DataMesh Director 5.3 optimized the user experience and added a variety of new features to help users build digital twin content more quickly and easily.
New features of DataMesh Studio
The function of the viewpoint square in the scene area is added. A 3D viewpoint square will be displayed in the upper right corner of the scene area to show the direction of the current scene. By clicking the square, you can adjust the viewpoint direction.
The new shortcut key “Delete” is used to delete the character (Windows platform).
New shortcut keys “←” and “→” for switching the previous/next Stage.
Add a new scene axis tool, which is enabled in “Settings” → “Accessibility” → “Drag and Drop Navigation”, helping users to drag and drop characters in the scene in a straight line.
Add a new dynamic guide widget. In “Resource Library” → “Components” → “Guidance”, used to mark the road map in the scene, currently supports 4 image forms.
Add a new arrow model library. In the “Resource Library” → “Arrow”, used for marking in the scene, currently 7 new arrow model materials.
Add special effects gadgets for electricity, water, fire, and smoke. In “Library” → “Effects”, currently supports modifying the effect color, life cycle, initial speed, number of particles, direction, and other parameters adjustment.
New features of DataMesh One
New support for displaying dynamic guidance gadgets.
New support for displaying electricity, water, fire, and smoke effects gadgets.
In addition, we have also optimized server-side experiences, including
The ability for enterprise administrators to configure the default model acceleration platform to save model acceleration time
New acceleration status column on the user resource details page to make the model acceleration status more intuitive
DataMesh Director 5.3 has been published on all supported platform app stores. Customers who have purchased DataMesh SaaS services can directly upgrade DataMesh Studio and DataMesh One client.
DataMesh released the preview version of DataMesh Inspector (hereafter referred to as Inspector), an inspection and maintenance toolkit powered by digital twin and mixed reality for construction, transport hub management, facility operations, and manufacturing industries. By superposing BIM and real-time data to construction sites and facilities via AR, Inspector visualizes digital twin data in the real world and enables fast inspection throughout the entire life cycle of buildings and facilities. Inspector is also a portal to enterprise metaverse platform DataMesh FactVerse. It allows users to inspect every piece of digital information behind any real-world entity by mixed reality in the near future.
Inspector superposes BIM models to construction sites in 1:1 ratio
Inspector provides a variety of functions, such as construction problem marking, dynamic loading of BIM, inspection recording, allowing project supervisors, operations, and maintenance professionals to cope with everyday challenges in construction and operations scenarios, like the inconvenience of viewing BIM drawing on-site, difficulties of concealed construction inspection. The users can project their BIM design to the work site in a 1:1 ratio with simply a mobile device, quickly identifying the differences between the design and the implementation. Users can also check the layout of concealed works (like gas, electricity, water, radiators, and other utilities).
DataMesh Inspector Preview provides the following features:
Positioning: Users can add multiple positioning markers, i.e., Inspector Markers, in their BIM models. By scanning the QR code of the Marker on-site, users can project the corresponding scene to the construction site immediately.
Recording: During an on-site inspection, users can record a comparison image of the 3D view of their BIM superposed to the on-site scene anytime, add descriptions (such as describing construction problems) and upload them for later inspection review and issue resolution.
Dynamic Loading: Dynamically load and display BIM content based on positioning markers and user’s movements.
Inspector dynamically loads BIM content as the user moves
Content Layering: Support displaying and hiding of BIM information for layered display
Project Information Panel: Users can view detailed project information of an object by clicking it in the model.
Management: Users can create project workgroups to manage scene resources. Construction supervisors, project managers, designers, and front-line workers can enter Inspector App anytime to view the design and communicate for the next steps.
Offline Mode: Support caching of scene resources. In offline mode, users can access all functions, such as browsing the complete BIM information, viewing detailed object information, and adding inspection records.
Visualizing BIM in the real world and rapidly inspecting parts enables improvements in inspection efficiency, construction productivity, and quality.
