I observe all around SOMA how construction companies like Swinerton and Webcor are using data from the BIM (Building Information Modeling) process to build better. I applaud Skanska‘s use of tablets and experiments with augmented reality. I attend and follow the building/tech events such as the recent ENR FutureTech Conference, which was here in San Francisco this week, to stay current with who is helping lead the innovative builder charge.

Another construction company doing its part to take building high tech is IDEAbuilder, a residential home building company that adds the latest in web, digital fabrication, and robotic manufacturing to the builder’s toolbox to build more efficiently.

True I work at IDEAbuilder but don’t worry, I will spare you the pitch. Instead I want to offer a glimpse at a project we are working on with one of our technology partners (we build houses, not apps). Leveraging the latest in web3D technology and human computer interface, we have built a hands free online home configurator for our clients. What does this mean? Watch my guerrilla video to learn more. *Double click the video to see the whole screen.

So as seen in the video using just hand and body motions, users can snap together their dream home from a library of components. The Performance Shell selection allows users to design homes that meet or exceed certain home energy performance standards. Think of it as building homes with high-energy performance engineered digitally fabricated LEGO bricks.

For the hands free control we are currently using the Microsoft Kinect. The browser in the video was Google Chrome. This app is still in alpha stage with more UX/UI changes to come and the addition of more components. Thanks to the IDEAbuilder team for allowing me to make this video and give people a peek at how innovative tech is changing the building industry.

See the videos when available at the WebGL Camp Youtube Channel .

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7NmtWFCP18

Course this does not mean you will always see such good 3D performance, given the vast number of Android devices out there, your mileage will vary, but its still a nice demo and I can see a number of pre-med students really loving this.

If you are trying this on a less then stellar Android device, here are a few tips to improve view 3d on slower devices.

So check out the Video below..

Google Body Browser

I was at the WebGL Camp today at SRI and the WebGL team from Google gave us a sneak peak at a web3D medical application called the Google Body Browser. (video)  After watching the video at the link, one can quickly see the possibilities of how this could help anatomical education.

As promised; an initial review of the body browser.

Unlike other web based medical applications I have seen, no Flash, Java, or other plugins are needed. This application will run on any WebGL supported browser. Sure this means only developer or beta versions of FireFox and Chrome right now, but WebGL will be supported by all browsers in 2011 for sure.  Here is a direct link to the Google Body Browser. Here is the link to my video review of it.

Web3d application for learning the bones of the body.

This application really excites me. Last year I got the opportunity to work on an open standards based web3D medical app for learning the bones of the body. After witnessing how that app really helped students learn the bones, I am sold on using web3D for medical education.

Glad to see Google flexing the power of non-plugin based web3D for medical education. Expect a proper writeup review after the app is made public.