The development of BIM-based augmented reality system for fire safety equipment inspection

Abstract

The purpose of fire safety equipment inspection and maintenance is to enable the equipment to start correctly and perform its expected function when fire protection is required to achieve disaster reduction. In the current fire protection maintenance inspection operation stage, the content and methods of inspection stipulated by the regulations are to be followed. Therefore, the relevant file drawings must be consulted before the inspection and maintenance operations are performed. However, because the documents and files are still in paper form, it is difficult to determine and read the information on the inspection and maintenance operations. In addition, it is time-consuming as well as strenuous. To solve the above problems and to help inspectors obtain the information they need as efficiently as possible, this study uses the building information model (BIM) to build the components of fire safety equipment while simultaneously inputting data related to the components' life cycle into the Revit 3D model using the COBie Toolkit. The data are further organized into a cloud database to enable augmented reality processes such as visual simulation and the use of mobile devices in future inspections. This eliminates the limitations of paper-based documents. In terms of system development and case verification, this study used augmented reality technology to present visual simulation of the equipment. The selected case studies demonstrate that BIM ensures the integrity, accessibility, and efficacy of data, while the augmented reality technology combines data with physical objects to provide information immediately in a visible and convenient manner. The developed model therefore is an effective tool that efficiently meets the requirements of fire safety equipment maintenance inspections.