Inspector helps address concealed work inspection challenges
About DataMesh
DataMesh is a high-tech innovator specialized in building Enterprise Metaverse with Digital Twin and XR technology. DataMesh FactVerse helps organizations leverage CAD, BIM, IoT, knowledge, and process data to create a digital twin platform, connecting the digital and the real world. DataMesh empowers front-line workers in manufacturing, construction, and operations, improving their management and execution capabilities. DataMesh works alongside customers across China, Japan, Southeast Asia, Australia, North America, and more markets, where many constructions and manufacturing companies have adopted DataMesh software.
NTT DOCOMO started to sell DataMesh Director to enterprise customers from January 31, 2022, as a collaborative solution for 5G in Japan. The solution was selected as the Most Valuable Solution Award winner in the “docomo 5G DX AWARDS® 2021”.
Its main feature is that users can create Digital Twin + XR content (AR/MR content) as quickly as editing PowerPoint, and project it in conjunction with real space with just one click.
Especially in the construction and manufacturing industries, the introduction of XR promises to give team members an instant, common visual understanding of work schedules and status. By eliminating the added cost of complex XR programming requirements and reducing the lengthy time for XR customization implementations, DataMesh Director makes it possible for XR solutions to be used daily within the enterprise.
XR content created with DataMesh Director overlaid on real buildings to check the progress
A specific example of the effect of the solution’s introduction is the improvement of construction efficiency and reduction of project management costs in the construction industry. With DataMesh Director, this complex approach, which once required repeated confirmation of design drawings for construction management, is now eliminated, accelerating the common understanding of work procedures by all parties involved through the sharing of stereoscopic projections of real space. Even some examples show that the total project duration has been reduced by 60-70% by preventing errors and reducing rework.
DOCOMO will provide DataMesh Director in conjunction with 5G, which enables stable transmission of XR content to tablets, smart glasses, and other devices through high-bandwidth, low-latency communications. 5G makes it possible for all parties to agree on work information anytime and anywhere.
DOCOMO will continue to contribute to creating new value and solving social problems by providing products, technologies, and services that utilize 5G networks, including this solution, in an effort to make customers’ lives more convenient and fulfilling.
Xiaoqi Wang, Managing Director of DataMesh Japan
The in-depth cooperation with NTT DOCOMO, the number one mobile operator in Japan, will further expand the reach of DataMesh Digital Twin products in the Japanese market. Combined with DOCOMO’s 5G network and nationwide sales channels for commercial customers, DataMesh Director is expected to provide powerful support for frontline digital transformation for more Japanese enterprises. We plan to further expand our market share with DOCOMO in traditional industries such as manufacturing and construction in the short term.
We look forward to combining DOCOMO’s infrastructure, big data, and other assets to jointly create an industrial metaverse service that fits the Japanese market in the future.
Digital Twin + MR predicting and verifying changes in site construction processes and methods
Toda and DataMesh today announced the use of BIM and Mixed Reality (“MR”) technology to simulate the construction of the SAGA Arena, which is the main venue for the 2024 Japan National and Paralympic Games. DataMesh Director is currently being used to improve construction efficiency at the SAGA Arena construction site, with data transmission utilizing a 5G communication network provided by NTT DOCOMO.
At the construction site of SAGA Arena, the steel frame is being inspected through Mixed Reality.
Project background
How to quickly understand and reflect the polyhedral shape of the building’s interior and exterior was one of the main problems encountered during construction. Based on the BIM 3D model created during front-loading, engineers used DataMesh Director to create the corresponding digital twin + MR content to reflect in the real world the location and method of installation of various components on the construction drawings. By projecting the virtual model onto the live view of the construction site while the steel frame was being erected, the engineers were able to quickly verify the process work methods and share the information with the team members working on the project.
＜MR simulation of the process at the SAGA Arena construction site
Project managament
The Front Installation Promotion Department supports the site by using 3D tools such as BIM to solve problems. The purpose of MR projection is to show the project to interested parties and to verify the process during steel structure installation by MR projection of BIM models.
The total area of the SAGA Arena is approximately 34,000 square meters, and in order to apply MR to this unprecedentedly large building, it was necessary to create separate models for each part of the building. To better understand the overall image of the building, including the steel frame, PCa, and finishes, we used a translucent MR model and switched between the different parts.
