Distributed Virtual Reality Scheduling in Future Construction Companies

Abstract

The construction industry is the largest simple production industry in the United States. The importance of the construction industry is not limited to the United States. The construction industry plays an important role in the economy of many countries around the globe. However unlike other sectors of the economy, the construction industry is characterized by slow adoption of new technologies. One of these technologies that has not taken an important role in the construction industry is Distributed Virtual Reality (DVR) environments. There are many reasons that justify the slow adoption of DVR environments in the construction industry. One of these reasons is the lack of understanding of the possible uses of DVR environments within the construction industry. This paper summarizes a variety of possible DVR applications within the construction industry. These DVR applications are framed within one of the most common responsibilities of construction professionals scheduling. The DVR applications presented in this paper are intended to sparkle implementations in future construction companies. Therefore, this paper follows a descriptive methodology. This methodology is used because the main goal is to illustrate the potential applications and impacts of this technology in the construction industry. Since DVR applications have not been widely implemented in the construction industry, there is a dearth of statistically significant data to support the benefits of this technology. However, the results of the early developments of this technology summarized in this paper exemplify the potential impacts of DVR environments in the construction industry. Therefore, the DVR applications summarized in this paper have the potential to help construction industry to think outside the box and push the envelope to move into the future construction industry.