An integrated virtual reality and case-based reasoning model for training in building pathology

It has long been recognised by building surveyors that training a surveyor is both time-consuming and relatively risky. Universities and colleges recognise the difficulties of taking groups of students to inspect a property because of health and safety, insurance liability and organisational considerations. This paper proposes a solution to these problems by developing a virtual reality package that helps students to learn how to survey a building. Using a virtual environment to train young surveyors in building pathology should help to improve the effectiveness of young surveyors' reports and reduce the possibility of litigation. With the aid of virtual reality models and digital camera images, it is hoped that a package can be developed to enable students to carry out a building survey without leaving their desktop. The prototype is centred on a 19th Century detached house as a virtual environment that students fly through looking for pre-programmed defects. The defects portrayed in the environment are taken from real-life examples or cases. The user identifies the precise nature of the defect by examining a more detailed part of the environment as he/she flies closer to the surface where the defect is located. The cases of defects are programmed into the environment using a case-based reasoning application. The main deliverable is a prototype which, if successful, will be developed into a full educational application