In the future, we will further improve the positioning method and add the missing data. This project is a great opportunity to show stakeholders the visualization of the project in construction is a great opportunity for project owners, designers, neighbors, and construction workers to experience the project first hand.
Takizawa Satoru (滝沢 暁, Project Manager, Front Decoration Promotion Department, Toda Corporation)
Inspecting boundaries on-site through MR
Construction site
The biggest advantage of MR projection on the construction site is that it allows us to “visualize” the information in the design and construction drawings at the real size and in a real location, which is crucial to the progress of construction on the site.
It is difficult to visualize the finished product in 3D when looking at 2D drawings, especially for those who do not usually have access to building construction, and it can be difficult to fill in the gaps in the imagination. However, by using MR projections, it is possible to confirm with the client or designer at an early stage of the construction process the scale of the actual building and how it will fit into the cityscape. This will prevent any rework due to imagined discrepancies.
MR projection is also effective in communicating with subcontractors and workers involved in the actual construction. By creating and reviewing 3D models of each stage of the construction process, such as steel frame models and finishing models, information can be shared step by step, and consideration can be given to how construction should proceed at each stage. By overlaying the 3D models of MR projections onto the actual work on-site, it is possible to check whether the actual work is correct and how it is progressing, which is also effective for managing construction work.
As mentioned above, MR projection is expected to prevent rework, errors, and unnecessary work on-site, which will ultimately lead to increased productivity. In the future, we hope to continue to validate its effectiveness.
Namatame Keita (生田目 啓太, Vice President of SAGA Sunrise Park Arena, Kyushu Branch, Toda Corporation)
About DataMesh Director
DataMesh Director is one of the products of DataMesh’s digital twin platform Real Universe Factverse, developed based on the concept of “democratization of XR technology implementation”. In the construction industry, because there are countless different processes and work methods for different construction projects, there is a need for an MR solution that allows users to easily create their own applications. The DataMesh Director-based digital twin collaboration solution for construction can collaborate with BIM, IoT, and other data to create mixed-reality content and applications spontaneously and quickly by users, and can also be shared with remote users. DataMesh Director is now widely used on construction sites in Japan to improve labor productivity.
DataMesh 株式会社 (https://www.datamesh.co.jp/)
DataMesh provides the world’s most advanced digital twin technology. Most recently, DataMesh was the first Asian company to be named a finalist for the 2020 Microsoft Partner of the Year Award in the Mixed Reality category for its proven track record. We also won the top award at the 2021 Docomo 5G DX AWARDS held by NTT DOCOMO, INC. DataMesh has been supporting the promotion of BIM/CIM in the construction industry and enhancing solutions to current social issues by improving the efficiency of construction process management.
Toda Corporation 戸田建設株式会社 (https://www.toda.co.jp/)
Toda Corporation is a general construction company founded in 1881. Toda’s main businesses are construction, civil engineering, investment, and development, as well as the operations of its domestic group companies in Japan and new business areas. In the construction field, Toda has been involved in the construction of hospitals, schools, skyscraper office buildings, and arenas. In the civil engineering field, we focus on mountain tunnels. In 2021, we set our “CX150 Future Vision” to “realize a society of collaborative creation as a gatekeeper of values” as a society and people’s values change and as the role of the company changes.
DataMesh, a digital twin platform provider, completed a B1 round of nearly RMB 100 million funding. This round of financing was led by Cornerstone Fund (a venture capital platform of Beijing Infrastructure Investment Corporation) and followed by Lenovo Capital and Incubator Group and other institutions. eCapital acted as the exclusive financial advisor in the transaction. The successful closing of this transaction marks the full recognition of standardized software companies in the digital twin space by the capital market.
Founded in Seattle, DataMesh is a high-tech company focused on digital twin platform technology. The company’s philosophy is to use digital twin technology to help ordinary people become experts, improve the capabilities of frontline personnel and optimize the productivity structure of society. DataMesh Digital Twin platform can quickly connect CAD/BIM/IoT and knowledge data, combine with mixed reality technology (XR/MR), create industrial and construction scenarios in the Enterprise Metaverse. The apps can realize the last mile of data-to-people cost reduction and efficiency for enterprises.
