Nexum develops AR app to prevent damage to buildings during floods
The Nexum agency has implemented an innovative AR app for the Graubünden GVG building insurance company to raise awareness among building owners about the dangers of flooding.
The tablet-based AR app enables on-site prevention advisors to demonstrate to building owners the effects of flooding and how various building protection measures work using augmented reality technology. The AR app can also be used at GVG information and training events.
How the AR app works: The consultant points the tablet camera at a critical point in the exterior of the building in terms of flooding and uses a simple scanning process to capture relevant reference points in the affected area, thereby defining a virtual flood plain. He then has the option of virtually "flooding" the defined area on the tablet screen at the touch of a button. Subsequently, the consultant can virtually place various building protection measures available in the app, such as elevated light wells, water protection gates, etc., and explain their effect based on the simulated flooding situation in a dialog with the building owner. "With the new AR app, our consultants now have a useful visual tool for raising awareness of the topic of "flood protection", which is also important in the canton of Graubünden," summarizes Reto Stockmann, project and division manager at GVG.
In addition to live simulation on site, the app also offers a special mode in which the dangers of flooding and the effect of appropriate building protection measures can be demonstrated using a completely virtual building model. This can be used at trade fairs, road shows or training courses, for example.
The AR solution has been in use since spring 2019 and was implemented by Nexum in collaboration with experts from the fields of UX conception, design and AR and VR development.
