The Evolution of Interactivity, Immersion and Interoperability in HBIM: Digital Model Uses, VR and AR for Built Cultural Heritage

Today, a building is not just a “body” or a “machine” as defined by modern architecture, but rather an immaterial entity immersed in a digital world where not only its components but also the information associated with it are accounted for. In recent decades, building information modelling (BIM) has made it possible to move from 2D CAD drawings to 3D models capable of supporting different processes and interacting with different disciplines in the AEC industry for storing, documenting and sharing heterogeneous content. It has thus become possible to direct these techniques towards built heritage to investigate new forms of communication and share heritage building information modelling (HBIM) models. This research investigates this evolution in both generative terms (scan-to-BIM process) and cultural and historical terms in order to orient BIM uses towards novel forms of interactivity and immersion between users and models. The author proposes the use of a digital process and the development of VR and AR environments based on a visual programming language (VPL) to improve access to a deeper knowledge of HBIM models and the artefacts and information contained therein.

Exploration or Multipurpose Electric Vehicle for Agriculture Using IOT

Objectives: Objective: In this paper suggests a multipurpose portable type agricultural vehicle which can perform many functions of agriculture like seed sowing, water sprinkling and fertilizer spraying using a single agricultural vehicle. In the present scenario the agriculture is becoming of less interest even for the skilled people due to the increase in capital cost and decrease in the selling price. It is the time for introducing different machines with less human interference and also better with automated vehicles. There are different modern machines/tools that are accessible to farmers in order to perform various functions in agriculture. Each machine/tool can perform its own intended function. Methods: This agricultural vehicle is an automated vehicle where the control is based on IOT and can be controlled remotely. The proposed system involves PMDC motors as a driving mechanism and servomotor is used for controlling the output. The entire mechanism is controlled by NImyRIO embedded system. The programming of NImyRIO is developed using LabVIEW which is a visual programming language for easy user interface. Results & Conclusions: This exploration of multipurpose unmanned electric vehicle surely paves the ways to smart implementation scheme to the agriculture society including tobacco plantations.

Head for the Hills

<p><b>In the context of urban design, generative design has been examined as a tool for expansion or optimisation of existing urban networks. This optimisation uses information such as geometry of the existing urban fabric and available space for expansion. However, very little research exists into designing around terrain factors, instead usually opting to consider difficult terrain as simply a boundary for network expansion. </b></p> <p>This research seeks to answer the question ‘How can generative design improve the way urban networks are designed in complex terrain?’ It does this by creating a tool that can interpret any terrain information, and with simple designer input, can create conceptual urban schemes in complex terrain. </p> <p>The tool is developed using visual programming language Grasshopper, an extension for the Rhinoceros3D modelling software. Its development and proof-of-concept scheme are executed in Wellington, New Zealand. The city is one uniquely situated between harbour and steep hills, leading to several typologies of hillside urban schemes to use as precedent and comparison with the tool’s outputs. The Wellington City Council Urban Growth Plan anticipates an increase of 80,000 people in the next 30 years, and the city requires additional areas to house the growing population. </p> <p>Through a discussion of urban theory and existing generative design exemplars, the thesis settles on an urban grid-based logic for the tool. The thesis then records the process of designing the tool, using a Wellington site as a base for development. </p> <p>Evaluation of the tool is undertaken using space syntax theory as a key framework, as well as qualitative comparisons with existing hill suburbs in Wellington.</p>

Head for the Hills

<p><b>In the context of urban design, generative design has been examined as a tool for expansion or optimisation of existing urban networks. This optimisation uses information such as geometry of the existing urban fabric and available space for expansion. However, very little research exists into designing around terrain factors, instead usually opting to consider difficult terrain as simply a boundary for network expansion. </b></p> <p>This research seeks to answer the question ‘How can generative design improve the way urban networks are designed in complex terrain?’ It does this by creating a tool that can interpret any terrain information, and with simple designer input, can create conceptual urban schemes in complex terrain. </p> <p>The tool is developed using visual programming language Grasshopper, an extension for the Rhinoceros3D modelling software. Its development and proof-of-concept scheme are executed in Wellington, New Zealand. The city is one uniquely situated between harbour and steep hills, leading to several typologies of hillside urban schemes to use as precedent and comparison with the tool’s outputs. The Wellington City Council Urban Growth Plan anticipates an increase of 80,000 people in the next 30 years, and the city requires additional areas to house the growing population. </p> <p>Through a discussion of urban theory and existing generative design exemplars, the thesis settles on an urban grid-based logic for the tool. The thesis then records the process of designing the tool, using a Wellington site as a base for development. </p> <p>Evaluation of the tool is undertaken using space syntax theory as a key framework, as well as qualitative comparisons with existing hill suburbs in Wellington.</p>

