • Project set-up
  • Product installation set-up for subcontractor

Our next step is enhancing these capabilities with a software neutral Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) sequencer.

We have presented our prototype among potential customers who are already perceiving the value of Stacker. The beta version presented to over 40 stakeholders has seen expressions of interest.

In November 2019, Stacker will be demonstrated among 50 participants in collaboration with Coventry University and showcased at the Digital Construction Week in London.

Get ready! Stacker will be soon available to download!

Sector of application

Office
Real Estate
Real Estate
Hospitality
Education
Residential

To find out more about Stacker

Get in touch with us
Felipe Maya

Research and Innovation Manager

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