I am excited to announce our next in person ION lecture series will be coming up in just a weeks time. We will have Kristian Morin sharing lessons from building wearable navigation systems for construction sites. Complete details and meeting link are available below.
Please RSVP via the link below or let one of the board members know so we can order the appropriate number of sandwiches and snacks to order.
Presentations
Title: How Do You Navigate a Building That Doesn’t Exist Yet?
Author: Kristian Morin
Bio:
Kristian has spent more than two decades working at the intersection of positioning, mapping, computer vision, and intelligent systems. His career has included the development of airborne mapping systems, GNSS/INS navigation products, mobile mapping platforms, SLAM technologies, and wearable augmented reality systems. As Head of R&D at XYZ Reality, he leads multidisciplinary teams developing the next generation of wearable spatial computing, navigation, computer vision, and spatial intelligence technologies for the construction industry.
Kristian holds BSc and MSc degrees in Geomatics Engineering from the University of Calgary, and a Master of Engineering Management from the University of Ottawa. He is the inventor or co-inventor of numerous patents relating to navigation, positioning, mapping, and computer vision technologies.
Abstract:
Construction sites present some of the most challenging environments for positioning and navigation. GPS is often unavailable, site conditions change daily, and the physical environment rarely matches the original design. Yet accurate positioning is critical for surveying, quality assurance, progress tracking, and digital construction workflows.
This presentation shares lessons learned from the development of wearable augmented reality systems at XYZ Reality, tracing the evolution from survey control and external tracking systems through visual-inertial navigation, SLAM, BIM-aware localisation, and emerging GNSS-enabled solutions.
Beyond navigation, the talk explores how digital construction technologies are evolving from positioning and mapping tools into spatial intelligence systems capable of understanding, interpreting, and verifying the built environment. Examples will demonstrate how survey control, computer vision, BIM models, and AI can be combined to bridge the gap between design intent and physical reality.
Location:
Room 231 – Engineering Block F (ENG), University of Calgary Campus
Date: Monday, June 22, 2026
Time: Meeting will open at 11:45am, presentations to begin shortly after 12:00
Cost: $20 non-members, $18 members, $15 graduate students, $10 undergraduate students, includes a light lunch and refreshments. All proceeds go towards two annual scholarships for students attending the University of Calgary.
Remote viewing option available upon request.