INTERACTIVE VIRTUAL OBJECTS (IVOs) FOR NEXT GENERATION OF VIRTUAL MUSEUMS: FROM STATIC TEXTURED PHOTOGRAMMETRIC AND HBIM MODELS TO XR OBJECTS FOR VR-AR ENABLED GAMING EXPERIENCES

Virtual museums should not live on the internet through traditional applications sharing collections through simple panoramas or static images and descriptions but reach novel innovative and interactive forms of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR), providing a more creative, intimate, personal learning experience. For this reason, the authors propose a method based on advanced Information Technologies (IT) to fully return the tangible and intangible values of different type of works of art. The primary purpose of this study is to create a system of virtual environments through which the digital user, mainly the visitor of an unconventional museum, will be able to physically interact, through visual and tactile methods, with 3D digital models of sculptures, information, and art objects. Thanks to the integration of the latest 3D modelling and digital survey techniques with the Visual Programming Language (VPL) and eXteded Reality (XR) development platforms, authors propose new levels of interactivity between users and Interactive Virtual Objects (IVOs) capable of coming to life, sharing new forms of real-time human-computer interaction for VR-AR enabled gaming experiences and virtual museums, using multiple devices such VR headset, web-based AR platforms, mobile phones, tablets, and PC workstation.

Multi-objective building design optimisation using acoustics and daylighting

Daylighting and acoustics parameters are related to each other in terms of material usage, specifically for window openings. However, no study has included acoustics and daylighting as objectives in the multi-objective optimisation models. In this study, this relationship was included to the optimisation process of generating building conceptual form. A model was developed to optimise the form of a building using acoustics, daylighting and floor area as the objectives. Daylight autonomy parameter for daylighting performance and C50 (speech clarity), reverberation time, Speech Transmission Index parameters for acoustic performance were used in the model which was created with visual programming language. Case studies were conducted with the model, and the results were discussed. Maximising speech clarity and maximising annual daylighting in the space were determined as objectives for the building form optimisation process in the case studies.

HYBRID GIS-BIM APPROACH FOR THE TORINO DIGITAL-TWIN: THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A FLOOR-LEVEL 3D CITY GEODATABASE

The research tries to present a preliminary work into geo-spatial management of public administration assets thanks to interoperability of BIM-GIS models, related to urban scale scenarios. The strategy proposed tries to deepen the management, conversion and integration of databases related to public assets and particularly schools building, and related them into city-related geo-databases. The methodology, based on the real scenario of Torino Municipality and their needs addressed in recent studies in collaboration with FULL – Future Urban Legacy Lab from Politecnico di Torino, take advantage from the availability of two test dataset at different scale, with different potential and bottlenecks. The idea of developing a 3D digital twin of Torino actually stop long before the 3D city modelling only, but rather we have to deal with the integration and harmonization of existing databases. These data collections are often coming from different updating and based on non-homogeneous languages and data models. The data are often in table format and managed by different offices and as many management systems. Moreover, recently public administrations as the one of Torino, have increase availability of BIM models, especially for public assets, which need to be known, archived, and localized in a geographic dimension in order to benefit from the real strategic potential of a spatial-enabled facility management platform as Digital Twin. Combining the use of parametric modeler software (Revit) and visual programming language (Dynamo), the proposed methodology tries to elaborate rules on a set of shared language parameters (characterizing the buildings as attributes in both datasets: ID; address; construction; floors; rooms dimensions, use, floor; height; glass surfaces). This is tested as conversion workflow between the Municipality DB and the BIM model. This solution firstly allows the interaction and query between models, and then it proposes open issues once the enriched BIM model is imported into the geographical dimension of the Torino 3D city model Digital Twin (ArcGIS Pro platform), according to LOD standards, and enriched with semantic components from municipality DB.

Human–Computer Interaction Based on Scan-to-BIM Models, Digital Photogrammetry, Visual Programming Language and eXtended Reality (XR)

In recent years, the advent of the latest-generation technologies and methods have made it possible to survey, digitise and represent complex scenarios such as archaeological sites and historic buildings. Thanks to computer languages based on Visual Programming Language (VPL) and advanced real-time 3D creation platform, this study shows the results obtained in eXtended Reality (XR) oriented to archaeological sites and heritage buildings. In particular, the scan-to-BIM process, digital photogrammetry (terrestrial and aerial) were oriented towards a digitisation process able to tell and share tangible and intangible values through the latest generation techniques, methods and devices. The paradigm of the geometric complexity of the built heritage and new levels of interactivity between users and digital worlds were investigated and developed to favour the transmissibility of information at different levels of virtual experience and digital sharing with the aim to archive, tell and implement historical and cultural baggage that over the years risks being lost and not told to future generations.