Course Reflection

To say the least, this course was not what I was expecting. I was expecting to perform Revit projects for the whole term. But the information taught in class was a refreshing change of pace. It almost seemed as if I was stepping out into a completely new field of study. With lectures focusing on robotics and sensors, I was not sure how this was architectural engineering course. But as everything began coming together, I could see how all these pieces of technology fit into building design. Building design is not all about aesthetics and structural calculation, it a means of making the future bigger, brighter and more efficient. And this is exactly what was taught in the Intelligent Buildings course. Elements such a construction drones and robots and 3D printing all tie into how buildings will be created and maintained more efficiently as technology advances. Never before have I seen so many engineering fields being intertwined with civil and architectural engineering.

During my study here at Drexel University, I had a concern that may or not may not face many civil engineers. I was worried that my field was evolving very slowly, and that anything new or groundbreaking never really happened. A few different codes release a new edition every couple of years, but nothing really extraordinarily new comes along. In fields such as software and electrical engineering, new systems are being developed rapidly while civil engineers are moving at a moderately stagnant pace. However, through the knowledge gained from AE 510, I know this is not true. With advances in technology, the way engineers think about traditional building design and maintenance can become completely obsolete. This is an exciting concept that can possibly make the structures of tomorrow come alive today.

Directly relating to my profession as a structural engineer, I do not see many direct impacts from the class. While all of the information taught by Dr. Mitchell is valuable, it is not necessarily useful in developing a framing plan for a structure. But, like I said before, traditional structural design may be upset with heavy advancement in manufacturing and labor technologies. Only the future will tell how “intelligent” buildings can become.

Comments

Ian – I completely agree with you on the speakers that presented to us in class. They were extremely intelligent and taught me a lot about intelligent building design. I especially enjoyed the speaker from Bentley who presented very useful tools foe engineers. I also have to agree about the database assignment. While the assignment provided great insight towards the creation of databases, it does not necessarily relate to me.

Ivan- 3D printing was one of the most interesting topics from the class to me as well. The possibilities for this technology are endless and it is exciting to see what kind of object will be printed next. I hope within our lifetime that we can see printed materials used in space, but based on the budget being cut for NASA, we may never see it. However, being able to order a physical good from a website and being able to materialize it within my own home is a very exciting concept!

Group B Week 9 Story

Link: Click here

Week 7 - Temperature Sensors

Temperature sensors are extremely important in modern life. Chemical engineering, modern medicine, and many other fields demand that the exact temperature be measured constantly. These sensors have to be extremely precise in order to maintain effectiveness. Specifically relating to BIM, temperature sensors are utilized to maintain a level of desired temperature for the inhabitants while also making the building energy and cost effectiveness. Temperature sensors have been a household item since the development of the mercury thermometer. These thermometers, or filled system thermometers, are filled with a liquid material with a high thermal expansion rate. This material then expands with the increase of molecule movement, or increase in heat. This sensor is ultimately reading and reacting to the increase or decrease in molecular movement, which controls how the liquid expands or contracts. (Middleton 1966)

The most commonly used temperature sensor today would be thermocouples. These types of sensors monitor temperature using electricity, like many modern sensors. This sensor is comprised of two different conductors in long, tube-like fashion. These conductors are placed a different temperatures, one location being the reference temperature, and the next being the location in which the temperature is trying to be measured. The differences in temperature between the reference point and point of interest produces a voltage which is then analyzed by a computing system to then provide the temperature at a certain point. These systems are inexpensive and require no external power, much like a filled system thermometer, which makes them highly popular. However, thermocouples are not extremely accurate and should not be used when extreme accuracy and precision is required. (Babadi 2011)

A pyrometer is another type of temperature sensor which utilizes a different approach from both thermometers and thermocouples. Radiation pyrometers measures the radiation of a given light, either visible or infrared, and then this this radiation heats an internal thermocouple to create a voltage. These types of sensors are used in non-contact situations.  (Stein 1994)

Temperature sensors are invaluable to BIM, as well as many other fields. Creating comfortable and cost-effective buildings require that the temperature be monitored and maintained at all times. These devices are not as simple as many people think however. And in order to utilizes them properly, one must understand what these sensors are actually doing.

References

Babadi, S. (2011, April). Sensors and their Applications. In 10 th Research Seminar Series Workshop.

Middleton, W. E. K. (1966). A history of the thermometer and its use in meteorology (p. v). Baltimore, Md.: Johns Hopkins Press.

