Award

Large-scale infrastructure projects rely on open standards such as Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) to streamline collaboration between architects, engineers, contractors, and owners. However, efficiently visualizing, managing, and monitoring complex IFC-based models in real-time remains challenging, especially when incorporating field data such as LiDAR scans and ground-based photos. Kitware, Inc. proposes FIELDViewR, a web-based BIM/IFC viewer that supports streaming data, geospatial alignment, and on-site progress tracking with reality-enhanced insights. Phase I prototype development will focus on core capabilities for interactive visualization of IFC models over the web, employing level-of-detail strategies for smooth streaming regardless of dataset size. The project will integrate basic geospatial alignment and camera calibration, enabling seamless overlays between digital infrastructure models and real-world coordinates. This foundation will support preliminary reality capture features that let field personnel compare site captures against design models for progress tracking. The platform will establish a foundation for digital-physical comparison in Phase II, enabling efficient real-time comparison of physical structures with digital counterparts. Ultimately, FIELDViewR promises to reduce rework, accelerate decision-making, and improve site safety by unifying BIM data, geospatial context, and real-world observations in one easy-to-use environment.