The Dallas-based tech startup Rollout noticed just how paper-dependent AEC firms are.
The company says that 90% of contractors still use paper plans, and that 37 million construction drawings are printed every year. These outdated drawings end up costing these firms $9 billion per year.
Rollout developed PaperLight, an interactive projector and screen that provides the benefits of paper, but without the waste.
Users assemble PaperLight with the 34x24-inch white screen flat on a surface and the 29-inch projection rod hovering above it. It works as a touchscreen, where users can not only view plans, but also sketch, zoom in and out, and write notes with a stylus or their fingers. PaperLight captures edits automatically and can connect with a computer.
It fits on most desktops, and the projector can even be angled upwards and shined onto a wall for presentations. PaperLight works with a bunch of programs, including Photoshop, Autodesk AutoCAD, SketchUp, and Revit. The device is made of plastic, not glass, and it is shatterproof, water-resistant, and portable. It weighs 20 lbs.
Rollout will begin a crowdfunding campaign on SPURstartup later this week. PaperLight has a retail price of $5,000 and a pre-order price of $3,999 while supplies last.
Related Stories
AEC Tech | Aug 25, 2017
Software cornucopia: Jacksonville Jaguars’ new practice facility showcases the power of computational design
The project team employed Revit, Rhino, Grasshopper, Kangaroo, and a host of other software applications to design and build this uber-complex sports and entertainment facility.
AEC Tech | Aug 24, 2017
Big Data helps space optimization, but barriers remain
Space optimization is a big issue on many university campuses, as schools face increasing financial constraints, writes Hanbury’s Jimmy Stevens.
Lighting | Aug 2, 2017
Dynamic white lighting mimics daylighting
By varying an LED luminaire’s color temperature, it is possible to mimic daylighting, to some extent, and the natural circadian rhythms that accompany it, writes DLR Group’s Sean Avery.
Office Buildings | Jul 20, 2017
SGA uses virtual design and construction technology to redevelop N.Y. building into modern offices
287 Park Avenue South is a nine-story Classical Revival building previously known as the United Charities Building.
Accelerate Live! | Jul 6, 2017
Watch all 20 Accelerate Live! talks on demand
BD+C’s inaugural AEC innovation conference, Accelerate Live! (May 11, Chicago), featured talks on machine learning, AI, gaming in construction, maker culture, and health-generating buildings.
| Jun 13, 2017
Accelerate Live! talk: Is the road to the future the path of least resistance? Sasha Reed, Bluebeam (sponsored)
Bluebeam’s Sasha Reed discusses why AEC leaders should give their teams permission to responsibly break things and create ecosystems of people, process, and technology.
| Jun 13, 2017
Accelerate Live! talk: 3D laser scanning for the project lifecycle, FARO Technologies (sponsored)
Brent Slawnikowski of FARO Technologies and Jennifer Suerth of Pepper Construction discuss how implementation of laser scanning has helped Pepper become more successful in the completion of their projects.
| Jun 13, 2017
Accelerate Live! talk: Incubating innovation through R&D and product development, Jonatan Schumacher, Thornton Tomasetti
Thornton Tomasetti’s Jonatan Schumacher presents the firm’s business model for developing, incubating, and delivering cutting-edge tools and solutions for the firm, and the greater AEC market.
| Jun 13, 2017
Accelerate Live! talk: The future of computational design, Ben Juckes, Yazdani Studio of CannonDesign
Yazdani’s Ben Juckes discusses the firm’s tech-centric culture, where scripting has become an every-project occurrence and each designer regularly works with computational tools as part of their basic toolset.
| Jun 13, 2017
Accelerate Live! talk: A case for Big Data in construction, Graham Cranston, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger
Graham Cranston shares SGH’s efforts to take hold of its project data using mathematical optimization techniques and information-rich interactive visual graphics.