Architect Greg Lynn Re-imagines the Packard Plant with Trimble and Microsoft Mixed-Reality Technologies

VENICE, Italy, May 27, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB) announced today that architect Greg Lynn used its mixed-reality technology and Microsoft HoloLens to re-imagine and design the Packard Plant—the historic, abandoned automobile factory in Detroit. The architectural project was commissioned as part of the U.S. Pavilion and will be featured at the 2016 Venice Biennale exhibition in Italy from May 28 through November 27.

Detroit's Packard Plant Transformed – The Center for Fulfillment, Knowledge and Innovation

The Center for Fulfillment, Knowledge and Innovation is Greg Lynn's re-imagination of the historic Detroit Packard Plant. The new complex combines a transport hub, industrial park, factory and university to transform the Packard Plant by incorporating innovations in robotic manufacturing, autonomous transportation and online retail. The architecture of the new complex prioritizes flow, movement and processing—an interconnected network of products, people, robots and ideas. The design evolved through the use of Trimble's mixed-reality technology and Microsoft HoloLens.

The historic buildings' first two floors house inventory including an online retail fulfillment center, a food port, an autonomous livery-car depot and an aerial-drone port. The upper level consists of four corporate research centers and an auditorium/convention center. The entire complex is anchored by two five-story university satellite buildings, connected on the fourth level by a walkway that supports four reconfigurable collaboration spaces that can be moved and docked adjacent to research and conference centers seasonally. Below the research park and above the fulfillment center is a 1.7-mile-long logistics-drone superhighway that links the 25 existing elevator cores on the site to create an efficient thoroughfare for the intelligent movement of goods, equipment and materials.

Design and Collaboration Scenarios

Using Microsoft HoloLens and Trimble technology, Greg Lynn was able to experience his 3D models as holograms placed in the real world. The technology enabled him to quickly analyze various "what if" design scenarios in the context of the physical environment, improve team collaboration and shorten the design cycle.

To see Greg Lynn's experience, visit:  https://youtu.be/70xDCokzAck.

"Trimble mixed-reality technology and Microsoft HoloLens bring the design to life and bridge the gap between the digital and physical. Using this technology I can make decisions at the moment of inception, shorten the design cycle and improve communication with my clients," said Greg Lynn.

"Mixed reality releases 3D digital models from the constrains of 2D screens into the real world. It is a shift from information communication to experiencing communication. The technology transforms the way our customers consume, interact and communicate data," said Aviad Almagor, director of Trimble's Mixed-Reality Program. "Mixed reality is a revolutionary change, bringing a completely different way to interact with data."

Trimble and Microsoft

Trimble is collaborating with Microsoft to develop a new generation of tools, integrated with the HoloLens holographic platform on Windows 10, which are intended to improve quality, collaboration and efficiency in the design, construction and operation of buildings and structures.

Microsoft HoloLens is a head-mounted, holographic computer that provides a mixed-reality experience for a range of commercial and consumer applications. When used by Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) professionals, the HoloLens device extends interaction with 3D models beyond the confines of a 2D computer screen, creating new ways for the many stakeholders of complex, multi-phase construction projects to visualize, collaborate, share ideas and manage change.

Additional information on the Trimble and Microsoft collaboration is available at:  http://buildings.trimble.com/hololens.   

About Greg Lynn

Greg Lynn is the owner of Greg Lynn FORM office and a professor at the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture. He was the winner of the Golden Lion at the 2008 Venice Biennale of Architecture, and in 2010 Lynn was named a fellow by the United States Artists.

Greg Lynn FORM has been at the cutting edge of design in the field of architecture when it comes to the use of computer-aided design. The projects, publications, teachings and writings associated with the office have been influential in the acceptance and use of advanced technology for design and fabrication. The office is a design forward team that combines a unique specialization in exotic form and a creative ease and expertise with cutting edge design, manufacturing and construction techniques germane to the aeronautic, automobile and film industries of Southern California. For more information, visit:  http://glform.com.

About Trimble

Trimble is transforming the way the world works by delivering products and services that connect the physical and digital worlds. Core technologies in positioning, modeling, connectivity and data analytics enable customers to improve productivity, quality, safety and sustainability. From purpose built products to enterprise lifecycle solutions, Trimble software, hardware and services are transforming a broad range of industries such as agriculture, construction, geospatial and transportation and logistics. For more information about Trimble (NASDAQ:TRMB), visit:  www.trimble.com.

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