B1 - Group B - Sivertsen

The topics we were asked to research are:

• BIM
• 3D Printing
• Structures
• Future 

BIM

"Unlike commercial or residential facilities, health care facilities are essentially functioning machines that integrate multiple building systems, technologies, life-safety features and codes to meet patient and staff needs while remaining operational 24/7”. Implementing BIM helps plan and design every essential fractional inch to ensure that every system can fit into the technologically complicated structure. With that comes the need for all members work closely together to coordinate the project from start to finish. BIM, especially in hospital design and construction, allows for 3D designing for of all details. BIM creates a database to allow for proper planning. The evolution of 2D plans and drawing to 3D has dramatically changed how different companies and members work together to achieve a common goal. This article notes a medical center project of that relied heavily on the implementation of BIM for coordination and design. The 25 acre site houses a 182,300sf 2-story structure. An important aspect of this project points to BIM being used, especially for the off-site fabrication of: plumbing, HVAC ducts, and electrical mechanisms. In turn, installation on site was rapidly reduced. Additionally as stated before, more efficient installation was achieved because the ducts, and plumbing were designed to incredibly specific dimensions. “BIM enables each manufacturer to evaluate how duct work affects electrical wiring, or telecommunication cables or fire-safety systems, prior to installation”. As building become even more tech savvy, BIM will be relied on even more to ensure all systems are functioning as a single unit, as well as the design members themselves, saving money and time.

http://cenews.com/article/9475/bim-a-new-frontier-in-healthcare-design

3D Printing

Everyday 3D printing is making its way into new and innovative aspects of design and construction. It is being implemented to quickly and efficiently mass produce parts for machines and devices that both technical and an everyday person can create. Another way 3D printing is being used is in larger scale building techniques where all or most of the parts are designed and fabricated off site using 3D printers. The parts are then brought to the site and easily assembled. A Chinese company, WinSun Decoration Design Engineering, displayed that this technique is not only feasible, but incredibly fast and efficient. In a one day time period the company was able to construct ten 3D printed homes. In this case, panels were designed and prefabricated to allow for easy erection on site. The most challenging aspect of this process was developing printer large enough to create large parts needed in house/building design. Their printer is 10m by 6.6. While the houses that WinSun printed were very simple structures, not outfitted with plumbing or electric (but were built to accommodate them), cost and time was greatly reduced. As printers get larger and faster, 3D printed house may become more commonplace in residential construction in the near future.

http://www.archdaily.com/543518/chinese-company-showcases-ten-3d-printed-houses/

Structures

Typically, structures and their ability to be constructed to greater heights are determined by the materials and construction methods in place to make that possible. Engineers are quickly figuring out how to design and construct mega skyscrapers as seen with the erection of the Burj Khalifa and the Taipei 101. One important aspect of the buildings that limit their height, and show promise for future buildings to quickly surpass those structures is elevators. A Finnish elevator manufacturer KONE has created a new line of elevators using carbon fiber hoisting ropes. With this technology implemented in a building, the elevators could travel distances of 1km which is “twice the distance currently feasible and more than 5 times the height to the London Gherkin”. UltraRope, as the technology is called, will have an immediate impact on taller skyscrapers with built to even greater heights.  I thought this was an interesting article because I always assumed materials and how buildings are constructed limited our ability to go higher. Building technologies are a major driving force behind innovative structures and designs. It is important that all aspects of a building must be carefully assessed to see where positive modifications to a system can be made.

http://www.archdaily.com/385506/new-technology-may-double-the-height-of-skyscrapers/#more-385506

Future

“Today, 76 percent of the U.S. population lives in cities, and that number is expected to increase”.  With a high percentage of people living in highly concentrated areas, urban infrastructure will decay more rapidly and require more routine maintenance. ASCE recently conducted a study that determined is will cost approximately $3.6 trillion to upgrade all infrastructure to adequate service levels. This article addresses new ways society needs to think about: planning, design, delivery, tools and processes. Planning, especially in an urban environment is crucial to ensuring the compatibility and cohesion between systems and infrastructure. Sustainability must be looked at in the planning phase as new standards and design methods are introduced early in the planning phase as well. It is vital to look at the future while understanding the current needs of a community or city. Technology will play an important role in sustainability by allowing “performance based planning about existing and planned infrastructure assets”. Real time, high speed information must be easily transmittable to ensure information can be analyzed quickly and in turn be used to assess a system or piece of infrastructures current state; this includes real time monitoring by possibly using monitors or nodes directly on a structure.  It is difficult to look towards the future while there are countless problems at hand dealing with the decay of infrastructure. Again, BIM can help alleviate this issue by implementing intelligent model based approaches. Models and simulations can aid in the planning and design phase and help make more logical and accurate predictions of how systems will perform both individually and with other systems.

