Architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) professionals can now use their mobile phones or tablet devices as compact, portable surveying instruments by means of a software application that is capable of interacting directly with AutoCAD.
The spread of mobile smart devices in tandem with cloud computing has dramatically expanded the potential for sophisticated AEC software such as BIM to be deployed directly on site. One example of a recent innovation in this field is the Spike smart laser measurement solution developed by ikeGPS.
The product consists of the Spike device, mobile app and cloud platform, which are compatible with both Apple iOS and Google Android devices.
ikeGPS’ Spike can be attached to smartphones with a quick-release clamp or to a tablet case using highstrength tape in order to transform either device into a laser rangefinder for measurement and surveying purposes.
The Spike device enables your smartphone or tablet to capture the precise dimensions and locus of an object from a simple photograph, and it encompasses a range of real-time measurements including area, height, length and width, as well as the location of the targeted object.
This saves users both time and money by dispensing with the need for costly specialist instruments such as laser scanners and removing the time-consuming manual measurement process.
According to ikeGPS, the ability to use a smartphone for surveying purposes can cut down on the time required to measure a project and produce importable files from multiple days to mere hours.
Thanks to the enhanced connectivity provided by modern mobile devices, users can employ the Spike mobile app or Spike Cloud to save pictures and share them in a range of standard formats, including JPG,PDF, XML or KMZ.
Compatibility, accessibility and data sharing are all vital to modern AEC platforms such as BIM because of the need to foster collaboration between the multiple stakeholders for complex and large-scale projects.
ikeGPS has sought to enhance Spike’s capabilities in this regard by providing integration with the software packages of CAD industry leader Autodesk. “Tying our software closely to AutoCAD enables Spike to fit much more deeply into the day-to-day work processes of these end-users,” said ikeGPS CEO Glenn Milnes.
The integration with Autodesk will allow individuals to use their Spike files directly with AutoCAD, which promise to greatly facilitate the entire collaborative process.
“Tying our software closely to AutoCAD enables Spike to fit much more deeply into the day-to-day work processes of end-users,” said ikeGPS CEO Glenn Milnes.