Virtual Reality technology | A historic moment for the industry?

The Construction Industry has a proud history of innovating, developing and ultimately shaping the world around us. Each period in history is defined by its own unique construction projects and architecture, which is testament to the impact that the industry has on the everyday lives of billions of people across the globe. 

The secret to the Construction industry’s success arguably lies in its constant ability to keep pace with the latest technology and innovations and reflect those in the structures and buildings that follow. Fast forward to 2018, and it’s the subject of Virtual Reality (VR) that’s dominating the tech space. From healthcare, entertainment, education and even aerospace, VR is a key component in today’s world, which is why the Construction industry needs to catch up. 

FULmax, developed by UK based Fulcro, has embraced the VR revolution and delivered a truly innovative solution that enables customers to view their construction projects in a fully immersive 3D, 360 degrees VR environment. This technology, for the first time, provides the Construction industry with the ability to connect with every part of their project and ultimately improve efficiency and deliver significantly improved results. 

The innovative nature of FULmax, and its capability, helped attract the attention of Bentley, who are global software solutions providers to the Infrastructure and Construction industries. Bentley are constantly pushing the boundaries when it comes to the importance of technology in Construction projects and how smart software can help engineers, architects and constructors to accelerate their project delivery and performance.

As such, Bentley have been working with Fulcro to implement its FULmax technology at some of its landmark events throughout 2018. Already this year, FULmax has been showcased at Bentley’s own prestigious ‘Year in Infrastructure’ conference and at the ICE 200 ‘Invisible Superhero’ exhibition, with plans in place for the technology to be utilised at its London Academy. 

The objective of these actions is a shared belief by both businesses, that the VR technology provided by FULmax is a genuinely historic development that can provide significant solutions to many of the challenges that often lead to projects missing deadlines and running over-budget. By becoming at one with a project, as the FULmax’s fully immersive 360 3D experience allows, there’s an ability for Project Managers to efficiently eliminate the small mistakes and errors that so often prove costly.

Alan Arthur, Operations Manager, Fulcro, said: “We have always been committed to our philosophy of innovation and delivering truly impactful solutions to the industry, and from this ethos we were able to develop and create FULmax. However, it’s been a challenge to convince the industry how this technology can truly benefit their projects and not only provide a truly unique immersive experience, but also deliver significant return on investment in the long run. Therefore, it’s been fantastic to establish a close relationship with Bentley and their support throughout 2018 has helped us change the way the industry thinks when it comes to VR technology and the benefits it can provide. 

“Looking forward, I’m really excited about the potential that FULmax possesses. We want to shout about the real difference we can affect through our technology and how FULmax offers a life-line to an industry that has recently been portrayed as archaic and insular in the media due to some high-profile and costly mistakes.” 

Jim Norton, Strategic Liaison for CEO at Bentley Systems commented….“The ability for all of the members of a project team to collaborate and coordinate in a single immersive space to review and improve the “Digital Twin” that they are creating using Bentley Software is truly remarkable.”