OnSight

AR app for construction sites

OnSight is a mobile AR tool that helps construction teams document and share context by pinning photos directly in the space. Informed by real construction practices, it offers a simple, low-friction alternative to spreadsheets or high-end BIM systems.

Course

Spatial Computing

David Rose, Ricardo Acosta

Duration

5 days

February 24 – 28, 2025

Team

Alec, Ali, Eva, Vedant

Tools

Unity, Adobe Aero

An emerging need

The concept came from interviews with engineers, architects, and builders, where we learned that project changes are constant and historical context is critical. While high-end tools exist, most teams relied on DIY methods like spreadsheets, group texts, or even colored tape to track progress.

Talking to some construction workers

Building on an existing behaviour

Despite hesitation around adopting new tech, workers were already using their phones to take and share progress photos. We saw an opportunity to add value without adding extra steps.

A builder documents his progress.

A shared visual memory

We created OnSight, a simple augmented reality documentation tool for teams working on physical job sites. The mobile app allows users to place photos directly in physical space, creating a shared visual memory of progress, notes, or context—right where it’s needed.

A site manager checks the day's progress.

From paper to Unity

We started our basic prototyping with tracing paper, and switching to Adobe Aero and Polycam to validate the interaction. I was responsible for building the final app in Unity.

Initial sketch
An issue came up in the field yesterday that the app would have been perfect for! Maintenance folks and even the building users (especially in highly technical spaces like labs, R&D facilities, manufacturing) are always trying to locate sensors, valves, etc, that are hidden. The current way they store their location is spreadsheets and tribal knowledge

Robert Richmond

Construction Project Manager

I think you guys are on the right track! You guys asked many good and right questions. I look forward to seeing the final product!

Yisi Liu

Landscape Architect

It seems like that would be a good complement to something like a VR BIM! I think you might want to think about the market. Residential construction is usually pretty cheap, I think it would difficult to find a market with buy-in, but this type of thing is definitely growing in things like industrial construction on really complicated projects.

Andrew Rodgers

Senior Construction Engineer

Thank you, Leo.