Virtual reality has been a familiar tool in the construction industry for some time now – but a relatively new variant of the technology looks set to make an equally significant impact. While virtual reality creates a digital environment that is a copy of the real world, with “mixed” or “augmented” reality the real and virtual worlds are merged together to produce a three-dimensional environment where physical and digital objects can be visualised co‑existing and interacting in real time.

Such techniques were predicted years ago by popular culture, in the dynamic user interfaces portrayed in films such as Minority Report. However, whereas once this technology was firmly in the realms of science fiction, it has now become a useable tool. As is increasingly the case with technology developments – including those that benefit construction – it is powered by 3D game engineering, a multibillion-pound entertainment sector that now makes more money than the film industry. Mixed reality also joins advancements in fields like cloud computing, machine learning and robotic automation that make up what is called “Industry 4.0”, the trend of automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies.

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