AR & Construction Safety

This augmented reality video serves as a review session for an assignment in OSH379: Construction Safety. The assignment requires students to study a series of images of a 3D work zone model to conduct an analysis of the problems with the work zone. In the video, Professor Ron Dotson demonstrated how a safety professional would address the safety issues that appeared in the 3D work zone.

Professor Dotson designed the course, OSH379: Construction Safety, during the Summer of 2011. He was interested in using 3D models to create an assignment that required students to evaluate road construction site safety. We found a 3D model that fits the needs for this assignment in Google 3D warehouse. The 3D model was created by MARCK. We downloaded the model and removed the trees from the model to make it easier to explore the work zone, the intersection, and the traffic. You can download the .3DS file along with the scene, pattern and PDF pattern file at the end of this example.

To set up the AR scene, we loaded the pattern and the model into the BuildAR software and maximized the scene to a full window (1900×1200). This way the presenter could use the monitor for reference while handling the AR marker. For this recording (and all of our other recordings), we used Logitech Webcam Pro 9000 which is capable of 720p HD video.  To capture/record this video, we used FRAPS, and for audio we used Sony lavaliere microphone. Audio footage was recorded separately from the video footage, and was later re-synced during the post-production. Once the lesson was recorded, we used Premiere CS5 to produce the footage, encode it and prepare it for delivery in OSH379: Construction Safety.

In addition to producing the AR video, we also created an assignment by using the 3D model. We imported the model into Blender 2.5 to render a series of images of the work zone from different angles. Those images were put together along with Professor Dotson’s brief description of the assignment requirement into a word document. (Please click here to download the assignment.) This AR project was the first time that we incorporated 3D models in creating course assignments for our online courses. We will continue to adopt more innovative technologies to develop more interesting and engaging instructional materials.