ATLANTA — Visitors at the Titus booth did more than just look at the products on display; they experienced them. Highlighting its advanced technology applications, the manufacturer took attendees on a trip through its new augmented reality (AR) platform. Built to interact with its virtual reality (VR) platform that was launched a few years ago, the new AR program allows users to experience Titus products by actually putting them in a finished application.

VR allows users to create an entirely new reality that fully immerses the participant into that environment. By using a headset and controllers, users can predict how components fit together, determine if there is enough space, and learn the basics of how to design, build, and install an HVAC system without real-world consequences.

AR, however, allows users to build a theoretical world in real life that is easily accessible on a smartphone or tablet, without the need for headsets or controllers.

Titus uses AR to highlight air distribution products in different environments, providing a real-life feel to custom applications. According to the company, both VR and AR are appealing to the young talent in the workforce, so it’s safe to assume the future will continue in this direction.

“The manufacturing industry as a whole is starting to embrace these technologies,” said Shawn Sinnie, marketing manager, Titus. “Technicians will no longer be thumbing through a manual to see how to fix a piece of equipment. The manual will pull up automatically when a tablet with an AR program is directed toward it. The industry will be teaching new engineers about how to install a system without leaving a classroom and showing clients the airflow throughout each room in their building, as well as how the air distribution system is interconnected to the entire HVAC system.”

As an example, Sinnie modeled Titus’ Spectrum diffuser on a tablet equipped with the new AR program. The diffuser comes in multiple textures, colors, and finishes — including wood grains, metallic, and marble — all of which were visible on the tablet within a real environment.

“You can change colors, switch out the center, and actually see how the product is going to look,” he said. “Architects love to hide everything, especially HVAC. With the Spectrum, they can do that, and with AR, they can see it long before the plans are finished.”

Titus also launched 12 new chilled beams at the show. Ten are active-beam and two are passive-beam units. The chilled beams have the same finishes that are offered on the Spectrum diffusers, as well as an internally designed chilled beam software system to support the products.

James Gray, Titus regional sales manager — Midwest/Mid-Atlantic, explained that the new chiller line has applications in educational environments, patient rooms and health care, laboratories, institutional, and commercial settings.

“Our architecturally driven chilled beams bring more fresh air into an environment,” he said. “The more fresh air you have, the better the experience of the occupants.”

One of the newest chilled beams — CBAW — is a sidewall chilled beam, and according to Titus, the only one in the industry. Gray noted that most chilled beams are recessed in the ceiling, some are in the open ceiling and ducted, but this product is a horizontal-throw, sidewall-mounted active chilled beam that can be used in multistory residential and hospitality spaces.

The CBAW product family has an optimized nozzle design that provides high capacity and low noise levels and is available in nominal lengths up to 10 feet.

“When we launch our catalog later this year, probably in May or June, we will definitely do a bigger marketing push around the CBAW,” said Gray. “From a chilled beam perspective, and the industry’s definite need for it right now, coming out in the industry with basically 12 brand-new units to service a lot of different applications and environments is definitely going to be a feather in our hat.”

Both Sinnie and Gray agreed that the company is poised to take the market by storm as the year progresses.

Publication date: 2/18/2019

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