AE 410 Reflection

Taking this course has been different and a little unexpected from what I've been used to as a Drexel student studying engineering. I'm used to more classes where we learn hard skills through calculations and working directly with computer programs design around BIM. Even though this class had focus on BIM and other online programs supporting databases and construction, the main focus in this class that I've seen has been the talk of a paradigm shift that is being spearheaded by advancements in technology and seeing how that is reshaping our future. We constantly hear how technology is changing our workforce and how it's going to change everything that we have in the future through AI. But seeing that firsthand and seeing how it affects our jobs as engineers is eye-opening and ensuring that we're able to cross with these coming changes, as this class work well to get us in the mindset innovation and technology. It is scary to see how AI technology can alter the way buildings are being designed and constructed, as this learned technology can design structures independently without human involvement. Two of my favorite topic in this class were building sensors and robotics in construction. We talked about sensors and saying how their role within buildings have redefined how buildings primarily function. Also talked about construction and how that process is being change through AI. The presentation from those two guest speakers were very informative and insightful on where the construction and engineering world is currently going and how it is making strides to move forward and stay in front of the curve through these advancements. I'm still fascinated and intrigued with how robotics is being used as superintendent using lasers and radar to scan and analyze progress and safety of construction.

For me moving forward, it has definitely changed the way that I'm looking at the job market. There are different types of engineering firms across the country, many of them have different cultures but there are cultures that are moving forward and cultures that are staying the same. from a past co-op experience I work for the city of Philadelphia and it was a culture that was stagnant and ran through bureaucracy. The chili learning progress as a engineer into the future, working within an organization where integration of technology and different software is paramount is the only way to stay that have the curve.

Nick Maloney: I completely agree with your initial impression. The extent of robotics integration was especially jarring to see, as was the complexity of databases that controlled advanced BIM software. Admittedly, some topics felt at first glance as if they were overly ambitious and perhaps impractical. I feel that we're at a stage where robotics are primitive and incomplete but they're bound to catch on and catch up quicker than we think.

Jenny Fretta: I agree with how this class can help us in the future architectural engineers, as you said you hope to apply these concepts to my career by being able to connect smart devices in a building to a network in order to make a cohesive controls system within a building to help regulate and monitor conditions from a phone. In the most basic form we want to be able to automated things open the house hole through sensors.

Sean Reifer: I agree with the point you made. Effective databases, sensors and automation system combinations improve system "monitor-ability" and allow building managers to prevent problems before in the system before the problems can occur. As engineers, this is the quickest way we can transform the way we look at construction from inspection perspective and see how we can have more accurate precise readings and analysis of our building's performance.