Augmented Reality Communication in Construction: Factors Present in Uncontrolled Environments

The construction industry requires effective communication between project stakeholders in various locations. This communication can be facilitated through in person site visits or phone calls, but these methods can also lead to wasted travel time and misunderstandings from omitting critical site details, respectively. Theoretically, Augmented Reality (AR) can be as effective as in person site meetings. The vast majority of studies that have explored AR, for communication, have done so in controlled environments. This work investigates the efficacy of AR calls in uncontrolled settings (i.e., construction sites), by interviewing practitioner participants to identify common beneficial and detrimental behaviors and perceptions. Furthermore, the author examines the factors that might impact exchanges between people using AR as a tool of communication. The combination of these findings concludes that AR is effective in supporting remote communication between multiple locations. The contribution of this work is in documenting the challenges and opportunities of using AR in a live construction environment, where factors may be present that have not yet been studied by researchers exploring AR in a controlled setting. This contribution will guide subsequent academic research, as well as practical adoption of emerging AR tools in the industry.