Stein, A. (1994). U.S. Patent No. 5,308,161. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Comments

Melanie- Great post outlining the current state and limitations of motion sensors. I am curious how much these will actually advance. Do you believe that motion sensors could be improved enough to be utilized for other systems? I agree that the lighting system is one of the few systems in which motion detectors are effective and not annoying. Even then, motion sensors can become aggravating if the lights keep turning off.

Nameta- I really enjoyed that you brought attention to the fact the humidity is just as important as temperature in terms of indoor air quality. These types of sensors are very important to maintain a healthy indoor space as well as a comfortable one. BIM aims to create the most effective building and being able to monitor the humidity is extremely important.

Week 6- What is SQL?

SQL, which stands for Structured Query Language, is a program language specifically designed for managing data. The language is specifically used for updating, deleting and requesting information from databases. The four main functions that SQL selecting performs are selecting, inserting, updating and deleting data. By utilizing SQL, these types of functions allow seamless communication and manipulations to different databases. Database management can be an extremely difficult process and SQL helps make this task more manageable. (Chamberlin 1981)

SQL was first developed in the early 1970s by Dr. E.F. Codd. It was first developed as SEQUEL, or Structured English Query Language, which would later become SQL. This type of language was specifically developed for providing a standard for accessing and manipulating IBM databases. This database base manipulation language was the standardized by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) in 1986. The International Standards Organizations (ISO) also approves of SQL.  SQL became universally accepted and is still used today, although it has been enhanced many times. (Kline 2004)

The language that SQL utilizes is specifically designed for data within a relational database management system (RDBMS). This system is the primary engines of information systems across the globe and are heavily used in web applications and client/server communications. Users of RDMS systems view data as a collection of tables that are related to one another through a series of common data values. SQL allows the user to easily manage these tables and manipulate the data. Through the SQL language, users can perform tasks such as merge or delete with relative eases.

Comments

Brian Benson- Very good post covering rational database theory. I think it’s amazing that databases as advanced as this could be created over 40 years ago. E.F. Cod was certainly a genius and provided the modern age with many tools that enable us to store the mass amounts of data that is used on a daily basis. His ideas were nothing but revolutionary and hopefully the future leaders in database design can make them even stronger and easier to use.

Ted Bruder- Excellent post that defines the importance of databases. People may not think that technology such as this plays a big role in construction, but as your post points out, it most certainly does. Time is extremely valuable today and easily accessing data is imperative to run a well-organized company. I believe that in order to transition into the future and stay competitive, many companies, not just construction companies, will need to utilize database management effectively.

References

Chamberlin, D. D., Gilbert, A. M., & Yost, R. A. (1981, September). A history of System R and SQL/data system. In VLDB (pp. 456-464).

Kline, K., Hunt, B., & Kline, D. (2004). SQL in a nutshell: a desktop quick reference. O'Reilly Media, Inc..

3D Pirating by Mike Wright & Teddy Bruder

Description of Project

3D printing is something that is becoming very popular in future technologies. It will soon be an everyday household item that everyone uses and is proficient at. It will be so common to the point where most of online shopping will be printed at home. This is a very optimistic outlook at what 3D printing will become, but is also not far off of what it can become. This arises the concern for pirating. Once upon a time everyone had to pay for music and movies off the internet, but now everyone downloads everything illegally, and that is what could happen with 3D printing. So we will cover the possibilities of pirating and the protective measures that must be taken into account before it is too late.

Why we Chose Our Project

We chose this project because it is a real possibility and is not far in the future. This is a real issue that could cause pandemonium. People see 3D printing as a very optimistic future and really only think about the wonderful possibilities of 3D printing, never the downsides of 3D printing and the negative effect of it. Plus everyone loves some good drama.

Challenges

Challenges faced during this project will be finding adequate and reliable data to define what the future holds for 3D printing. While 3D printers are a hot technological item currently, there is not much discussion based upon the negative impacts. People are more interested in the possibility of being able to print a pair of boots from amazon rather than consider the impact it has of the postal service or the manufactures. Data may be slim with this look into the subject. Another challenge will be developing or finding restrictions that will be put on these devices to control illegal downloading and printing. If this technology becomes available to the public, overly-restricting the technology will turn people away and reduce the possible advancement in 3D printing. 

Deliverables

For this project the main deliverable will be a paper of 1,750 words or more. A powerpoint project will also be created to present our research and paper.

