B1-Group C, Lin

Topic: AI and Robotics

20 years before, I don’t think the world will predict the smart phones, the artificial intelligence, and the robotics will come to our life. When I searched the articles from the website about the “future” which are usually linked with “AI” and “Robotics”. As we know, the future is unpredictable, but what we know is that technology is always the main role of our life changer and the technology also has the biggest influences on the productivity.

Nowadays, smartphone becomes a part of our life, and seems some people can not live without smartphones. And how did the normal phone switch to the “smart phone”? The answer is “AI”. Because of the artificial intelligence appears, the phones become more convenient, and smart to the users. Like Siri, Bixby. And people can ask their smartphone questions and the AI can reply the answers via Internet. And with developing of the technology, the AI becomes more wide and can be used on different fields like, buildings, houses, some business area, and even aviation. People can give a direct order, and the AI will follow the order to do things to provide a easier and more convenient life.

Robotics have become part of life, like the clean-robots, and the cook-robots. However, the biggest change from the robotics is the workforce. As showing in the article, “Earlier this year, the company reported 2017 revenue of more than $170 million, a 72% increase over its 2016 performance.” Because the robotics can keep working 24 hours a day as long as there is enough power for them. Moreover, the robotics can reduce the risks of insecurity.  However, with the increasing amount of robotics results huge amounts of workers lost their job. Therefore, many people feel uncomfortable about this robotics.

[1] Robothusiast, “2018 Year Review: Top 6 Trends in Robotics, AI, and Automation”  December 11^th , 2018https://www.robothusiast.com/2018-year-in-review-top-6-trends-in-robotics-ai-and-automation/

comments:

Hailey Ihow, I really like your post. You made a very clear description of the sensors and the AI. And the examples you gave really makes me to understand what is the sensor and what is the AI. And how do these things affect our life.

Samantha, I really agree with your point. The 3-D printing has been used widely now, and with the developing, more and more materials and things can be printed and used in 3-D printing.

Week 1 Post - Hailey Ihlow - Group D

Topics: Sensors, AI, Future

Self-powered sensors – self-powered living – Sensors for wearable technology and sensors for data analysis; those are some key topics I am pulling from the tag. There is a need for energy generation that does not rely on fossil fuel, but there are other benefits to this as well. The sensors are used for energy usage and generation depending on the use. For example, there is a watch that runs on the heat of the user; this takes away the need for charging every few days. While the charge is not a lot for a high-powered smartwatch, it does have potential as technology advances. The current tech is bulky but has gotten smaller as the technology advances. As sensors in this regard get better and smaller applications will expand to other daily used items such as headphones. I use my headphones about 70% of my day. With devices that are powered by the world around them, what will that mean when AI systems are installed and implemented into the same devices. [1]

Will, we let them “…control over our computers, toasters, cars.” A lot of companies are using cloud-like systems to save data, but those are not AI like for now. Before I delve further into the AI realm, a constant paranoia is that Siri or other phone applications are listening to our conversations. This “listening” is how companies such as Google and Amazon make their products edgier, by knowing the clients (us) as we use their products. With the system knowing what we search, ready, like, etc. the product can learn and use this for future use to potentially help the user. In another setting AI is a large part of the self-driving car. While there is still a lot to be designed with this technology the capabilities are at the fingertips of these large companies. I think this technology will be hard to implement since there are some sacrifices to be made with the self-driving car. Not only giving up the actual driving but the companies that run these will have control over everything around transportation. How long it takes to get there if you take the high way or local streets. Self-driving cars can be comparable to the phone listening to our conversations. The car will know where you usually go and need to go when taking away choices we have as of now. [2]

As tech advances so do we. Advancement while is usually a good thing it may have its problems. Considering “what tech will look like in 2039” article one of the first topics discussed is biology hacking. Biology hacking, while having amazing perks speaks to some cons as well. This article touches on the medical advancements and helpfulness that this technology can bring us. The article even mentions AI, and how that tech can help determine things within our codes to help our health. As with most tech and advancements setting principles and rules helps not only the tech but us from being vulnerable to our creation and other creations.  [3]

There is a lot in the future that is near and far regarding how technology will change and how it will change us. While technology is something humans rely on eventually the line of what is and is not technology may fade away.

References:

 [1] Stein, Scott. (2019, January,4). Here comes the thermoelectric future: We tried out the next generation of self-powered sensors. https://www.cnet.com/news/thermoelectric-future-we-tried-out-the-next-generation-of-self-powered-sensors/.