http://cenews.com/article/9622/urban-infrastructure-challenge

B1- Group B- Grigorios Papadourakis

BIM

Building Information Modeling, otherwise known as BIM, was a topic we briefly discussed in class last week. Although I had heard mention of BIM before, I was unaware of just how complicated it can be. BIM has infinite uses: it can be used to model thermal performance of an office building or the expected energy consumption of a single family home. It can estimate the required quantities of materials needed for the construction of structures ranging from a single-story bungalow to a modern high-rise. It can pinpoint problem areas by simulating the acoustics of a concert hall, allowing the designer to change the geometry and ensure that each seat will have a satisfactory listening experience.  Positioning a structure in a certain way on the chosen location can maximize natural lighting. At the end of the day, parametric modeling and BIM allows designers to make the building process as efficient as possible. It especially reduces the amount of work associated with making minor changes to a model.

Source: http://www.technologyreview.com/review/517596/new-forms-that-function-better/

3D-Printing

One of the biggest challenges when trying to 3-D print something is planning the way to print it out. Figuring out how to print models with complex geometries can take longer than designing the model itself.  That said, strides are being made everyday to quicken this process. One unique application is that of the Boston-based company Nervous System. Nervous System came up with the idea of printing relatively flat designs with built-in hinges that would allow parts to be folded into more impressive geometries. They used their philosophy in the creation of 3-D printed jewelry and other fashion accessories. This technique allows designers to create unique and complicated designs that are fairly easy to produce. I would venture to say that this technique could be used in the construction of 3-D printed structures in the future. If one were to print four walls connected by hinges flat on the ground, the result could easily be stood up and folded into a box-like structure.  A roof could be printed in a similar fashion. All in all, 3-D printing technology today has progressed enough that printing temporary to semi-permanent dwellings would not be all that difficult.

Source: http://www.civilengineering-digital.com/civilengineering/201301#article_id=245342

Structures

Forensic Information Modeling, or FIM, is a new tool being used to evaluate the causes behind the collapse of structures. It compiles a vast amount of data, including blueprints, renovations, and maintenance data into a three-dimensional database that allows people to analyze structural failure. This is an excellent technology for agencies such as the NTSB, but I personally believe that more effort should be put into the planning and design stages of a building. It’s better to be 99% sure there will never be a problem with a building that 99% sure you can figure out what went wrong when it fell down.

Source: http://www.wired.com/design/2013/12/forget-self-driving-cars-google-is-sponsoring-3-d-printed-fashion/

Future

I had already seen the movie “Her” when I read Greg Egan’s review of it. The movie centers on a lonely man who fosters a relationship with a computer program. Despite not having a physical connection, the two become quite emotionally attached (at least in the guy’s case). Egan believes that the probability of similar technologies being developed is slim for now. “Artificial Intelligence” similar to the example shown in “Her” is limited to applications like Siri, who, despite an occasional witty retort, is strictly utilitarian. People used to believe that reading books made people unsocial. Today many complain that texting instead of calling someone is antisocial. It would seem that as technology advances we become more and more independent. I do believe that we have lost some aspects of sociability with modern technology, but I also think we have gained some. Websites like FaceBook and applications like Skype allow us to remain in touch with the people in our lives that would have otherwise drifted away. Just last week I hung out with some high school friends that I hadn’t seen since graduation. Thanks to modern technology I’ve been able to keep up with them through the years so we had something to talk about and it wasn’t awkward when we met up in real life. I think that technologies like “Her” could be developed in the future as entertainment, but I personally don’t believe that we will ever be able to foster legitimate relationships with computers. Human emotions are too intricate to be understood by a program.

