by Brianna Crandall — January 16, 2015—Customized prefab interiors manufacturer DIRTT brings virtual reality (VR) to a new level for the construction industry, so contractors, facilities managers, architects, interior designers, and clients can virtually walk through their space before it is built. The ICE VR Experience combines DIRTT’s interior three-dimensional (3D) design and specification software with Oculus Rift gaming goggles and Polhemus motion tracking sensors.
Together, the technologies are designed to convince the users that they are actually inside the virtual environment. Users can physically explore inside a virtual world, examining surroundings as if they were real. With skillfully placed physical props, the line between true life and virtual reality is further blurred: users can walk into a hospital patient room, for example, and physically sit on a bed—though all they see is the virtual version.
For construction, this means decision-makers can actually walk through and explore their space during the design and planning process. Users can fully experience the feel for their space, especially in terms of, say, the difference between a 10′ or 15′ office space.
“ICE VR demonstrates how we’re always working to achieve the next level of what’s possible,” says Barrie Loberg, chief technology officer and co-founder of DIRTT and ICE software. “With our game-inspired 3D world of ICE, linking to Oculus Rift and Polhemus was a natural next step for us.”
The ICE VR Experience is currently available at DIRTT’s global headquarters in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and the team is actively working toward making it available in its U.S. locations once Oculus is released to the public.
DIRTT Environmental Solutions (“Doing It Right This Time”) uses its proprietary 3D software to design, manufacture and install fully customized prefab interiors. The company’s customers in the corporate, government, education and healthcare sectors benefit from DIRTT’s precise design and costing; rapid lead times with high levels of customization and flexibility; and faster, cleaner construction. DIRTT’s manufacturing facilities are in Phoenix, Savannah, Kelowna and Calgary, and DIRTT’s teams support 100 Distribution Partners throughout North America, the Middle East and Asia.