[2] Miller, Paul. (2018, May,7). What is edge computing? https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/5/7/17327584/edge-computing-cloud-google-microsoft-apple-amazon.

[3] Marvin, Rob. (2019, January,3). What tech will look lie in 2039? https://www.pcmag.com/news/365676/what-tech-will-look-like-in-2039

Responses:

1.       Tyler Madden, you have really good information in here from a perspective I have not read much on before. I think with knowledge being more and more accessible to the users this topic will be higher and higher on the list of issues discussed. As professor Mitchel said, we are living in a world that is changing very fast around us, and I think topics that you bring up in here are important to keep in mind as we move forward

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2.       Harvin Bhandal, I read some of the same articles you did. There was a lot of interesting information in there regarding the future of these devices. In regards to the workforces that won't get affected by AI. Is there a timeline on that because while yet, executives might be safer than nurses, but I think that there are applications for doctors and nurses within the AI field. From a human perspective “bedside table” might disappear but that is gone in some cases anyways overall good selection of thoughts.

3.       Blas Andres Rodriguez, you have made some points. The construction field is going to get affected by technology. I see that when I am at work and in classes as professors that still work in the field talk about the changes they see. I use Revit at work, and I collaborate with architects and clients about how fire protection networks will go through a building. While it's not a hard task to design the logistics of installation and correct space for the network is the issue. So BIM/Revit is helpful in the long run. In the past CAD was implemented, and there was a higher chance in crashes. Now being able to see the network go through the building the designers from both sides can adjust as needed. 

Blog 1—The Influence of BIM Technology and 3D Printing on Future Construction Industry

BIM (Building Information Modeling) technology is a data tool used in engineering design, construction, and management. The advantage of BIM technology is that it can be used throughout the life cycle of a building. It saves a large amount of information such as design data, construction information, and maintenance information in the information base.

3D printing is a kind of rapid prototyping technology. It is a technique for constructing objects by layer-by-layer printing based on digital model files. The advantages of 3D printing technology are manufacturing complex items without increasing costs, product diversification without increasing costs, zero time delivery, and accurate physical reproduction. At present, 3D printing technology is no longer unfamiliar, and it has become a reality to form a building by printing. Therefore, in the face of new technologies, we need to discuss changes in project management.

With the development of modern technology, the construction industry applies these technologies to real life. At present, a very important feature of the new technologies commonly used in the construction field is that it can be expanded under a single environment. Nowadays, in the construction industry, the application of BIM new technology and 3D printing technology in the construction field is gradually becoming the norm for designers and builders, involving single buildings, architectural complexes, and even urban planning and design. So for the future of construction industry, we need the new technologies. It is more beneficial to strengthen the impact of BIM and 3D printing technology applications on the future.

The BIM design is based on the IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) standard and is modeled with the existing standard model's logical structure. Models built is efficient, easy to export, and easier to adapt to other building software. The BIM model construction needs to be completed in four parts: the calculation result model, the structural component model, the material information model and the attribute definition model.

1. Structure construction model. The basic components of the building, including the walls, columns, beams, etc. in the building, through the construction of the model to make the elements organically associated;

2. Calculation results model. The computer-calculated internal mechanical performance analysis results and the architectural structure design analysis results are correlated and combined to realize the optimal design of the structural construction;

3. Material information model. Construct a model of information about the concrete and reinforcement materials used in the building;

4. Attribute definition models. This part of the model establishes the dynamic attribute parameters of the building structure and provides an extensible interface for the model's re-expansion, which is the key to the dynamic adjustment of the entire building structure model.

As for structures, 3D printing technology has advantages:

1. 3D printing buildings can save time. When 3D printing technology is applied to the architectural design model, the building model can be directly operated at various levels, and the elements are automatically generated without the need to waste time copying. A tens of stories high building, ordinary construction, it takes about six months to one year to complete the construction. The current 3D printer can print 10 200 square meters of buildings in 24 hours.

2. 3D printing building materials have better strength. The 3D printed building materials have high strength and light weight, and have a great advantage compared with traditional building materials. Because of the hollow "Z" shape structure, a triangular stable support is produced, and the seismic effect is better.

3. 3D printing buildings are more environmentally friendly. Compared to the waste of resources in traditional manufacturing and the destruction of the environment, 3D printing technologies can completely avoid these problems. The materials for 3D printing come from construction waste, industrial waste, etc., and the waste is used. Because there is no transportation of sand, stones, cement and other materials in the process, it will not generate dust and pollute the environment. And no cutting is required, one molding.