Source: https://www.evernote.com/pub/view/aengineer/ae-510/147eebec-4713-4cee-be1f-9f26743f9ecc?locale=en#st=p&n=147eebec-4713-4cee-be1f-9f26743f9ecc

B1 Group C Lewis

Robotics:

Robots that aid in the performance of day-to-day tasks have always been a major goal of research, but until recently the costs of robots made them prohibitively expensive to the general public. However the price of robots keeps falling as they become easier to design and produce, and the market has seen an increase in the amount of small robots for domestic use. Some of these robots are still outside of the price range of the average consumer—such as a robot that mows your lawn, for a price of $1,100 to $2,000—but others are well worth the amount of money that the consumer would spend on it, such as a robot which rocks a baby to sleep for $180. However, these robots still do need a certain amount of human intervention to perform their tasks. As Kevin Saldivar said, “The machines and robots we have now are capable of completing the tasks that any human may instruct it to do, but it may require constant attention and correction by the human in control.” As robots get smarter this issue may be resolved but for the time being in many areas it is more efficient to have a human perform the task rather than develop and program a robot to do it.

AI:

As robots become more intelligent and perform more and more tasks, it comes to the point where robots will be required to make ethical decisions on par with a human’s morality. A good example of this already in prototype stage is a driverless car, which has to make decisions about driving in which there is no good choice, such as preventing an accident. Scientists are optimistic that robots will be able to have the morality required to make these sorts of decisions.

3d Printing:

Last year the field of 3D printing has become more mainstream as more and more items have been printed that previously would not have been printed. For example, recently a dress was assembled using parts that were designed in a computer and printed using a 3D printer. One of the biggest challenges faced by the team was developing a 3D printed fabric that behaved like fabric though its folds and flowing behavior.

Future:

These subjects are all important for uses beyond the almost trivial uses that they are currently used for as explored in the articles. The developments from these articles can be used on more important uses in the future, once the issues are worked out and the cost of these technologies makes them more accessible to the general public.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/25/garden/10-home-robots-to-lighten-your-domestic-chores.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=1

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/11/magazine/death-by-robot.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

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

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

B1 - AI in the future

When someone thinks of AI (artificial intelligence), the first things that come to mind are doomsday si-fi movies or quotes from Stephen Hawking or Elon Musk telling humanity to be wary of this technology (which makes me wonder if they should stop watching si-fi movies).  AI has been all the rage lately in Hollywood with movies such as Transcendence, where a man uploads his brain to a computer and becomes sort of a god, or multiple cop shows on basic television.

I guess what my point is, is that AI is a real thing that is being worked on by really smart people in companies and universities all over the world, and that it has real world benifits, but this stigma or fear of AI should not (and is not) get in the way of the implementation of these technologies.

AI has potential impact in the future of the building industry in many ways, however the one I would like to talk about is the idea of Machine Learning (ML).  ML is a form of AI that does exactly what the name implies, it learns by itself. Essentially these ML programs are used to mine certain data, by learning what data is applicable and what data is useless from a particular source.

This type of AI has potential in the building and engineering industry because a mass amount of information on all aspects of the industry are in a lot of different places. Textbooks, academic journals, Internet websites, industrial magazines, etc. all have vital information in engineering technologies, however with all the information in so many different places, these studies and practices often don't translate into real world innovation. With the perfection of AI and ML, we will see a future where engineers, designers, and constructors will be able to share and discover information and change trends in the industry because a program has deciphered a trend or a more perfect design through data, rather than having the risk of the trial and error process of the building industry.

B1 - Justin Hileman - Group E

The four topics for this blog post are database, network, sociology, and future. All of these topics are very major components with regards to "Intelligent Buildings" and the technology. Each of these topics is discussed individually below. 

Database

The article titled "2014 in Computing: Breakthroughs in Artificial Intelligence" was a very good read after what was discussed in the previous class. The article discussing how software is being used to replace the work humans can do. To do this, a database has to be used in order to coordinate and design software that can be programmed to do something like this. The article also discusses using a genetic database for testing purposes. A database is a multidisciplinary tool that is very useful in technology and in "Intelligent Buildings". 

As I have read in previous posts, I am a Digital Building concentration as well and am taking a class called INFO210. This class deals greatly with databases and how they are used and incorporated in the design of software and programming. This class is very helpful to the understanding of a database. 