Unlike many solution integrators, DataMesh’s digital twin platform provides native data security assurance and stable product sustain engineering services. The platform also supports multi-person remote collaboration in the cloud, adapts to various display devices and AR glasses, and is expected to grow into a standard application platform for frontline personnel in the digital twin era.
DataMesh digital twin platform has been widely used in discrete manufacturing, building construction, operation and maintenance industries, supporting training, inspection, maintenance, assembly, construction, supervision, and other scenarios. DataMesh took an international approach to product development from the beginning. The SaaS services have been adopted by dozens of manufacturing and construction companies in Japan, Singapore, and Australia.
The digital twin originated in the field of manufacturing industry, summarized by NASA, and its development has undergone decades of rounds of changes as technology continues to advance. Gradually expanding from professionals-only in the past to frontline applications, digital twins have begun to expand from industrial design simulation and manufacturing to diverse industries such as operation training, smart construction, and smart cities. The new generation of digital twin applications focuses more on improving production efficiency, optimizing decision paths, cross-regional support, and real-time command and dispatch, thus bringing social values of energy-saving and emission reduction, employment enhancement, risk prevention, and productivity optimization.
Jie Li, founder and CEO of DataMesh, said: “We firmly believe that the digital twin is ultimately for the people. To make the digital twin available to everyone everywhere, enhance everyone’s capabilities, and benefit the 400 million industrial workers in China and 2 billion worldwide, we need to build solid foundations, eventually create an authentic enterprise metaverse.”
Shaobo Qin, the Managing Partner of Cornerstone Ventures, said: In order to implement the strategy of manufacturing power, the country is accelerating the integration and development of new-generation information technology and manufacturing technology to comprehensively improve the intelligence level of enterprise R&D, production, management, and service, which is a historical opportunity brought by the technological revolution and the reshaping of the global industrial landscape. DataMesh is committed to providing useful, usable, and easy-to-use digital twin products for frontline employees in the manufacturing industry to comprehensively improve the intelligence level of enterprises, and has been proven in multiple industries and scenarios with remarkable results. Cornerstone Venture Capital is the only venture capital platform under Beijing Infrastructure Investment Company Limited (“BII”), which relies on its strong manufacturing and information technology industry background to discover and layout early-stage technology enterprises. The company will help DataMesh expand digital twin technology from manufacturing and construction to more areas of infrastructure construction, thus promoting industrial digital transformation in related fields.
Zhiqiang He, Senior Vice President of Lenovo Group and President of Lenovo Capital and Incubator Group, said: DataMesh is the pioneer of Digital Twin+XR technology and has built the leading digital twin PaaS and SaaS platform in China, the product realizes zero code and can be collaborated, significantly reducing the difficulty of use, and has been widely used in the fields of after-sales, training and construction; the team has a high international vision, and has expanded rapidly and commercialized significantly in the past year. Lenovo has been investing in the smart industry track for a long time. We will help DataMesh become the new infrastructure in the field of industrial digital twin with the industrial advantages of Lenovo Group, and promote the digital and intelligent transformation of various industries such as manufacturing, energy, and Smart City.
DataMesh has won again! DataMesh Director the digital twin platform by DataMesh 株式会社 (DataMesh) won the highest award in docomo 5G DX AWARDS in 2021 by NTT DOCOMO, INC, and NTT DOCOMO VENTURES, INC. This is the 2nd award won by DataMesh in the week following the 2nd prize in the 2021 HICOOL Global Entrepreneurship Competition.
The award aims to create new solutions for 5G by consolidating and recognizing the unique assets (technology, products, and services) of various companies that are in affinity with 5G.
The award-winning DataMesh Director digital twin platform solution promotes the “democratization” of XR technology (enable XR to be accessible to everyone). DataMesh Director enables users without 3D development expertise to quickly participate in the creation and implementation of digital twins and XR content. During the competition, the concept of “democratization of XR”, the accessibility of XR technology, and the ability of the solution to help drive digital transformation across industries was highly appraised.
