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Understanding Reality Capture from Pioneer Mo Akbari Hochberg - Holobuilder
Owen Drury
August 07, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes
UPCOMING SERIES
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INDUSTRY INSIGHTS
Understanding Reality Capture
On 26th July, we released an episode with Mo-Akbari Hochberg. Founder of the pioneering reality capture platform, Holobuilder.
Founded in 2016 and then sold to FARO in 2021 for $34m, Mo decided to spend his small fortune on Nike Dunks, Air Max, Jordan and just about every other Nike shoe you can imagine…
Mo also bought his son a BitCoin which he will give to him on his 18th Birthday.
"I bought a Bitcoin for my newborn son, which he gets maybe when he gets 18. So let's see... Yeah, that's what I hope for him so he doesn't need to work when he gets 18."
But jokes aside.
Amongst the controversial statements on fundraising and competition, Mo had some truly insightful takes following his journey and looking forward to the current and future state of Reality Capture.
In this week’s newsletter, we break this down.
Reality Capture in Construction
Reality capture has transformed the construction industry, offering unparalleled documentation, monitoring, and analysis capabilities. But what exactly is it?
Simply put, it's the process of digitally documenting physical spaces and objects using tech like 360-degree cameras, laser scanners, and other fancy gadgets.
It can be broken down into three key components:
Capture Technology
360-degree camera
Laser scanners
Mobile devices with LiDAR capabilities
Data Management
Viewing and interacting with captured content
Data storage and accessibility
Privacy and security considerations
Analytics and AI
Image recognition and processing
Progress tracking
Scan-to-BIM capabilities
Evolution of Reality Capture Technology
The field has seen rapid advancement since its inception in the mid-2010s. Early solutions focused primarily on capturing and viewing 360-degree images. As the technology matured, more sophisticated tools emerged, integrating multiple capture methods and advanced analytics.
Mo, founder of HoloBuilder, recalls the early days: "In 2015, there was no other platform between China and Silicon Valley who would have an easy drag and drop platform for creating 360 content." This observation highlights how nascent the field was just a few years ago.
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Challenges in Reality Capture
Despite its game-changing potential, reality capture faces some hurdles:
A. Data Quality and Accuracy. Ensuring consistent, high-quality captures across large, complex construction sites remains a challenge. Factors like lighting conditions, obstructions, and human error can impact data quality.
B. Integration with Existing Workflows. Adopting reality capture often requires changes to established processes. As Mo Akbari Hochberg, founder of HoloBuilder, notes, "There was nearly no workflow or maybe not taking pictures with a camera or a phone or making notes to go into 360 cameras and doing capturing. That disrupted the whole workflow."
C. User Adoption. Getting construction teams to consistently use reality capture tools can be difficult. Solutions need to be user-friendly and demonstrate clear value to gain widespread adoption.
D. Data Processing and Analysis. Converting raw capture data into actionable insights remains a significant challenge, especially for large-scale projects.
E. Offering practical solutions rather than just technology. No more words needed.
User adoption remains a significant challenge in the industry. As Mo notes,
"Are people using it or not? What do you build? I mean, a lot of people sell stuff also, but then it's not used."
This insight underscores the importance of creating solutions that users will actually implement in their daily workflows.
Opportunities and Future Trends
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
AI is increasingly being applied to analyze captured data, automating tasks like progress tracking and issue detection. However, as industry experts note, fully automated analysis remains a challenge.
Robotics and Autonomous Capture
The future may see increased use of robots or drones for autonomous site capture, especially in large or hazardous environments. As Akbari Hochberg suggests, "If something autonomous can do the capturing, that's a big thing."
Integration with Other Construction Technologies
Reality capture is increasingly being integrated with other construction tech, such as Building Information Modeling (BIM), project management software, and augmented reality tools.
The Business of Reality Capture
The reality capture market has seen its fair share of big investments and fierce competition. Some companies have raised eye-watering amounts of capital, while others (like HoloBuilder) took a more capital-efficient approach. As the market matures, we're seeing consolidation as bigger fish gobble up innovative startups.
Mo shared a funny story with us on this point, to do with a competitor of his at the time. Doxel. In short, Doxel raised around 7-8x more money than Holobuilder, tried to do something revolutionary, but ended up, with the same product as Holobuilder (only it took 10 years longer)...
On Doxel's initial pitch and fundraising:
"And I really remember the early days we were applying for StartX, the Stanford accelerator. And I met the founders in the hallway. We were talking, what do you do? And they said, hey, we're doing this cool thing. We want to fly a drone in construction sites to do capturing of job sites."
On his initial skepticism:
"I said, oh, yeah, that's great. We're doing something similar. I mean, we're not very focused on construction. I said, But I said, the drone thing will not work in the next 10 years. The Slam algorithms are not there, the battery life, that thing will not work."
On Doxel's fundraising success despite his doubts:
"They went in, they pitched, they got much more money than we got from the same VCs we pitched. And that's where I learned, okay, having less knowledge about the tech helps. Then you're not that realistic."
On Doxel's eventual pivot to a similar solution:
"Ten years later and I know 60 million raised, they switched to 360 cameras. Yeah. They now have 360 cameras and a video where people go around jobsites with 360 cameras during capturing."
On the irony of the situation:
"So that's like 10 years later, so they start to say, okay, we do a drone that flies autonomous, we do that great thing, autonomous capturing of construction... Great…
Best Practices for Implementing Reality Capture
Focus on user adoption and practical value
Ensure integration with existing workflows
Prioritize data quality and consistency
Invest in training and change management
Consider long-term data management and accessibility needs
Mo advises, "Your product should be the same. So if people put it out there, it should get adoption. People should love to use it." This emphasis on user-friendly, valuable solutions is crucial for successful implementation.
Conclusion
Reality capture has come a long way in a short time, revolutionizing how construction projects are managed. But as Mo's insights reveal, it's not just about the tech – it's about creating solutions that people will actually use and that deliver real value on the job site.
As the field evolves, driven by AI, robotics, and improved data processing, it promises to deliver even greater value to the construction industry. The future of reality capture in construction is bright, with the potential to significantly boost efficiency, reduce errors, and enhance collaboration.
Just remember, whether you're capturing reality or collecting sneakers, it's all about finding the right fit.
Interested in learning more? Check out the full episode👇
WEEKLY MUSINGS
Spreadsheets, Gold Medals, Stock Drops
Sometimes, we overcomplicate things
One heck of a pivot
the lesson: stop being a VC and do something useful
— VCs Congratulating Themselves 👏👏👏 (@VCBrags)
1:01 AM • Aug 5, 2024
Procore's tee time
Procore announced they’re sponsoring a golf tournament, then their stock dropped 20% in one day.
I don’t know who I’m more concerned for: construction tech or golf.
— AEC Technology Guy (@AEC_Tech_Dash)
11:10 PM • Aug 2, 2024
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CalcTree is an innovative startup dedicated to streamlining workflows for engineers by providing a platform that enables real-time collaboration and efficient management of complex calculations.
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By centralising project data and knowledge, CalcTree aims to eliminate manual processes and reduce human error, thus freeing engineers to focus on innovative design solutions.
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