A Review of Collaborative Virtual Reality Systems for the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction Industry

Abstract

In this paper, we focus on interdisciplinary collaboration using intuitive virtual reality interfaces and building information models in the architecture, engineering, and construction industries. These systems have been a topic of research and development for the past ten years; however, there is still no widely open standard format, related software platform, or guidelines that are sufficiently mature; the complexity of such systems is very high. We review existing state-of-the-art interdisciplinary collaborative virtual reality systems, proposing solutions and standards. Thirteen state-of-the-art systems are reviewed and compared to illustrate emerging trends and insufficiencies. It is found that these systems differ significantly with respect to drawing capabilities, photorealism, construction simulation, and interdisciplinary communication. We discover trends in user interfaces that could be evolved to better standards, and provide future guidelines to developers. Combining the best aspects of existing systems, we provide a blueprint for an ideal system that combines the most advanced features for collaborative design.