Urban Utilities, alongside delivery partners Diona and Mott MacDonald, are trailing augmented reality (AR) during works to install a new water pipe below the bustling pedestrian precinct.
Spokesperson for Urban Utilities, Anna Hartley, describes how the technology offers a 3D view of Brisbane’s hidden underground network and says residents can now utilise the technology themselves.
“A lot goes on behind-the-scenes to deliver fresh drinking water to the taps of 1.5 million people across our region and to maintain our 9000 km underground network of water pipe,” said Hartley.
“Thanks to the power of augmented reality, made famous by the mobile game Pokémon Go, people can get a rare glimpse of the complex world that exists below their feet, simply by using their phone or tablet.”
With approximately 70,000 people passing through the mall every day, Queen Street is a perfect location to trial the innovative and immersive technology said Hartley.
The works in Queen Street involve building a new water pipe underneath the mall as part of an upgrade to the area’s water infrastructure. Subsequently, the use of AR has been a great way of showing residents and businesses within the area the extent of the project and why it’s necessary for the betterment of the local area while also educating them on the water network.
“We’ve had some great interest and feedback from people already – most of them have told us they had no idea how much was happening underground,” said Hartley.
“We hope to see plenty of people in Queen Street Mall giving it a go and we look forward to seeing where we can use this technology in the future.”
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