Source: http://www.technologyreview.com/news/533686/2014-in-computing-breakthroughs-in-artificial-intelligence/

Network

The article titled "Modern security tactics fail to protect against malware, study finds" is an interesting article in regards to the ideas of computer and network security. A network, with respect to computer or data, is defined as a telecommunications network that allows computers to exchange data. A network is pertinent from communications standpoint because they are necessary to have when connecting between multiple sources. Networks would be useful in an "Intelligent Building" because of security systems and other technology like intercoms and such.

As reading in other posts, another prime example of a network is in homes or buildings by the use of Wi-Fi. This is something I did not originally discuss when talking about networks in an "Intelligent Building". A Wi-Fi network needs to be secure for many reasons because of privacy issues, as well as not allowing outside sources to access. 

Source: http://www.cnet.com/news/modern-security-tactics-fail-to-protect-against-malware-new-study-finds/

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_network

Sociology

The article titled "Study to Examine Effects of Artificial Intelligence" is a great resource to use when trying to understand how this topic correlates to the class. At first, I saw this topic and I thought to myself, why is this topic included? How is this related to "Intelligent Building"? But after consideration and understanding exactly what sociology is, it makes sense. Sociology is the study of social behavior. The article addresses this issue perfectly. It discusses the belief that AI is taking over and humans will be "in charge", but other than that, AI will be able to perform tasks that humans did previously. This study has been in the process for multiple years and will continue to be the focus for years to come. 

This topic was discussed in class after watching the video of the quad helicopters constructing the building. At first glance, I assumed the quad helicopters were being operated by humans and the bricks were being placed. But after discussion and Professor Mitchell making a good point, the placement of the bricks were too precise and methodical. The process was very blatant and very technical, with each quad helicopter moving in a path and picking up and dropping into place. This has a large effect on society because this process eliminated humans to build the structure, but only using humans to design and program. 

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/16/science/century-long-study-will-examine-effects-of-artificial-intelligence.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0

Future

Every article you will read about "Intelligent Buildings" will deal with the future. This whole idea is considered the future. The article titled "Intel shares futuristic vision of the connected world" was a good read and an article that could be discussed. The title clearly states discussing the future with the world and being connected through technology. CES 2015 had a main focus on the 'Internet of Things' which is the discussion of objects, appliances, and devices being interconnected. This has already started with such things as the Nest, connecting the home thermostat and being automatic and using a smartphone to control. The future just allows for even more detail and more optimum use. 

This topic was discussed in great detail on many of the previous blog posts, as well as in class many times. One of the key discussions is that with time, technology will be even more developed and in depth in the future. Every day, people are learning new things and conducting new experiments and new tests, and changing the way technology is used. Nobody knows what the future holds and "Intelligent Buildings" could easily be a huge part of the future. 

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/ces/11329790/Intel-shares-futuristic-vision-of-the-connected-world.html

B1 Post - Week 2 Group E

Database
     Artificial intelligence has been taking unprecedented importance in contemporary science. Many forms of mimicked intelligence and other lesser forms have proven to be invaluable in areas such as manufacture and industry. With the economic advantages becoming more apparent, larger companies, such as Google, have begun to invest heavily ($600 million; Tom Simonite, 2014 in Computing: Breakthroughs in Artificial Intelligence) in different projects that intend to create higher levels of artificial intelligence. This evolution requires advancement in the hardware interfaces we currently have as well as the new sequences of logic required for "coding". The latest advancements have been done by modeling these components after the human brain (“neuromorphic” chips modeled loosely on ideas from neuroscience; Tom Simonite, 2014 in Computing: Breakthroughs in Artificial Intelligence).
     This concept of modeling these computing systems after biologic systems has seemingly been the key to unlocking the next degree of artificial intelligence. In terms of application to database management, this increased machine intelligence has allowed for much larger data sets to be automatically evaluated at a much more complex level. These advances have allowed for processes that normally take human intelligence and evaluation -- something open to errors and fatigue when used for large data set analysis -- to accurately assess patterns within data sets.
     Another idea that has been showing great promise is the ability for computing systems to learn over time through iterations and by recording trial and error scenarios. This type of long term learning has allowed different contemporary computer software to emulate the learning process. This is seen in things like the google search predictor that will select different search options based on the most likely topic related to the search text. A more complex application as well as a far more useful one is the utilization of IBM's "Jeopardy!" software Watson to make personalized treatment plans for specific patients based on their genome sequencing.
     It is obvious that this type of high level intelligence will be reflected in future computing systems especially those that evaluate large sums of data -- like the data created from the myriad of environmental sensors within modern buildings. This could also potentially be applied to automated construction processes therefore there is an overall system that could determine building conflicts from conception as well as issues that arise during the construction. In fact, the advancement of automated construction practices and construction management depends greatly on the development of artificial intelligence within the implementation devices.

