Interacting with real objects in virtual space

While much has been made of the potential of virtual reality, VR is one end of a spectrum. 'Augmented reality' requires that the virtual vision be accurately superimposed on the real, with matching shading, which remains a technical challenge, or that real objects are accurately located in virtual space. A step change seems now to be occurring in this latter. This paper reviews some of the opportunities and issues that are likely to arise from the use of new location and detection technologies in buildings and building construction, and in the virtual representation of the real-time movement and location of these objects. These new tools for remote monitoring and representation are just emerging from Pandora's Box. It is argued that standards are needed to ensure their proper use, and to ensure that the remote representation does not imply greater accuracy than can be measured.