B1 - Group B - Price

BIM

When I see the term BIM, the first thing that comes to mind is a “smart” building and the idea of indoor positioning technology definitely falls into that category.  Indoor positioning is a fast-evolving technology that is allows retailers to track shoppers’ movements while in the store.  This can be done by video cameras, sound waves, or even magnetic fields, but the most widely used method is intercepting Wi-Fi signals emitted by shoppers’ smartphones.  This system has been tested in multiple stores, but is still complex that it has yet to be fully adopted.  Just like in Young’s post, I agree that this system will be big in the future and it will definitely give retailers the capability to rival online shopping.

http://www.technologyreview.com/news/520811/stores-sniff-out-smartphones-to-follow-shoppers/

3D Printing

The idea of 3D Printing has come a long way since I was introduced to it in my freshmen engineering class here at Drexel.  Typically, when I think about what people use a 3D printer for, it’s to make a prototype or even the final version of a smaller scale project that they are working on, but now people are using these printers to make clothes.

This article talks about the process that the design company Nervous System had to go through to create a 3D printed dress that is able move and sway like real fabric.  The dress is designed using a system called Kinematics, which combines origami techniques with innovative advances to 3D printing.  The dress starts out as a 3D model in a CAD program and is then broken down into different sized triangular segments that are hinged together to create one shape.  Nervous System started out by creating bracelets with flat plastic pieces that were printed in under an hour and able to fold like origami, which led them to believe they could apply the same process to making garments.  Since dresses are larger than bracelets, the dress would fold to accommodate the size of the 3D printer.  Nervous System now wants to improve the speed and look in to adding new mechanisms and structures that could be used to simulate different materials. 

http://www.wired.com/2014/12/dress-made-3-d-printed-plastic-flows-like-fabric/

Structures

Structures are all around us and become more advance as time goes on.  Though in some places, there were structures that seemed advanced for the time it was constructed.  Just like Rikki stated in her post, there are many examples of interesting structures around the world using advanced types of building technology.  For example, Parc Guell in Barcelona was designed by Gaudi and his vision was to have the park's structure to look like it was originally part of the land.  Structures don't always have to be created and modern looked, but can also be incorporated into the existing land.  I think that this is a very interesting way to build a structure and though it may not be able to be adapted into a city like Philadelphia, but there are some places that it may work with.

This picture is from my trip to Barcelona, where I walked around Parc Guell.  

Future

We’re all curious about “what the future holds” in terms of robots.  There are current consumer products that are robots that some people use in their households.  This article discussed ten different products that make doing household chores easier, such as cleaning a litter box or even cleaning the grill.  If these types of products are already on the market and are here to make your average day a little easier, in 20 years they could only improve.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/25/garden/10-home-robots-to-lighten-your-domestic-chores.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0