Relation to Intelligent Buildings

It is possible that 3D printers may one day be capable of printing buildings. While this capability is exciting, it is also dangerous. This project will look deeply into manual labor vs. intelligent buildings and whether or not they can coexist or if the advancement of automated manufacturing will destroy the jobs of manual laborers.  

Project Outline

1. Introduction
1. 3-D printing is a recent development in manufacturing that allows a user to develop a model to be mass produced. This essentially cuts out manufactures of these items. Designers of the models can potentially design, manufacture, and sell the good all in-house. In the future, it may be possible for 3-D printers to be a household item where users can purchase the rights to a model and print at their home. While this technology has great capabilities, it may prove detrimental to many aspects of society.  
2. 3-D Printing- Current State
1. Discuss the current state of 3-D printing and their capabilities.
1. Background information
2. Discuss limitations of current technology.
1. Cost of equipment
2. Ease of use
3. 3-D Printing- Future State
1. Explain what is possible with future technology
1. Future cost
2. Household item possibility
2. Discuss future plans for commercial 3-D printing
1. How will it be incorporated into traditional manufacturing?
3. What is theoretically possible for 3-D printers to achieve?
1. Food
2. Homes
3. Vehicles
4. Pirating
1. Discuss limitations of online piracy in its current state.
2. Explain how being able to access to pirated 3-D plans could affect the industry.
3. Research and explain the potential dangers of this.
1. People illegally downloading weapons.
5. Social Impacts
1. How will the job market be affected if people can print clothing, electronics, or even homes?
2. Will this benefit or harm society in the long run?
6. Regulations
1. What regulations will need to put on 3-D printers in order to stop illegal activities?
2. How will these restrictions limit the capabilities of future 3-D printers?
7. Conclusion

Comment on Other Blog Post
To Dave Barbalace:
I personally think that 3D printing an entire house would be difficult unless they are small in size. I felt like having a 3D printer that big is unpractical and would take as much time to construct as a house would. I look forward to seeing what you come up with and it seems like a very difficult but interesting topic. Over all good post, thorough but short and sweet outline, getting straight to the point so I don't have to read as much, I like that.

To Brian Benson

Brain,

I believe this is a very interesting topic. Most people assume that sustainability and intelligent buildings coincide with each other. It will be interesting to see if that is actually true. I personally believe that sustainability should be a prime concern in intelligent buildings but it is possible that your research may prove otherwise. I look forward to hearing about your results and potential improvements for intelligent building design. 

B - What's the relation of BIM to other IT Software?

Although BIM is improving its capabilities and features, it still lacks in terms of what other software such as SAP or eQuest can analyse.

Industry standards such as CAD have dominated the engineering and design atmosphere for so long, and BIM is seemingly putting an end to it.  Typical 2D software is no longer sufficient when the capabilities to manage and model 3D figures are there to help owners, designers, and engineers better visualize the structure under review.

BIM interoperability with different software is allowing groups to use the software of their choice and allowing them to interact with fewer errors between the transfer of data among them.  One of the challenges that faces BIM in industry is the need to link other types of software to the model in order for firms to achieve the level of functionality that they're looking for.  Many designers still prefer to use platforms developed specifically for their individual disciplines.

BIM will Improve Buildings

BIM applications have become very popular in the field of architectural and civil engineering over the years. Programs such as Revit can be seen in most major AE firms throughout the world due to the benefits that the program provides. BIM is a digital representation of a building that exceeds any drafting software to date. While this technology is very powerful and has many advantages, there are risks associated. This blog post intends to determine whether BIM improves the quality of building design and functionality, or causes harm to the project.

 The benefits to properly utilizing a BIM application in building design are numerous. BIM software is able to model the properly model a building's geometry that portrays a more clear image. Esther mentions parametric modeling in her post, which is a function that will save engineers and drafters valuable time that can go into building design. Corners will not be cut because it is too difficult and time consuming to change the thickness of a wall during the final stages of design. Also BIM is not restricted to the design phase of a building. BIM is utilized for construction management, cost estimating and facilities management. Being able to perform these functions in one platform will allow more effective buildings to be designed.(Azhar 2008) Michael K. mentioned in his post how BIM can determine energy trends in buildings. These monitored trends will then be used to make the building and futures more energy efficient. Buildings will be able to last longer with constantly monitored health and the data will be easier to access with the information all on one platform.

Utilizing BIM also saves firms thousands of dollars. Table one is a case study from 10 different firms in which BIM has saved a huge amount of money. If the utilization of BIM becomes more mainstream and efficient, the amount of savings will only increase. Money and time can then be diverted to other tasks such as providing a more efficient HVAC or MEP plan.

