The problem AR-BIM-Modeling solves

The number one problem with this is that the information located in the BIM project isn’t available to workers when they need it. For example, imagine we are at a construction site where the ground floor reinforcement is being laid. Today all that information that the steel fixer needs is (generally) stored in a set of A1 drawings in the site office. These drawings have been pulled from a BIM model and then edited to adhere to a set of drawing standards that are understandable to the human eye. I know from my drafting days that this means that much of the information in the model is lost when it is transferred to a 2D drawing. It makes no sense to develop a digital model, filled with useful information that can improve safety, scheduling, project management processes and quality; and then we strip all that information out, simple because we have no better way. But it has to be done, because what’s the alternative?

At this time there is no practical way to make this model and all its information available to those who need it.
Research shows, that by giving a worker task-specific information he is better informed, and less distracted by other information, improving the quality of his work and reducing the chance of errors. In addition to this, many specialised workers only attend the site for a short period of time and then leave, meaning they have no understanding of the overall project context. By providing them with on-demand, context-aware information, they are empowered to make better decisions and improve efficiency.

It has also been proven that AR has the ability to implement BIM in such a way that information is more easily retrieved, reducing errors during assembly, communication improvements and problem solving improvements.

Challenges we ran into

But does the electrician care about what type of plants are being planted in the garden? Obviously not. Each worker is served only the information that is relevant to them.

How is this information served? It can be done in a number of ways. The first option is to digitally show them the 2D plans in front of their eyes (this might be helpful for introducing this to users uncomfortable with this new technology). The second option is to overlay the required design on top of the real world in 3D at full size scale. The electrician can see exactly where wires need to be located, which wires are required etc. It almost like a giant paint by numbers at this point.