In the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) sector, data extracted from building information modelling (BIM) can be used to create a digital twin (DT). The algorithms of a BIM-based DT can facilitate the retrieval of information, which can then be used to improve building operation and maintenance procedures. However, with the increased complexity and automation of the building, maintenance operations are likely to become more complex and may require expert intervention. Collaboration and interaction between the operator and the expert may be limited as the latter may not be on site or within the company. Recently, extended reality (XR) technologies have proven to be effective in improving collaboration during maintenance operations,through data display and shared interactions. This paper presents a new collaborative solution using these technologies to enhance collaboration during remote maintenance operations. The proposed approach consists of a mixed reality (MR) set-up for the operator, a virtual reality (VR) set-up for the remote expert and a shared Digital Model of a heat exchanger. The MR set-up is used for tracking and displaying specific information, provided by the VR module. A user study was carried out to compare the efficiency of our solution with a standard audio-video collaboration. Our approach demonstrated substantial enhancements in collaborative inspection, resulting in a significative reduction in both the overall completion time of the inspection and the frequency of errors committed by the operators.

翻译：在建筑、工程与施工（AEC）领域，从建筑信息模型（BIM）中提取的数据可用于创建数字孪生（DT）。基于BIM的数字孪生算法有助于信息检索，进而改善建筑运维流程。然而，随着建筑复杂性和自动化程度的提高，维护操作可能变得更加复杂，并需要专家干预。操作员与专家之间的协作与互动可能受到限制，因为专家可能不在现场或公司内。近年来，扩展现实（XR）技术已被证明能通过数据显示和共享交互有效改善维护操作中的协作。本文提出了一种利用这些技术增强远程维护操作协作的新型协同解决方案。该方法为操作员配置混合现实（MR）设备，为远程专家配置虚拟现实（VR）设备，并共享一个换热器数字模型。MR设备用于追踪和显示由VR模块提供的特定信息。通过用户研究，我们将该方案的效率与标准音视频协作进行了对比。结果表明，我们的方法在协作检查中展现出显著提升，大幅缩短了检查总完成时间，并降低了操作员的错误频率。