A new eye-tracking technology being developed by Australian engineers to identify building defects early in the construction process could save companies millions of dollars, time and resources.
The technology, built into a 3D headset, is designed to help construction workers create more thorough checklists, reducing an estimated 60% of construction costs associated with correcting mistakes.
Kieran May, a PhD student at the University of South Australia, Dr. James Walsh, a computer scientist, and colleagues at UniSA’s Australian Research Center for Interactive and Virtual Environments are working on building information modeling and standard building inspections. We designed a tool that combines gaze data acquired during
“AR headsets shoot laser beams from under the user’s eyes to track where they are looking in a 3D model as they inspect a building,” says Dr. Walsh.
Eye-tracking technology validates the checklist process, ensuring that construction workers are performing a thorough inspection by matching eye-gaze data to the 3D architectural building model.
“This tool allows building inspectors to not only walk through a room, but to take enough time to thoroughly check key elements to ensure that a light switch, tap, cable or pipe is the correct one. are present and installed properly.
“The nature of a build, bespoke or more standardized, is tempting to check a box on a checklist without rigorous testing. Defects must be caught early. It can cost thousands of dollars.”
Dr. Walsh says eye-tracking data does not replace the checklist, it validates it, and defects must be manually recorded.
“For the construction industry, at the end of the day, it’s all about cost and timelines. The sooner we can identify what went wrong, the quicker and cheaper we can fix it.”
Researchers work with construction partners to evaluate tools in the field throughout the building project lifecycle.
“One of the great things about this project is how our Ph.D. It’s an example to show,” says Dr. Walsh.
The project was presented at the 2022 IEEE International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality in Singapore.
Original: Eye spy: Building inspectors could soon launch laser beams, saving the construction industry millions of dollars
Than: University of South Australia