Table 1: Representation of return on investment of BIM. (Azhar 2008)

The use of BIM does provide some risks however. The biggest and most influential problem with BIM concerns liability and responsibility. Due to BIM integrating all of the project data into one platform, the origination of design errors will be more difficult to place(Thompson 2007). No one will gladly except a lawsuit even if they know it there fault. This "blur" of the lines of responsibility could potentially lead to more carelessness due to those responsible knowing they may get away with it. (Azhar 2008)

While BIM does have challenges that it needs to overcome, it does not diminish the impact it has had on the industry. BIM has greatly improved the efficiency of the design process and improved communication between different firms and consultants.(Thompson 2007) With time, BIM may completely abolish software such as 2-D CAD drafting due to the numerous benefits it provides to building design. Buildings will be designed quicker and overall more efficiently through the use of BIM.



Azhar, Salman, Michael Hein, and Blake Sketo. "Building information modeling (BIM): Benefits, risks and challenges." Proceedings of the 44th ASC National Conference. 2008.

Thompson, D. B., and Ryan G. Miner. "Building information modeling-BIM: Contractual risks are changing with technology." WWW document] URL http://www. aepronet. org/ge/no35. html (2007).

P1- Project and Team

Team Members

Michael Wright

Edward Bruder

Topic

3-D printing has is going to provide many opportunities, but the concept also has many flaws. Most people expect that these will become mainstream to the point that they will be household items. However, peer-to-peer sharing, which has been limited to software, would allow people to virtually pirate physical goods. Also people could potentially create personal weapons in their own home. This project hopes to discover what 3-D printing is capable of and then examine the social impacts of this new technology if it were to become mainstream.

Chapter 3 - Interoperability

Interoperability is the ability that allows different systems to communicate with one another. This software and application ability is essential in moving towards a more automated future. The BIM handbook explains that utilizing interoperability can lead to a multitude of benefits. If software and applications used in design feature the ability to communicate with one another, manual copying of partial project data will be minimized. This feature can possibly lead to more consistent results as well as save engineers valuable time. Interoperability leads to more automation which then leads to less time spent performing tedious task such as copying project data to another piece of software. (Eastman 2011) If the data exchange between software were to become more advanced and accurate, more efficient building designs could be determined as well through the use of tools such as Revit MEP-IES<VE>.(Kumar 2008) The cost of inadequate interoperability in current systems is astronomical and is estimated to cost United States industries nearly $16 billion a year.(GCR 2004) While other industries such as medicine utilize this technology, BIM is a technology that heavy relies on communication between numerous applications. 

With respect to software, interoperability is achieved through programs, such as AutoCAD and GIS, being capable of using the same file formats and exchange data through those formats. As Audrey mention in her post, there are three categories of data exchange utilized by BIM. These are platform-to-tool, tool-to-tool, and platform-to-platform. (Eastman 2011) Platform-to-tool is the most common and important data exchange according to the BIM handbook. An example of this would be defining a model utilizing a BIM platform and then translating that model to a tool that would perform certain task such as structural analysis. This type of exchange is extremely difficult and has not incorporated much automation however. Engineers must use data acquired from this exchange with sound judgment as the data may not be correct. With future innovation in BIM, these different categories may be able to become completely automated and allow engineers to focus on other tasks. 

The current state of interoperability is very shallow. While interoperability does exist with BIM products, it is very limited. Anyone who has tried to exchange models through multiple BIM products can identify with issues plaguing this feature. A big issue being seen today is version compatibility. Due to software upgrades being release continuously, linking several applications together can prove challenging if one piece is out-of-date. Problems also arrive if a project has several consultants. If these consultants do not have the same version as one another, data exchange becomes extremely difficult and fragile. (Burt 2009)

Interoperability is an extremely useful capability. However, in the current state, it can be more of a nuisance due to compatibility issues. This communicating ability will no doubt become more advanced in the near future and will allow engineers to obtain data more effectively and produce better products.

References

Burt, B. A. "BIM interoperability, the promise and the reality." Structure Magazine (2009): 19-21.

Eastman, Chuck, et al. BIM handbook: A guide to building information modeling for owners, managers, designers, engineers and contractors. Wiley. com, 2011.

GCR, NIST. Cost analysis of inadequate interoperability in the US capital facilities industry. National Institute of Standards and Technology, 2004.

Kumar, Sumedha. Interoperability between building information models (BIM) and energy analysis programs. ProQuest, 2008.