Network
     This article discussed the latest and most promising project by a man named Sebastian Seung to map the human connectome -- or the entire 3D network of neural pathways or synapsis. The previous embodiment of this experiment was done on a flat worm and took roughly twenty painstaking years of research to fully map the approximately 300 + neurons present in its brain (Only once have scientists ever managed to map the complete wiring diagram of an animal — a transparent worm called C. elegans, one millimeter long with just 302 neurons — and the work required a stunning display of resolve.; Gareth Cookjan, Sebastian Seungs Quest to Map the Human Brain). This means that each neuron's specific task, or where it was wired to send messages, was determined. So each neuron responsible for each specific muscle's control, as well as the neurons required for simple thought and evaluation of obstacles for movement. To make it quite clear the magnitude of undertaking by Seung, there are over 100 trillion neural pathways in the human mind. This number is nearly impossible for modern computers to emulate or understand without enormous computational power. So for one to attempt to create a physical 3D model of this network seems as likely as numbering the planets and stars in our galaxy and creating a 3D map that is reflective of their relative positions.
     This has been likened to a short story by Jorge Luis Borges, where cartographers of a fictional empire were tasked with created the best map of the reaches of its lands. Eventually, larger and larger models were built until an exact, life sized replica of the kingdom with complete detail was made. This idea illustrates the basic principle of a model to essentially scale the complexity of the reality down such that it preserves the original information. This highlights how seemingly insurmountable mapping such a network would be with our current technology.
     The main idea of the article and solution to this modeling enigma posited by Seung is to tap into the current vast quantity of human thinking power. Seung has suggested the use of app based games that apply the intelligence of humans playing the game to solving the problem of creating this map. Seung had brought up the point that even if he could tap into a fraction of the human computing power that exists within the game Angry Birds, he could exponentially increase the rate at which the human brain can be mapped. His answer was the app EyeWire and essentially it uses computers to create the parameters of the game and the objective is to trace or recreate the 2D neural routes generated by complex brain scanning machines remotely. Then humans trace the pathways within a small cube that is essentially made by compiling many scans of that brain portion. Basically the computers are setting up as much of the problems and parameters as possible and allowing humans to do the work that is outside their scope of processing (Computers do what they can and then leave the rest to what remains the most potent pattern-recognition technology ever discovered: the human brain.; Gareth Cookjan, Sebastian Seungs Quest to Map the Human Brain).
     This idea of tapping into the computing power of humans as a whole seems to be the most feasible method of approaching a full 3D model within an acceptable amount of time given the technology and hardware that currently exists. Almost everyone has a smartphone and everyone that is capable of playing these simple app based games are already decades ahead of current computer based evaluating software, so it is likely this method of harnessing human computational power will allow for the advancement of current technologies. This is very promising for a wide variety of applications, including construction and building resource managment (mentioned in the conclusion of the Database Summary).

Sociology
     Artificial intelligence will become increasingly adept and this has some major implications for society. Many of the consequences will be beneficial, like the automation of many manufacturing processes as well as other basic processes that just cannot be done as efficiently as an automated system. This proliferation of artificial intelligence is also viewed as potentially having negative impacts as well. For instance, displacement of human workers, roboticized warfare, and even Orwellian surveillance techniques easier to develop (John Markoff, Study to Examine the Effects of Artificial Intelligence).
     A study has been proposed by Dr. Eric Horvitz, the managing director of the Redmond, Wash., campus of Microsoft Research, that will track societal effects of artificial intelligence for the next century. This is done in attempt to track changes in artificial intelligence as well as the advantages and disadvantages of different applications. The main reason is that due to the increasing abilities allowed by artificial intelligence, grey areas are created that do not fit into our current societal, economic, or legislative categories. For instance, computer recognition of images presents a new question of ethics regarding how this can affect individuals -- professionally or even legally. One of the biggest benefits of this study is the tracking of how our definition of privacy changes, this way it is not lost entirely and forgotten.

