Our TRON moment: BIM.Technologies is working on the Oculus Rift

So, Space Group CEO Rob Charlton, what do you think of version 2 of the Oculus Rift development kit now that you've had a turn?


That's a thumbs up, we think.
 

And you, Paul Broadfoot? What do you think of the ability to walk around a building, checking it for design flaws and other irregularities, before work has even started on site? Because that's precisely what BIM.Technologies is aiming for in its experiments with the hardware. Work's already started converting one of our BIM-enabled projects into a full-size model the user can move around in. You like that?

Another thumbs up

Like Google Glass, Space Group sees Oculus Rift as a vehicle for change in the construction industry. With it, architects can now examine their proposals inside out. Walking around the virtual form of a building allows us to gauge its more intangible elements - like atmosphere - meaning we can make changes based on our experiences inside the headset.

Using the Rift in conjunction with existing software, we hope to further reduce risk and waste, and we're not averse to having fun whilst doing it. Space Group's _space Architects division was the first architectural business to only deliver information in 3D, and in purchasing a Rift we intend to be among the first to scope out the new possibilities presented to us.

It's worth enthusing, too, about just how absorbing a few minutes spent in the Rift can be. Our early sojourns into virtual reality have seen us strut around spaceships, awed by the images of space in the cockpit. Obviously, the projects we'll be working on are grounded in reality, and an amble through the corridors of a real-world building was, whilst not as fantastical, still popular.

We'll bring you more news on our grand adventure with the Rift soon. Excited for that, BIMcrunch Editor Jack White?

Yep...