Kensho Kashimada, Marketing and Sales Manager, DataMesh.
Since its incorporation, DataMesh has been providing the world’s most advanced digital twin technology. DataMesh has been nominated for the first time in the Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards 2020 under the Mixed Reality category for its robust performance. Through digitalized matching of products, equipment, work manuals, construction procedures, workflows, etc., strengthen efforts to solve current social problems by achieving “new ways of non-face-to-face working” and “improving the efficiency and effectiveness of front-line workers”.
For more information, please contact our Japan department
After 18 months of polishing, DataMesh Director 5 just gets released! Compared with the earlier version, Director 5 enables users to build better digital twin workflows. Some notable changes:
Significantly improved BIM capabilities, allowing digital twin applications to span construction, supervision, and operation
Optimized editing experience, making digital twin content generation more convenient
Improved enterprise data security feature, making digital twin more secure on the cloud
Looking back at Director 4, we released the SaaS version of DataMesh Digital Twin Cloud Services (DCS) digital twin platform applications. The platform enabled better-standardized support capability in manufacturing training, after-sales, and construction. Our global customers have reached 100. Now with DataMesh Director 5, we will further enhance the ability to build BIM-based large-space digital twin scenarios, the ability to connect BOM and IoT platforms, and the ability to create hybrid deployments. The improvements will enable complex digital twin systems to become readily available anytime, anywhere.
Improved BIM Support
Multi-level sub-object editing and import In DataMesh Director 5, users can pre-select the structural information of sub-objects when uploading 3D models in the new DataMesh Importer. In this way, DataMesh Studio can handle multi-level sub-object models more efficiently after importing, which is convenient for users to create content based on object structure.
Support multi-space positioning Marker Under the new positioning mode of DataMesh Studio, multiple positioning markers are now supported within the digital twin scene. Markers can be printed on paper to enable positioning for cell phones and AR glasses. By scanning the Marker, users can quickly create the virtual-real combination of any location in DataMesh One and retrieve the digital twin content in building construction, maintenance, and operation.
Model masking function When editing a scene, objects can be set to transparent, retaining their spatial location information and outlines, forming a mask for the virtual image behind them. The mask function allows users to accurately present virtual scene content in multiple directions when building scenes while avoiding the obstruction of the virtual image to the line of sight in the experience. Content creators can use it for better expression of large space scenes and fine-grained content.
Visual datum and ground transparency Director 5 adds a visual datum concept and provides ground transparency options, enables users to manipulate BIM more efficiently. In DataMesh Studio, the datum can be easily moved by Shift+mouse pull, and the view rotation point is always at the center of the datum. The non-MR mode of One side also supports a similar operation. DataMesh Studio also added a ground transparency option. The transparency of the ground can be adjusted during editing, helping the users view the part below the horizontal plane, for example, buildings and corridors.
Optimized Content Creation Experience
DataMesh Importer The 3D model and resource import function is now a standalone application, DataMesh Importer, to optimize content creation workflow. You can download it from Microsoft Store and Mac App Store. New content can now be uploaded and optimized without exiting Studio’s editing mode. Self-service 3D model cloud conversion service is currently in internal testing in our Japan region. It will be available in the other regions later this year.
Script objects support quick copy and paste
When editing content in DataMesh Studio, users can now use the object copy and paste shortcut (Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V) to improve editing efficiency.
Images and videos ‘Always Facing Viewer’ Director 5 adds camera orientation for image and video controls. When the camera orientation option is checked in the Object panel, images and videos will always face the viewer’s camera view, allowing users to view information from different angles.
Restore camera view DataMesh Studio adds the ability to restore the recorded camera position. Users can restore the last recorded position of the camera with one click.
Temporary object hiding This feature enhances the experience of editing the content of complex structural objects. (Does not affect DataMesh One)
Web page embedding in AR Director 5 provides users with web page embedding capabilities to leverage existing enterprise data dashboards, reports, and office system information. Content creators can now insert Web controls directly into the scene using DataMesh Studio. Using DataMesh One, you can display the corresponding Kanban boards on-site with just one click and no custom development required, making it easier to create digital twin applications.