Future
     The ability for computers to learn has been developing for a few decades now. This seems to be the one conventional way classic computational systems have been able to emulate intelligence (even if it is only a basic intelligence based on trial and error iterations). Basically, by analyzing outcomes of large data sets, patterns are created that the computer can then use to predict likely outcomes. However, the computer must go through each specific scenario to have an understanding of that scenario -- humans display reasoning where plausibly deductions can be made about new scenarios without any prior trial and error type learning. The graphics card company Nvidia has created a car computer called the DrivePX that will take advantage of this learning process with software capable of "deep learning". This attempt is to further the automated car project and help make advancements in the field. The new computer DrivePX has increased computational power to evaluate more camera inputs -- twelve to be exact -- that will allow for real time assessment of a 360° field of view. The software has also displayed the ability to determine the presence of many objects within the images it records, most important of which are pedestrians and bicycles -- even when they are partially hidden by obstacles!

Comments
Alex Nunes describes some of the biological issues that arise when interfacing humans with computers -- namely virtual reality. This harkens back to Dr. Horvitz' study to track the societal changes that artificial intelligence will have. This is just one of the areas his study will address with the further evolution of computational systems. Basically, the human interfacing techniques, as well as methods of preserving the importance of human intelligence and input must evolve alongside the development of artificial intelligence to ensure its advantages and help prevent its drawbacks.

Angela Castro brings up the point of the near impossibility of ensuring data safety and preventing malicious software from getting into their systems. This is reflective of the advancements within artificial intelligence and how this will provide computers with unprecedented control and understanding. This raises many questions about the definition of privacy -- once computers have this extra reasoning abilities, it becomes that much more difficult to keep confidential data confidential. The very places it is stored have eyes and understanding of the content, making data have increasingly less safe storage options. This is another aspect of artificial intelligence's impact on society that would be of interest to Dr. Horvitz.

Justin Hileman brought up an excellent point about the proliferation of artificial intelligence and how it eventually will affect our society. This means that sociology will find relevance in topics relating to technology as they will begin to shape one another. This is imperative because it highlights the necessity for close observation of ourselves as well as developments in artificial intelligence technology. We are looking to keep human intelligence as a commodity and place enough parameters on our technology that it does not become overly pervasive (or turn into the Matrix or a Terminator type situation where computers take control of the world.)

References
Simonite, Tom. "2014 in Computing: Breakthroughs in Artificial Intelligence."Evernote. MIT Technology Review, 29 Dec. 2014. Web. 13 Jan. 2015. <https://www.evernote.com/pub/view/aengineer/ae-510/1eee24ba-a290-4b6d-989a-195b70c6b6b6?locale=en#st=p&n=1eee24ba-a290-4b6d-989a-195b70c6b6b6>.

Cook, Gareth. "Sebastian Seung’s Quest to Map the Human Brain." The New York Times. The New York Times, 10 Jan. 2015. Web. 13 Jan. 2015<http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/11/magazine/sebastian-seungs-quest-to-map-the-human-brain.html?partner=rss&emc=rss>.

Markoff, John. "Study to Examine Effects of Artificial Intelligence." The New York Times. The New York Times, 15 Dec. 2014. Web. 13 Jan. 2015. <http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/16/science/century-long-study-will-examine-effects-of-artificial-intelligence.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0>.

Talbot, David. "CES 2015: Nvidia Demos a Car Computer Trained with “Deep Learning”." MIT Techonology Review. MIT Technology Review, 6 Jan. 2015. Web. 13 Jan. 2015. <http://www.technologyreview.com/news/533936/nvidia-demos-a-car-computer-trained-with-deep-learning/>.