Therefore, I believe that this technology represents a new trend in manufacturing development. Applying this technology to buildings will shorten the manufacturing time, increase efficiency, and strengthen economic and management levels.

The impact of new technologies in the construction sector on the future is important. In the future, it is an information age, the main features of the information age will infiltrate into all aspects of future architecture, including BIM, engineering progress management, building data collection and so on. Therefore, we need to develop our BIM technology and 3D printing technology in the construction industry. What we should pay a attention is that we must implement sustainable development and humanization while implementing new technologies. Building energy conservation must not only be implemented in specific construction, but also to implement the final building during using.

Reference:

[1] Yi Wei Daniel Tay, “3D printing trends in building and construction industry: a review” Virtual and Physical Prototyping, 14 May. 2017, https://doi.org/10.1080/17452759.2017.1326724.

[2] Rebekka Volk, Julian Stengel and Frank Schultmann, “Building Information Modeling (BIM) for existing buildings — Literature review and future needs” Automation in Construction, 10 March. 2014, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2013.10.023

[3] Geert De Schuttera and Karel Lesagea, “Vision of 3D printing with concrete — Technical, economic and environmental potentials” Cement and Concrete Research, 10 October. 2018, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2018.06.001

 

Comment:

Nick Maloney,

 I am very interested in the second paragraph of your blog mentioning the 3D printing robot. So I understand the advantages of more 3D printing robots, easy to operate and high efficiency. As far as I know, science robotic has launched MIT's latest research, 3D printing, to build robots, which was planned by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Mediated Matter lab. The mobile robot took 13.5 hours and was completely independent. It built a dome with a diameter of 14.6 meters. Known as the "Digital Construction Channel", this robot has a crawler-type mobile chassis, a large 4-DOF hydraulic cantilever, and a 6-degree-of-freedom Kuka robotic arm at the top of the cantilever. Ability to replace welding, excavation and printing.

Gabriel Grajewski,

The AI you mentioned in the blog has a negative impact on the employment of people in developing countries. I think it totally makes sense. After AI develops to a certain stage, it will inevitably replace some ordinary productivity, thus affecting the employment rate. In addition, I also believe that under the impetus of market demand, a number of smart companion industries with artificial intelligence "personification" as a selling point must be promoted. Human society is a social society, paying attention to emotional and ethical relationships. In the future, human activities and entertainment will be diversified, but it is important that family and friendship are indelible. When the conditions are met, the orphans or independent children who have lost their loved ones must have a highly anthropomorphic partner who can accompany themselves. Emotional delivery must be different from traditional moral values or subversive. This is a question worth exploring.

Blas Andres Rodriguez Vieira,

In this blog, you have done a good job of BIM's discussion of the future architecture. It shows the characteristics and advantages of the current technology, the development status and the problems that BIM technology may encounter in practical application. However, this blog lacks a discussion of AI technology. If you can briefly introduce the characteristics and current status of AI technology and combine it with BIM technology to analyze their impact on the future construction industry, I believe it will be better.

Blog 1-The HVAC system and the environmental challenges for the future buildings

  Now is 2019, so the “future” is here. Currently, for those new buildings, computers and smartphones are not the only staffs can connect to the internet and log in the database. The doorbell can record guess’ message when we are not home; the lights would be turned off automatically when there is no one occupied in the room; the fire alarm would call the fireman for us. But the future is still coming. “The home devices are able to communicate with each other, send the message to the host, and take commands for improving. This is not science fiction anymore. Because of the Internet of Things (IoT), it is possible to build the home automation.” Wrote by Colon and Griffith. [1] When it comes to practice, the HVAC system would be the main part to be automated. Here is an AD for the air vent, “Keen’s Smart Vents make it possible for homeowners to close the vents when the room is not in use with an app, instead of a ladder. The vents are rigged with sensors for temperature and pressure. After you install it, you can set up a profile for the room to tell the vent how it should work. For an office room, the original program is set to work between 9 in the morning and 6 in the afternoon for the workdays. If there is a hard-working guy wants to stay longer, he can use the app to adjusted time. Keen will also remember user habits and intelligently open and close vents accordingly. Initial studies show that Keen can reduce 22% of running time on the air vents.” [2] The benefit of the automated HVAC system and the electricity system is to save our planet. Rhodes wrote, “If we turn down the air vents during the unoccupied period, the efficiency of a 3,500-square-foot building can decrease to the same efficiency serving a 2,000-square-foot home.” [2] A lot of energy would be saved.  

