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Virtual Campus Created with 3D Laser Scanning

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The ‘Virtual Campus’ experience created by students at Ulster University was acclaimed by the judges, who handed the project the Digital Innovation in Asset Management award, sponsored by Digital Construction Week, at the Digital Construction Awards last night (2 July).

From an article in Construction Management by Will Mann.

Virtual Campus is a student-driven project, originating from undergraduate research. It uses a digital workflow to create immersive 3D virtual replicas of key spaces on all Ulster University campuses, allowing users to virtually explore and connect with their campus.

The project’s ambition was to support the health and wellbeing of staff and students around space familiarisation and transition, with a focus on vulnerable students’ mental wellbeing and anxiety levels. The context was the university’s relocation, transferring approximately 15,000 students and staff members from its Jordanstown campus to a newly constructed campus in Belfast City Centre.

Virtual Campus originated from an undergraduate student research project that investigated the use of augmented reality to aid space layout communication for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

The workflow involves the use of laser scanning technology to capture spaces, which are then modelled or updated in Autodesk Revit before high-quality visual and virtual reality outputs are developed, all hosted on an intuitive and cross-platform interface. This workflow is hosted on a cloud-based platform allowing seamless access for team members and replicating real-world practice, providing an exceptional learning experience for the students involved.

A key outcome from the project has been the learning experience. The students involved have developed their knowledge of advanced model authoring in Revit along with family creation and work-sharing practices. They engaged with industry professionals on the process of data capture (using RTC 360), processing (using Cyclone 360) and then application in Revit via Cloudworx, using point clouds for accuracy checking and to aid model development.

Students learnt how to use the Enscape plug-in for Revit to produce VR-compatible outputs, leading on both the workflow development and with end-user engagement, becoming familiar with the operation of viewers such as Oculus Quest and Google Cardboard.

For the complete article CLICK HERE.

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