 .

Mike Wright Project Ideas

1. 3-D printing and the impact on society. How will 3-D printing effect the workforce, will 3-D make      weapons more accessible, what kind of regulations will be set, and how will pirating effect 3-D printing?

2. Robotics in Construction- I would like to research how effective robots would be in construction during the present and future.

3. Robotics in Operation

4. Senior Design with BIM

5. Malicious network use


I would like a group if any of these topics interest anyone else.

Group B Future of Sensor Capabilities

     Collectively as a group, we have come up with common themes regarding the future of sensors. Firstly, we noticed that as technology advances sensors are capable of doing more descriptive and more detailed tasks all while adapting to their environment. For instance, the Dropcam sensor, which is a video-motion detector sensor, if placed near a window with a tree that moves due to the wind every day, will recognize the tree as a non-threat and routine figure in its field of vision. Secondly, as a new type of sensor is researched and unveiled, they tend to be not as sleek and more expensive. However, as time passes, these sensors can become more affordable and cost effective.
     Sensors can be used in a spectrum of fields in society. Sensors are utilized in the fields of medicine, security, aerospace, and many more. For instance, in the medical field, doctors are capable of putting sensors in the brain capable of moving prosthetic limbs on the patient's body. Additionally, sensors can be used as pacemakers capable of adapting to the varying levels of mental and physical stress within the patient. Sensors are used in the military to detect threats in the field as well as used for radar in a variety of capacities. With regards to buildings, one of the newest technologies sensors are used for are with energy harvesting so that buildings can maximize the efficiency in its usage of energy. These sensors are capable of harvesting energy from vibrations, photoelectric sources, and thermoelectric sources.

Week 2- The Future of Sensor Capabilities

Sensor capabilities have seen much advancement in recent years. Sensors can be seen in almost every home, vehicle, and cell phone. Android phones have a multitude of sensors including pressure, temperature, GPS, and accelerometer sensors. This is a device that ordinary people carry around in their pockets on a daily basis. Scientific fields such as aerospace, defense, medicine and robotics feature even more advanced sensors with capabilities that will usher in a more automated and computer based future. Sensors are vital in communication with software and hardware. They allow systems to sense the environment and, in most cases, respond in a certain way. 

In the field of robotics, scientists apply sensors in order to allow the robot to hear, see and touch the surrounding environment. These functions allow robots to function more independently and perform tasks with minimal human interaction. With respect to robotic sight, sensors are being developed to allow a robot to navigate based on sight, much like a human. (Jafar) For example, robots may no longer need to be programmed in order to navigate buildings or other spaces. New technology allows robots to visually see their environment and determine its own location and goal. Advanced audio sensors may also allow robots to hear and sense the way humans talk. They will be able to identify aggression and other emotions based upon the pitches of a humans voice. (Batliner) The field of robotics heavily relies on advanced sensors in order to perform tasks and interact with humans.

In the medical field, doctors and scientist heavily rely on sensors in order to monitor patient health. Pacemakers, for example, are modern pieces of medical equipment that have been introduced to advanced sensors. Utilizing sensor technology, these pacemakers monitor the beat of the heart and apply electric stimuli to the heart in order to keep the heart in rhythm. Modern pacemakers may also adapt to a user’s activity and react accordingly through the use of accelerometers. They also include metabolic sensors which allow the pacemakers to adapt according to the user’s physical and mental state. (Shi) This is only one example of the extraordinary capabilities that sensors have related to the medical field.

Sensors will only become more advanced as time goes on. Humans already rely on these sensors so much without the majority of people even knowing about them.  Depending on how far sensors advance, it is quite possibly that most actions will be completely automated in the future.

References

Batliner, Anton, et al. "Whodunnit–searching for the most important feature types signaling emotion-related user states in speech." Computer Speech & Language 25.1 (2011): 4-28.

Jafar, Fairul Azni, et al. "An environmental visual features based navigation method for autonomous mobile robots." International Journal of Innovative Computing, Information and Control 7.3 (2011): 1341-1355.

Shi, Wei Vivien, and MengChu Zhou. "Body sensors applied in pacemakers: A survey." Sensors Journal, IEEE 12.6 (2012): 1817-1827.

Group B Intelligent Building Definition

Intelligent Buildings:

A structure that uses technology to respond to its environment and enhance the performance of a building.

Dummy for Names

I had to add this post in order to make Labels for all your names (technical limitation).  Please ignore it.

Here’s the post with all your names as of 1/4/2014