Florida-based 3D digital solutions provider Faro Technologies Inc. has released its first augmented reality app for concrete. Flatness Check visualizes slab flatness and levelness to ensure pours are completed on schedule; quality of work is improved; and, expensive rework typical in high-rise residential and office concrete construction is eliminated.
The app integrates with Sphere, Faro’s cloud-based and Software as a Service-enabled ecosystem, and is compatible with several generations of laser scanners, including the new Faro Focus Premium model. Using an iPad, practitioners can document and analyze the flatness and levelness of any concrete slab and share that data with additional project stakeholders. Flatness Check also equips foremen guiding field crews to identify out of tolerance areas within minutes and to fix those deviations while the concrete is fresh. The near real-time troubleshooting ability will ultimately cut costs for contractors and other stakeholders, Faro officials note, adding, “With Flatness Check, schedules are adhered to and other trades can continue their work in a timely and efficient manner.”
“Together with key customers serving as industry experts, Faro has created a unique quality control workflow for the concrete industry with the huge potential to reduce rework and costs,” says Director of Product Management Alistair Wells. “Flatness Check is the first of its kind, embedded into the Faro Sphere ecosystem, and marks the beginning of what will be the rollout of additional construction quality control solutions. By helping the concrete industry prevent waste, reduce materials usage and speed time spent on site, Faro is taking an important step in its corporate sustainability efforts to reduce carbon emissions and ensure greener, cleaner communities wherever our products are in use.”
Intuitive design and superior interface distinguish Flatness Check the most, he explains, as the app fosters maximum usability to a) convey scan data directly to analysis algorithms, and b) generate augmented reality heat maps of a concrete slab. Differentiated colors correspond to specific floor flatness and floor levelness deviations—all detail readily viewable on a standard iPad. The app is fully compatible with Faro Sphere and can trigger scan processing and registration, analyzing all data collected from Focus Premium, M70, S70, S150 and S350 laser scanners.
“The ability to scan, analyze, and view a floor analysis on the jobsite in augmented reality is a complete game changer,” observes Ben Stocker, construction technologist with Skender, Chicago-based general contractor. “It’s a much more immersive experience to all parties consuming the data.” — Faro Technologies Inc., Lake Mary, Fla., www.faro.com or www.holobuilder.com