Engineering Brain: Metaverse for future engineering

Abstract

The past decade has witnessed a notable transformation in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry, with efforts made both in the academia and industry to facilitate improvement of efficiency, safety and sustainability in civil projects. Such advances have greatly contributed to a higher level of automation in the lifecycle management of civil assets within a digitalised environment. To integrate all the achievements delivered so far and further step up their progress, this study proposes a novel theory, Engineering Brain, by effectively adopting the Metaverse concept in the field of civil engineering. Specifically, the evolution of the Metaverse and its key supporting technologies are first reviewed; then, the Engineering Brain theory is presented, including its theoretical background, key components and their inter-connections. Outlooks of this theory’s implementation within the AEC sector are offered, as a description of the Metaverse of future engineering. Through a comparison between the proposed Engineering Brain theory and the Metaverse, their relationships are illustrated; and how Engineering Brain may function as the Metaverse for future engineering is further explored. Providing an innovative insight into the future engineering sector, this study can potentially guide the entire industry towards its new era based on the Metaverse environment.

Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis on the Integration of Geographic Information Systems and Building Information Modeling for the Generation and Management of 3D Models

“…[4,5]. Likewise, in line with the smart cities philosophy, this platform can constitute the technical support for future urban operations centers and/or the creation of digital twins, facilitating the management of information in a single system [6,7].…”

“…Integrate and digitally manage heritage Improve productivity [64,65] Enable the process to be more dynamic and efficient [13] Analyze decision making [7] Automating performance evaluation and heritage conservation Save time…”

BIM and Digital Twin for Developing Convergence Technologies as Future of Digital Construction

“…The Metaverse, derived from a 1992 sci-fi novel, is deemed a successor to the internet coined by Neal Stephenson [130]. In a nutshell, it is a digital world where anything imagined can exist; it will be a connected source with time and will have the capabilities of augmenting the senses of humans, such as sight, sound, and touch.…”

“…However, a recent study [131] proposed a framework for the Metaverse with seven layers, including infrastructure, human interface, decentralization, spatial computing, creator economy, discovery, and experience. The related technologies for supporting the Metaverse are extended realities (VR, AR, and MR), artificial intelligence, computer vision, edge and cloud computing, future mobile networks (preferably 6G), blockchain, and non-fungible token (NFTs) [130]. The medium to enter the Metaverse will be extended realities (VR, AR, MR).…”

“…Amidst benefits, the challenge with developing the Metaverse revolves around users and their avatar identity, content creation, social acceptability among the masses, presence security, accountability and trust, privacy concerns, and the virtual economy involved [130]. A major challenge for the AEC/VDC industry will be the development of a legal framework for the verifiability of the agreements in the virtual world and dispute resolution practices.…”