Optimized scene list performance In Director 4, editing a single scene refreshes all subsequent scenes. As more and more users started to build complex scripts for playbooks, the performance of DataMesh Studio degrades. Director 5 made several optimizations to the Studio’s scene list. When making changes to the scene content, only the current scene preview gets refreshed.
Improved Enterprise Data Security
Login IP allowlist IT administrators of enterprise tenants can now adjust who can access the services by setting the login IP allowlist in DCS. This new feature restricts reliable user sources to safeguard enterprise data security.
Hybrid Deployment Support DataMesh Director 5 supports enterprise SaaS/private hybrid deployment to protect sensitive data from leaking. Hybrid deployment creates a physical boundary of CAD drawings. In this way, content creators can desensitize data within a protected environment, facilitating end-users to use the product in public scenarios.
Australia Region Goes Live To ensure cross-border data compliance, DataMesh Director 5 adds an Australian region to serve customers in the area. The new region is operated by our Australian partner Holovision 3D locally, which is a professional BIM service provider based in Brisbane. Holovision 3D also provides 3D scanning, surveying, and BIM design services.
Management Process Optimization DCS portal has been optimized to make the registration and login experience smoother. The max number of trial license users has been increased to 4 per tenant.
WebGL deployment In Director 5.0, DataMesh One starts to support WebGL deployment (WebXR not yet supported). WebGL experience is related to the user’s browser environment. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with DataMesh if you want to join the private testing.
Customers who have already subscribed to DataMesh Director SaaS service can upgrade the client directly. For platform development, live demo or product quote, please get in touch with us at service@datamesh.com
DataMesh Director 4.3.7 has been released! This version fixed several bugs, made performance improvements, and expanded support for more data types. Most importantly, we added a 1-Click Data-Driven feature in this release for Preview testing. You can contact us for a special license update.
If you are still using version 4.2, please update ASAP. The old one client/studio does not support the new features introduced in 4.3.
Starting today, Synnex (Synnex Technology International Corporation, 聯強國際) will offer DataMesh Director to its customers and resellers in Taiwan.
The outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic in 2020 has accelerated enterprises’ demand for augmented reality and mixed reality (MR) applications. DataMesh Director helps customers quickly build digital twin content with no technical background and remote collaborate with the content beyond geographical limitations, allowing Synnex to provide more complete industry solutions in software and hardware integration. The solution will help enterprises transform from a “product business” model to a “product + service business” model in the post-epidemic era.
According to a report released by ABI (Allied Business Intelligence) in February 2021, the global augmented reality (AR) market will be around US$10 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow to US$140 billion in 2025. The AR market covers AR advertising, content, hardware, software, connectivity, licensing, platforms, etc., with industrial applications dominating the enterprise commercial AR applications.
DataMesh is a high-tech product company that builds digital platforms and software tools based on MR+AI technology. With customers in China, Japan, Southeast Asia, and North America, DataMesh helps companies centralize product data with its Digital Twin platform. The digital twin apps enable them digitally transform and improve their workforce’s overall efficiency. Many international customers currently use DataMesh Director for remote collaboration, education and training, marketing, planning, maintenance and inspection, and after-sales support.
Take remote collaboration service as an example: it has been used by BELLSYSTEM24 for the after-sales service system of products. In terms of maintenance inspection, the company cooperated with Fujitsu to connect IoT and internal data to provide customers with a digital assistant for first-line employees and create an integrated digital work platform. In addition, Japan’s Obayashi Corporation used DataMesh Director to import BIM data to accelerate construction process communication and collaboration.
With Microsoft HoloLens 2 and hardware devices such as cell phones and tablets, DataMesh One can be used for spatial positioning to accurately project 3D design models onto complex construction sites, helping the overall construction process to confirm completion.
In addition to Autodesk, Microsoft, and Unity software services, Synnex has introduced DataMesh software tools to integrate with AR/MR hardware such as HoloLens 2 and Google Glass. The solution will meet enterprises’ needs with cross-device collaboration support. It is expected to significantly reduce the cost of hardware procurement for enterprises in digital transformation.