  Of course, as engineer students, we all have been told that environmental problem is not an ignorable problem for the building constructions. “40% of greenhouse gas is produced by the buildings in the U.S. In New York, this number even raises to 80%. This happens because the commercial buildings waste a large amount of energy by heating and lighting unoccupied buildings. There is also another problem for the architects and engineers, the green building conferences are packed with everything from recycled building materials to solar awnings. The challenge is choosing the products that offer the best return on investment and fitting them into an overall design.” Martin LaMonica wrote. [3] For better life of our progenies, engineers should start to save the Earth. However, to construct a green building is not as easy as its definition. Martin LaMonica wrote: “One of the challenges in green building design is making dramatic energy reductions to existing buildings. The constructor would fill the insulations, such as the vacuum insulation panels, between the brick walls or ceilings. The building will use efficient lighting and HVAC systems. Engineers and designers can save energy and money by using smaller HVAC machines in an insulated and tight constructed building. Another method to improve the overall efficiency of the building is by certain practices like, to precool the conference rooms before meetings, Cheimets says.” [3]

 The development of the buildings and technology is important but it does not mean that we can ignore the problems they have, such as environmental problems. I believe the balance is much more essential than the developing speed. 

Reference:

[1] Colon, Alex and Griffith, Eric. “The Best Smart Home Devices for 2019.” PCMAG, 1 Nov. 2018,

https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2410889,00.asp. Accessed 13 Jan. 2019.

[2] Rhodes, Margaret. “The Brilliant Air Vents You Never Knew You Needed” Wired, 14 Jan. 2015,

https://www.wired.com/2015/01/brilliant-air-vents-never-knew-needed/. Accessed 13 Jan. 2019

[3] LaMonica, Martin. “Putting Building Science into Practice” Technology Review, 21 Jan. 2013,

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/510131/putting-building-science-into-practice/. Accessed 13 Jan. 2019.

Comments for others:

Alec Silverstone: (Blog Post 1- The Future of Sociology, Databases, and Networking)

I totally agree with your appointment. The problem is very serious. The database is not only sharing the information, which been put into the database on your own initiative but also passively. For example, nowadays, everybody talks to their smartphones for doing a favor, and we think they are helpful. However, did you ever think about that the devices are "monitoring" us by that function as well? One time, my friend told me about "23andme" which is a genetic resolution test and I had never heard about that and never searched anything related to the "23andme" using my smartphone before. But a few hours later, there was an ad of "23andme" showing on my device, and I and my friends were freaked out that time. If the personal privacy is not "personal" anymore, then who will care about the "person" as an individual in the future? Undeniable, the "big data" makes a convenient life, and humans will get more benefits from it in the future. However, the sociology will become one of the largest roadblocks for the development of the database.

Christian Tait:

Yes, the material is the largest limitations of 3-D printing. When it comes for the building construction, 3-D printing is an environmentally friendly method. The construction wastes can be reused by 3-D printing. In 2014, at Shanghai, China, there were 10 3-D printed houses built out for selling. The large properties of the "ink" were from the construction wastes. In this case, the building cost and the constructing time would decrease, and it is good for the environment. However, some parts of construction wastes were not safe enough, and for separate those harmful wastes, the cost would rise back. Also, the material is not fully developed, so the stability of the building is a big problem. So, because of the materials, 3-D printing still has a long path to go for constructing purpose.

Tyler Madden:
There is another interesting story about the facial identifying. Xueyou Zhang is a super famous artist in China, polices caught five escaped criminals on his concerts. This happened because of the real-name facial identifying system at ticket checking entrances. As you said, even though the database is touching our privacy, it is also helping us to get rid of the hiding dangerous. This contradiction will be sharpening in the future.

Blog Post 1- The Future of Sociology, Databases, and Networking

As time has gone on, data has been the defining backbone for all of society. Everything has a perceived data value. Think about a couple of random questions one could ask for a second: How much do you walk on a typical Monday? How many people purchased batteries last week? Everything can be answered and represented by data. How do data and databases fit into the future perspective? After all, databases have been around for quite a while, especially when thinking about government tax collection and census creation. The difference now and for the future, though, is that “data about our habits and movements flow in a continuous stream” [1] and there is no break. There are no more gaps in any data collection practices. Databases can be quite literally filled with data at every second of every day as people worldwide are plugged into their devices. Personally, I see no problem with databases having knowledge of my spending habits, travel habits, or any other “personal” data. For the future, though, the ethical question of “do people want companies with which they are not affiliated to have databases full of stored data about them,” will be a huge debate. 

