Trimble Announces FieldLink MR, New Mixed Reality Solution for Construction

Nathan Patton, Product Manager, Trimble spoke with AECCafe Voice about the FieldLink MR, a new mixed reality solution for construction layout that runs on the Trimble XR10 with HoloLens 2.

Trimble Introduces Mixed Reality for Construction Layout with FieldLink MR

Built on the Trimble Connect® collaboration platform, Trimble FieldLink MR offers a completely new way to perform construction layout, enabling professionals to quickly navigate to tasks on the jobsite—getting more done in less time. The app runs on the Trimble® XR10 with HoloLens 2, a hardhat-integrated mixed-reality device.

Trimble demonstrated this new innovation at the International Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigerating (AHR) Expo 2022 in Las Vegas last month.

With Trimble FieldLink MR, field crews can easily visualize construction data without relying on a handheld controller for step-by-step navigation to locate each point. Visual cues presented through the mixed-reality hardhat naturally lead workers directly to each point for them to physically lay out pertinent information on the construction site. Attracting and retaining skilled workers remains a key challenge for many contractors, reducing the complexity of layout in the field will be essential to enable less experienced staff to deliver quality work the first time.

Trimble’s layout and mixed-reality solutions are part of the Trimble Connected Construction ecosystem, leveraging the Trimble Connect collaboration platform. Contractors from different trades and in all phases of the construction lifecycle can work together to enable more automated layout and fabrication. Field productivity solutions are driven directly by constructible data, reducing the need for data conversions and the potential for error. Using constructible data and real-time collaboration, project stakeholders can work together seamlessly, optimizing the design, build and operate lifecycle.

Nathan Patton, Product Manager, Trimble

Do most Trimble construction customers already own the Trimble XR10 with HoloLens or would they most likely be purchasing this for the first time?

No, most construction customers do not have an XR10 with HoloLens 2 yet. There are plenty of people in the construction industry leveraging Mixed Reality with the XR10, but most will not be as of yet. This is a great opportunity for the vast majority to get into MR because FieldLink MR is simply enhancing the workflow that they’re already doing in the field, and adding tangible value to make their job easier and more efficient – while not having to change their underlying tasks or workflows.

As the user lays out construction data or collects new information, the data is saved locally on the XR10. Once the user has completed their tasks, that data is then pushed to the Trimble Connect cloud platform where they can then leverage the same day on their Tablet or other devices and carry on working.

Is the information gathered or added with the FieldLink MR immediately digitalized and available on laptop, iPad, etc?

In today’s workflow, a user would have their 3D data visualized in a 2D tablet connected to the total station. The total station would then provide directions via the tablet in order to guide the user to a precise location within the digital data. These directions would be something like “3.543m forward – 2.454m left” and then the user would have to try and physically translate those directions to the real world and navigate to this point. Once close they’d look at the directions again (now updated to their current position) and continue this little “survey dance” as I call it, side stepping around and guessing distances until they get within their tolerance of maybe 1/4” or less, and then they finally measure the point and mark the ground. Then they repeat this process hundreds or thousands of times.

What features do you feel make doing layout more contextual and natural?

FieldLink MR enables you to simply look out and visualize all of your data. You don’t need directions to get to the point, rather you simply see it out in front of you and are able to walk straight toward it. This cuts out all of that guessing and dancing and makes the navigation significantly easier and more intuitive. Specifically, features such as a guiding beam of light highlighting the point or clear, obvious arrows that guide you to look in the right direction until you can physically see the point are two ways that we provide this natural and intuitive instruction. Once the user gets close to the point, they then see the “fine-tune” arrows that will accurately instruct the user to move exactly “2” left and 3”right” (for example) now so they can perfectly position themselves and find this point to mark out the physical ground.

Finally, in addition to seeing all of these points and being to more easily navigate the job site, users are also able to see their data in true context to the BIM model. Not only do they see their layout points but they see the model and component that is to be built based off those layout points. Now, they have the context to better understand what those data are to be used for and can better understand the process of construction and their role on the job site. Additionally, they are now able to benefit from visualizing the model and can look for any clashes within the data, find any alterations that might need to be made weeks or months ahead of their proposed installation or pre-fabrication thereby saving time, money, materials, and more. The ROI of being able to avoid these delays and rework pays for itself even without the actual layout component to the application!

How long does it take for users to learn to use?

We’re just in the middle of Beta testing and most people are able to pick up mixed reality relatively quickly, maybe a day of playing around and getting used to the new controls and interaction style. But fundamentally, this is the same application they’re used to on the Tablet, at the end of the day this is still FieldLink. So overall, it’s a really intuitive step and our users are able to jump in and get up to speed pretty quickly.

One example of this would be a customer we worked with recently. They’ve never done layout before and they’ve never used mixed reality, after 10 minutes of getting their bearings in the product they were able to go and layout a number of points intuitively and easily. In fact, we then had a race; me on the tablet and them with MR. I won by only 10s, worth noting that I have years of experience with this technology and used to do this for a living before coming to Trimble, meanwhile this user had only had 10 minutes of experience to get going.

What is “constructible data?”

Constructible data is really the idea that our BIM models and construction data has more information behind it than simply a XYZ and a description. But rather, the designed data can be leveraged to provide insight and context into the construction process, enabling everyone in sight to be able to make more informed decisions and constructing their projects with information as a critical asset.

Constructible data removes the ambiguity of lower level of detail designs and provides deeper understanding so that someone can actually go and build off this constructible data.

Availability
Trimble FieldLink MR is expected to be available in the first half of 2022 from Trimble and BuildingPoint™ distribution partners and will be downloadable through the Microsoft Store. For more information, visit:  fieldtech.trimble.com/en/products/layout. The Trimble XR10 with HoloLens 2 is available through Trimble and BuildingPoint distribution partners.

Tags: 3D, AEC, architects, BIM, building design, building information modeling, CAD, construction, engineering, infrastructure, iPad, reality capture, visualization

Categories: 2D, 3D, AEC, AEC training, AECCafe, apps, architecture, BIM, building information modeling, construction, construction project management, engineering, field, field solutions, file sharing, mixed reality, point clouds, project management, site planning, Trimble, virtual reality, visualization

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