Obayashi Corporation (株式会社大林組) has successfully introduced DataMesh Director, a DataMesh digital twin platform service, to empower frontline personnel with BIM data combined with mixed reality technology to improve construction processes’ efficiency on its construction sites. Behind the scene, this is a collaboration result between DataMesh Corporation and TIS Corporation. Obayashi Corporation is one of the top five general construction companies in Japan, ranking first in total assets and revenue.
Figure 1 // Musashi Kosugi Station construction site – Confirming the construction sequence of the reinforced inclined beam by MR technology
Due to the population aging and low fertility rate, the number of employees in Japan’s construction industry is decreasing. A large number of employees will likely leave the industry in the future. The construction industry’s unique characteristics lead to longer working hours than other sectors, and employees often work on weekends. To ensure the continued participation of young workers, the most critical issue in the construction industry is how to improve work efficiency and solve the problem of long working hours.
For this reason, Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism has proposed the i-Construction Policy, which calls for flexible use of ICT technology and BIM/CIM resources, and plans to increase labor productivity by 20% by 2025.
The project led by TIS and DataMesh provides DataMesh Director, a platform for rapidly building 3D construction process, successfully landed the practical application of BIM/CIM model combined with MR technology to improve work efficiency.
Construction Efficiency Improvement
With the gradual increase of city operation management requirements, the city needs to carry out real-time construction since the operation process. The construction contractors’ time slot will be allocated within a few hours after the subway stops running at night. The construction time is extremely tight. If problems arise, existing jobs need to be reworked in time. Otherwise, huge losses may occur.
In previous construction experience, a great deal of time was spent between the commissioner and the contractor’s staff to strictly confirm the construction details to ensure the correct construction process.
In this project, the staff of the Obayashi Corporation imported BIM data by using DataMesh Director. He quickly created the construction process construction in 3D motion. He then used the Mixed Reality hardware devices such as Microsoft HoloLens 2 and iPad to accurately map the construction process to the complex construction site through DataMesh One with spatial positioning. The overall construction process is confirmed.
Jessica Miao, Mixed Reality Asia Pacific Lead at Microsoft, said, “Microsoft highly appreciates this collaboration between the Obayashi group, TIS, and DataMesh in construction projects. In the face of the social problem of decreasing workforce, DataMesh Director realized the combination of MR products and BIM data based on Microsoft HoloLens 2 Mixed Reality headset for hands-on guidance of frontline personnel. This will also become a real-time construction and data sharing method in the field of smart cities. We hope that with this pilot, we can form a typical application effect of smart cities globally and further improve the construction of smart cities and the productivity of the construction industry.“
This deployment is divided into two projects as follows.
Railway Bridge Construction Project – Yokohama Loop South Line between Totsuka and Ofuna on the Tokaido Main Line
In the railway bridge construction project, the nine lines operating in real-time around the construction needed to be temporarily blocked after construction. The construction crew had to complete the bridge’s mainframe within 100 minutes to ensure that it would not cause massive traffic disruption.
Obayashi Corporation staff imported BIM data to customize the construction process through the digital twin platform DataMesh Director. He quickly designed the process through zero-code tools, with HoloLens 2/iPad/iPhone to present the engineering materials and construction steps combined with spatial positioning. The engineers onsite can now quickly discover the problems and risks in construction and significantly improve the construction project’s efficiency.
Fig. 2// On-site MR effect of bridge construction project
Station Hall Expansion Project – Musashi Kosugi Station on the Yokosuka Line
In the station concourse expansion project, the inclined beams used for reinforcement during construction were exposed in the temporary passageways for passengers, and the impact on moving passengers had to be considered when the project was planned.
The operations staff of the Ohayashi Corporation imported BIM data through DataMesh Director, created the expansion process. Onsite construction workers brought HoloLens 2/iPad to quickly understand the construction process and scale of the project through Mixed Reality, matched the site environment to observe possible construction problems, and strictly controlled the risks that might be caused to the passing passengers during the actual construction.