A discussion of “big data” and databases transitions quite nicely into a discussion about the future in a sociological perspective. As was mentioned before, data has shaped society and will continue to do so in the future. Will human society continue to be “on board” with this idea, or will people call for redevelopment, restructure, and a change in functionality? It seems as though we’ve made a decision already. Think about society for a second- is there really anyone left that does not have a personal computer or smart device? By having such items, we’ve signed away any personal data to the makers of the sites we visit, the devices we use, and any future companies that desire our data. Society has been shaped by technology, and it is something we must accept. In fact, “more than 40 years ago, Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft with a vision for putting a personal computer on every desk” [3]. While obviously not everyone has a Microsoft product, the idea that everyone will have somesort of technological product has come to fruition. Everyone is “plugged in” to society’s technology-based future. Additionally, “no one is really doing much to stop it” [3] because we believe that there might not be an issue with it. There are so many benefits to technology and data-led society that there is no need to try to fight it. 

Finally, now that data and databases have been discussed in relation to sociology, the future with respect to networking can be brought up. It is quite obvious that there is a network that connects us all- the internet. Unless one physically turns off all of one’s devices and relocates to the middle of the woods somewhere remote, it is nearly impossible to go about the day without being connected to the internet. The future is sure to continue to rely on the internet, as people consume news, weather reports, and other relevant data on this international network. While the internet is quite young relatively speaking, there is no doubt that online “networking is the new norm” [2]. Coming into contact with other people in a virtual way will be the way of the future. Even now, we see that most job applications happen online. There is no more “walk into the company’s office and hand in your résumé,” as this has been replaced with online practices. The digital network is the way of the future. 

References:

[1] Bogle, Ariel. Big data is Going to Shape Our Future Cities. Will it Treat Us All Equally?ABC Science. January 2019. 

[2] Henry-Stocker, Sandra. The Future of Networking: Open Source Networking is the ‘New Norm’. 5 October 2018.
[3] Manjoo, Farhad. A Future Where Everything Becomes a Computer Is as Creepy as You FearedState of the Art. 10 October 2018.

Comments on Other Posts:

Albert Hanan, your first paragraph was extremely intriguing. It is humorous that people quite often claim to not be interested in the buzzwords that you outlined, yet ironically every aspect of their lives incorporate those ideas. I have found myself rolling my eyes at articles that talk about AI being “huge” thinking that I would just be reading about more irrelevant “wordage” yet AI is in every part of my technology-based lifestyle. It’s interesting that you mention the data leaks from Facebook and the general sense of discomfort and fear that most people felt during that period. I mentioned in my own blog post that the idea of companies having data about me has never really bothered me that much. If I get targeted ads or recommendations from one website because another service gave them my data, I feel like that’s not too big of an issue personally. It has only ever improved my experience online. Sure, there can be drawbacks, especially if reallyprivate information such as credit card information were to be exposed. Your post gives me a really different sense of just how hugeof an impact data sharing has on day-to-day life. I was not aware of Facebook Pixel’s existence and the concept of it is quite impressive. Data sharing and AI is so deeply woven into everyone’s lives today and will continue to be there in the future. 

            Gabriel Grajewski, I found the third part of your post to be quite interesting. It is true that job loss is occurring on such a large scale due to automation. The point you make that society will not take the steps to lessen the negative impact that comes with automation connects quite nicely with a point I made in my post. AI, automation, technology, and all other new developments have come into our lives, and we’ve accepted them with open arms. As we’ve slowly realized that some things cause problems, we’ve been quick to shrug them off as the technology is so deeply woven into our society. We recognize the issues but we’ve done nothing to remedy them. 

            Christian Tait, I share your interest and fascination with 3D printing! To think that something can be printed in 3D space from a virtual model is still an awesome feat in technological development. It is incredible to me that items can be printed in materials as complex as glass and metal. This begs the question: how far can we take 3D-printing? Additionally, as a mechanical engineering student, the concept of BIM is new to me. I was not aware of its existence yet at the same time it makes complete sense. The ability to go straight from design to manufacturing is fantastic and I’m excited to learn more about it.