There have been great advances over the last 20 years that incorporate emerging technology into the steadfast industry of construction.

BIM and VDC not only play a huge role in the increasing accuracy and efficiency of construction processes but with the help of advances like Virtuix Omni™ are also making models more accessible and usable for everyone involved in the project. As members of Tocci’s VDC Department, we can not wait to try out the Omni and share our models virtually with our colleagues and clients.

Virtual Reality in construction would bring walk-throughs, clash detection, or coordination to new heights and the Virtuix Omni™ can support the virtual reality needed to reach that summit. The Omni allows anyone to stand up and traverse through virtual worlds with the natural use of their own feet. Being able to move naturally in virtual reality creates an unprecedented sense of immersion that cannot be experienced from sitting down in front of a monitor and looking at a 3D model.

Building a construction project in a virtual environment offers many key benefits:

• Scale – A model on a monitor does not give a great understanding of scale. But imagine being thrown into the model you’ve been working on for weeks and having the ability to step inside of the walls and walk under the different roof heights. Now the scale can be experienced in a very accurate way.
• Deep Immersion – With virtual reality, a profound sense of immersion is achieved. It becomes very easy to lose track of your physical surroundings since the virtual materials and surfaces appear so real.

The possibilities of what Omni can provide seem endless:

• Virtual Walk-throughs 
• Simulated Construction
• Virtual Safety Training
• Virtual Colocation
• Marketing/Sales Pitches

The Virtuix Omni™ was originally developed for gaming but the application of natural movement in virtual reality can stretch far beyond into VR Architecture and VR Construction. A big bonus to all of this is that the product is very affordable starting at $499! Imagine having several of these in the office: taking clients on virtual walk-throughs, virtually coordinating an issue with a field member, or even doing some training.

What would you use the Virtuix Omni™ for? Leave us a comment or tweet at us here!

*Tocci does not endorse and is not affiliated with any of the above software or hardware.

Header image:

Virtuix Omni, Las Vegas

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