Abstract:

A growing number of buildings is projected to become increasingly smarter in the future due to the increasing benefits of the applications of augmented reality, such as increases in operational efficiencies without significantly driving up the  costs. This study explored the application of augmented reality in building management systems using an exploratory industry-based case study approach to examine how augmented reality can add value to the business of building management. Although there already exists a number of companies experimenting with augmented reality, little implementation has gone beyond the pilot project phase. This may be attributed mainly to the hardware and software limitations of the technologies – especially when running augmented reality applications on mobile phones. Limitations such as the need for low latency and smarter object recognition as well as the lack of standards in the development of augmented reality applications across various devices all contribute to the technology’s slow adoption. This paper examines viable implementations of augmented reality in building management and presents a solution that can bring tangible benefits to the building management services sector. The architecture and technologies used in the case study are discussed and recommendations on how the proposed solution can be implemented and further tested are made.