Week2 B1 Group C - Kevin Saldivar

3-D printing:
3-D printing has been a growing area of interest over the past years with many advancements being made.   The types of materials able to be used in the printing process has expanded and thus the level of technology being produced by these printers has also increased.  Anthony Yau mentions in his post these machines can now print out small electronics, such as hearing aids, with custom sizes and dimensions.  Even with the recent advancements, I do not see the uses of this technology expanding to affect the construction/building process overall.   I do not think that it would be practical to have structural members or connections “printed” (especially since the materials used for printing are for the most part brittle plastics at this time). 

Robotics and AI:

One area of robotics has had a significant amount of research done in recent years, the autonomous vehicle.  This type of vehicle is being made in order to make long trips of extended driving safer by reducing the need of outside/human interaction in order to stay safely on the road.   Another area/use of robotics that comes to my mind is during the manufacturing/production process.  This area is more relevant to structures and the construction process.  The idea of drones being used in the intelligent building process was discussed in class.  The extent of drones being useful in the construction process would be mainly to carry equipment to workers in order to increase safety as well as increase time spent working.  Robotics is very important for the precise creation of structural members as well as a wide variety of other products.  The limitation of robotics is mainly due to our understanding of artificial intelligence at this point.  The machines and robots we have now are capable of completing the tasks that any human may instruct it to do, but it may require constant attention and correction by the human in control.  With advances in AI these machines are becoming closer to being able to “think” and rationalize an appropriate response without manual correction being necessary.   However with an increase in this area of technology, there are also societal repercussions that arise.  Catherine Stephens brings this up in her B1 post speaking about how many jobs have been replaced by robots/machines.  This

Future:

The most areas being discussed in each group’s blogs are all developing quickly and becoming more and more relevant to daily life.  Many of the topics rely on each other to advance further such as robotics, AI, sensors, software, and database.  The technologies discussed here can potentially be applied an intelligent building process, and only become more viable as developments are made.  As I stated early I do not see 3-D printing, for example, as being very relevant to an intelligent building but a breakthrough may occur in the next 20 years that can change this completely.  As these technologies increase so will the applications they are used for, and are beneficial to, will increase as well. Many other blog posts comment on the issue of privacy with growing technology, which is a very real problem currently and continues to grow.   With sensors and monitors becoming more common in households everywhere, this leads to more information being “available” in a database which can cause privacy or security issues for people. 

Sources:

http://www.wired.com/2015/01/robotification-society-coming/

http://techcrunch.com/2014/12/13/what-artificial-intelligence-is-not/?ncid=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29

Week2 - Future

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As part of group D, I had to read on about topics such as HVAC, sensors, AI, Database and future. I found an article that encompasses a lot of these terms. The article is called “A home Automation primer” taken from PCMag.com. It was written by Eric Griffith and published October 17, 2012. This article talks about the future, HVAC, sensors and even databases in some ways. It narrates how the thought of controlling your entire home from the palm of your hand is something that we have taken from futuristic movies and brought it into our daily lives. These technologies already exist around us, things we would only see in movies as little kids are now commercially available for common household use.

Following the rise of the TV remote, this wireless technology has continued to grow and people can now control, lights, HVAC systems, garage doors and even common household appliances. I realize that these systems are not as common right now, even though they’re available, they are still pretty expensive. This is because the technology still has a lot of bugs to fix such as better battery lives, or simpler devices to make it family friendly. I believe that when the companies working on these devices find ways to make this product cheaper and more easily accessible, then we will see their popularity sky rocket and we’ll begin to see every house we walk into have one of these systems.

Continuing with the topic of home automation I found an article called “The year in Robots, 10 home robots to lighten your domestic chores”. The article was written by Bob Tedeschi from the NYTimes.com on Dec 24, 2014. The article touches on topics such as future, and sensors. It was predicted that 2014 would be the year of a home robot revolution where people’s daily chores would mostly be taken care of by robots. Even though this wasn’t exactly the case, 2014 did see many interesting robots. Most people have heard of the vacuuming robots, but these are getting better and more technological every time. There’s a robot that cleans the grill after you’re done using it, another one is designed with sensors that will film you or whoever you want doing some sort of physical activity such as sports.  Another robot was designed solely to clean up the cat’s litter box. There is a lot of potential for this market to grow and I’m excited to see what will come to the market in the next couple of years.