Fig. 3// Reference schematic diagram of reinforced inclined beam construction
This project was highly recognized by the Obayashi Corporation as follows.
“The inclined beam ground reinforcement was to be carried out in a very narrow temporary passage for passengers, and the planning of this construction by MR technology was effective in allowing the commissioning party and the staff involved in the construction to understand the construction process and other aspects better.” Keita Koshida, director of the Musashi Kosugi Station Public Works Office, said. “The steel assembly process is presented in MR, allowing even unskilled workers to understand the sequence of real-time construction well, which can solve the problem of lack of human resources to some extent. the application of MR provides a new means of visualization for the construction site, which is very effective in improving site safety. “
“By visually presenting the process of assembling the main girders of the bridge, it facilitates understanding the construction engineering plan and the in-depth planning of future construction plans, thus better illustrating the frontline site situation to the commissioning party. MR technology will play an important role in expressing the project planning, confirming the situation of construction impact on existing and temporary buildings, construction conditions and changes in the surrounding environment after construction.” Yoichi Nishikori, the chief engineer of Yokohama Kanjo Minami Bridge Works Office, said, “When the technology is further developed, MR will also be able to be used for more detailed work, such as site verification and construction release. Making effective use of ICT technology and BIM/CIM can make the business of actual construction more efficient.“
For his part, Takafumi Yamanaka, director of the apex technology planning department at the Oyashi Group Production Technology Headquarters, said, “Before that, we had no available tool for visualizing MR construction processes in construction, and now DataMesh Director enables this function. It is a milestone that DataMesh Director can be used by people who are not professionals and who can create content with it from scratch. There are many situations where DataMesh Director can be used on construction sites, and we will continue to communicate with TIS and DataMesh with each other to make DataMesh Director a tool that can be used by everyone on various construction sites.“
DataMesh Director
DataMesh Director is a self-developed digital twin content creation and collaboration platform based on the concept of “XR content tools for everyone”.
During modern city construction, the actual construction process varies in different construction plans. The number of construction workers is highly mobile and irregular, so there is a demand for a communication method to better integrate with the construction plan.
Combine BIM/CIM resources with the construction site to effectively utilize the virtual reality In traditional construction sites, detailed process guidance or location confirmation is usually only available in plan drawings. By directly importing existing BIM/CIM resources to DataMesh Director, the construction process can be precisely combined with the real space through mixed reality devices supporting spatial positioning and output as a three-dimensional process in front of frontline personnel. It can effectively ensure that site personnel have a more accurate understanding of the complex site environment and project progress and prevent construction risks. The combination of virtual and real presentation also allows novices to understand the business process quickly and effectively improve construction efficiency.
Zero technical thresholds; everyone can easily create and present 3D MR content By importing BIM/CIM resources, business personnel can use DataMesh Director to quickly edit the construction process into 3D scripts that can be mapped in real space through the operation similar to editing PPT, with low learning cost. It can be published to multiple ends with one click for remote multi-person collaboration. The content production method is simple and can be modified and reused at any time.
Support HoloLens 2, iPhone/iPad, generic XR glasses and mobile devices DataMesh Director supports various content presentation devices, freeing the hands of frontline personnel. From HoloLens 2 and other mixed reality headsets to mobile devices, DataMesh Director supports real-time instructions sharing and cross-device collaboration, efficiently improving construction sites’ communication.
Strategic Cooperation Parties
DataMesh (https://datamesh.com) is a high-tech startup that uses MR+AI to create a digital twin platform. As a Microsoft Gold Partner, DataMesh is serving customers across China, Japan, Southeast Asia, and North America. DataMesh is committed to unlocking the value of enterprise data, building bridges and platforms that connect the virtual and real worlds, and improving frontline employees’ efficiency in industries such as manufacturing, energy, construction, and professional services.
TIS (http://www.tis.co.jp) provides service-oriented IT solutions such as data centers and clouds, in addition to system integration and development support. We have also formed a global support system centered on the China-ASEAN region, contributing to our customers’ business growth as a partner of more than 3,000 companies in a wide range of industries, including finance, manufacturing, distribution/service, public, and communications.
