Paracosm

Paracosm operates at the intersection of reality capture and data visualization, providing solutions tailored for the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industries. The company was established in January 2013 by co-founders Amir Rubin and Ian Taylor. Rubin, a University of Florida computer engineering graduate, had prior entrepreneurial experience, having co-founded other technology companies like Prioria Robotics. The initial vision for Paracosm was to create comprehensive 3D digital maps of the world.

The company's trajectory shifted after observing significant interest from construction and engineering firms in its early technology demonstrations. This market feedback led to a strategic pivot in 2016, focusing the company's resources on developing 3D mapping solutions specifically for job sites and industrial facilities. A key milestone in the company's history was its acquisition in 2017 by Occipital, Inc., a company specializing in spatial computing and 3D sensing. Despite the acquisition, Paracosm continues its operations from its base in Gainesville, Florida.

Paracosm's core offering is the PX-80, a handheld 3D mapping system. This device integrates LiDAR technology with a color camera to produce detailed, colorized 3D point clouds of physical environments. The system is engineered for professionals such as land surveyors, facility managers, and construction supervisors, enabling them to quickly capture the as-built conditions of a site. The data generated by the PX-80 can be used to create large-scale drawings and CAD files, which helps teams monitor progress, verify work, and mitigate the need for costly rework. By providing accurate digital twins of physical spaces, Paracosm allows clients to gain deeper insights into their projects and streamline workflows.

Keywords: reality capture, 3D mapping, construction technology, AEC software, LiDAR scanning, spatial computing, as-built modeling, digital twin, progress monitoring, point cloud, data visualization, facility management, Amir Rubin, Ian Taylor, PX-80, Occipital, construction management, building information modeling (BIM), geomatics, reality modeling