Virtual reality as integration environments for facilities management: Application and users perception
Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management
ISSN: 0969-9988
Article publication date: 19 February 2018
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the use of virtual reality environments (VRE) for maintenance activities by augmenting a virtual facility representation and integrating relevant information regarding the status of systems and the space itself, while providing simple ways to control them.
Design/methodology/approach
The research focuses in the implementation of a VRE prototype of a building management system using game engine technologies. To evaluate the prototype, a usability study has been conducted that contrasts the virtual reality interface with a corresponding legacy application showing the users perception in terms of productivity improvement of facilities management (FM) tasks.
Findings
The usability tests conducted indicated that VREs have the potential to increase the productivity in maintenance tasks. Users without training demonstrated a high degree of engagement and performance operating a VRE interface, when compared with that of a legacy application. The potential drop in user time and increase in engagement with a VRE will eventually translate into lower cost and to an increase in quality.
Originality/value
To date no commonly accepted data model has been proposed to serve as the integrated data model to support facility operation. Although BIM models have gained increased acceptance in architecture engineering and construction activities they are not fully adequate to support data exchange in the post-handover (operation) phase. The presented research developed and tested a prototype able to handle and integrate data in a flexible and dynamic way, which is essential in management activities underlying FM.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge the anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions. This work was supported by national funds through Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) with reference UID/CEC/50021/2013.
Citation
Carreira, P., Castelo, T., Gomes, C.C., Ferreira, A., Ribeiro, C. and Costa, A.A. (2018), "Virtual reality as integration environments for facilities management: Application and users perception", Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, Vol. 25 No. 1, pp. 90-112. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-09-2016-0198
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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