Team 4 Presentation Reflection

The topics we covered were automation and AI technology in construction, HVAC sensors, sensor implementation in BIM, and facial recognition sensors.

As a team, we learned how facial recognition works, and how it can be used to increase security in the wake of horrific mass shootings. We also learned that there are a multitude of different sensors that can be implemented within a building, especially for HVAC, to improve overall air quality. There are also many ways we can further improve security within a building without turning the building itself into a jail-like structure.

The main conclusion we can draw from these presentations is that there are very interesting and innovative ways that sensors can impact the use of a building during its design, construction, and day to day life.

For the class presentation we are choosing facial recognition.

B7 Final Course Reflection - Tangari

Over the past term this course has helped to create a starting foundation for understanding various systems and programs which are commonly used by engineers. I thought it was a great start to beginning by looking at different topics such as BIM and robotics and researching how they are going to evolve and change with the future. Using a program such as Evernote which I had never used before I was able to access different articles while learning how to use this tool. Another key aspect was being able to look at BIM and understand its purpose and how it functions. How there are so many different tools out there that enable engineers to be able to study a buildings function and performance. By gaining an over sight of some of these has helped me to understand how every company has their own preference when it comes to using different tools and programs but that being able to self teach your self these skills and programs will give you a competitive edge in the work force as well as strengthen your skill sets. 

Another great part of this course was the ability to be able to use different programs to learn new skills. Having used Revit briefly in the past it was helpful to be able to use it again and be focusing on a specific aspect of it such as families. Having the tutorials to follow was extremely helpful in being able to complete the project. The database project I felt was a great addition to the course content as well as it introduced me to a program I had never used, Access. From having very little experience in what a database was and what its components were, lead to self directed research which helped to complete the project. Having an idea and a starting point on how to operate these programs will be a very useful tool in future occupations. Even if these programs are not utilized at future jobs, it will be easier to be able to understand how to self teach a program to oneself because of how we were able to do so using tutorials and such in this course. 

Comments:

Sarah, 
I as well enjoyed doing the Revit project. I feel focusing on creating families was a great way of understanding how Revit has many different tools that can be used to make designing easier and more efficient. 

Andrew,
I like how you discussed how reading the posts furthered your understanding of different topics. I too felt that by reading other students thoughts I was able to understand topics better especially when it came to databases where I did not understand their purpose until looking at others posts. 

Jacob,
I like how you mentioned how now you see that you will use BIM in any job you find your self in. I agree, having not understood before what BIM really was this class really helped to further my knowledge of it as it is greatly in the engineering world. 

Week 10 - Course Reflection - Nay Ye Oo

AE 510: Course Reflection

I came into this course with no knowledge about what the term Intelligent Building means at all. And I expected to learn more about what makes a building intelligent and how technology is applied in the field of civil, architectural and environmental engineering. As a BSMS student, I talked to some seniors about to complete the program and they recommended me to take this course because there were some principles and projects that would help out in future classes. Now that I have taken this course, I do see the value in the projects assigned in this class and how useful it is - database project.

I always liked excel and would use it as much as possible in any type of project during my Drexel life as a student and being exposed to Microsoft Access was an eye opener. I might not have been able to complete achieve a full understanding of the program's capability but now I can pick it up whenever I have the time to explore its full functionality better and be able to apply it in my future career.

My favorite parts of this class would be the lecturing videos that feature any type of innovative technology or application of it in the construction industry and the guest lecturers that Professor Mitchell brings to class. I always categorized the CAEE engineering as the most archaic type of engineering, at least when comparing to similar engineering branches such as computer, electrical and mechanical. Personally, the videos shown in class are a bit stretched out in the sense that using AI in construction is plausible but not efficient enough in terms of cost. But give or take a couple decades and we might just be seeing an actual impact of technological advances in construction. The more palpable improvement we can see is in the design phase. Software such as AutoCAD, Revit, Naviswork, Rhino, Grasshopper and more have all definitely made our lives as civil and architectural engineers easier and more efficient.

So to conclude, I am glad I took this class as my grad elective as it is an eye-opener for me to remind me that the engineering path I chose still has a lot of more room for development. It is just a matter of time and resources.


Comments

Johnson
Good point on talking about the applicability of this class in our future profession. I definitely got exposed to naviswork and software that are 'next-level' to that of Revit. And since I am planning to pursue a career in design, I think it is very helpful to have taken this class. For your final project, 3D laser scanning sounds like an interesting piece of niche knowledge to pick up on so I am glad this course was also helpful to you too.

Odorizzi
It seems that we picked up interesting and beneficial nuggets of information from this class. Databases was completely new to me so it was great to have another tool to add to our belts of engineering knowledge. Unfortunately, I did not have as much prior Revit experience to expand on that front. So kudos to being able to take the extra mile with the Revit project and even making your Final project about it. Hopefully I get to watch you present on Thursday.

Tufano
It is nice to be able to meet with fellow BSMS students in our undergraduate classes because it gives us a chance to work with 'like-minded' people. Also majority of the class is based on class discussions, online discussions and group work where everyone gets a chance to collaborate and discuss. I think this sense of non-traditional way of teaching really shines out compared to the more traditional approach of lecturing and listening because I get to work with a group of people who have such different ideas and opinions that the learning experience is exciting and informative.

Dee Dee Strohl - Blog 7

Final Reflection

Like a lot of my classmates have said, AE 410 was like no other class I have taken at Drexel. It covered topics I was only briefly introduced to and allowed me to explore them further. The class was interesting and relevant to my major without being computation based. Though geared towards the digital building concentration, I still found it helpful as a mechanical concentration—especially with the discussion of sensors and BAS. Spending several weeks talking about topics allowed for a well-rounded discussion of them.  The class structure allowed you to learn a lot about the subjects, present what you’d learned, and discuss with your classmates. I liked that we had time to discuss with our groups and work with others for the final project. It’d made the class more interactive and expanded my knowledge by using my classmates as resources.

The discussion of robots and AI was something I had only briefly learned about. Though incredibly interesting, I also find it worrisome. Robots and AI are such a powerful tool and we need to be cautious with how we use it. Though I already used Revit and other BIM software in other classes and at co-op, I had no experience with databases. That portion of the class was entirely new to me and gave me a perspective as to how they work and where they would be useful. With both BIM and databases, the class gave everyone a basic understanding that could be transferred into our classroom and other future experiences.

Not only is Professor Mitchell a wealth of knowledge, bringing in guest presenters to show their experiences with the topics was also helpful. It was cool to hear how this software impacts their jobs and where they see the future of the technology going. One point that I saw as a theme in the class is that this technology is ever-changing and that we need to be prepared to learn with those changes. Keeping that idea in mind while finishing up at Drexel and moving on to a career will be critical. Though the powers of Revit and BIM in general are amazing, it’s only a quick stop in the timeline of the technology—it will continue to expand in capabilities and user understanding.

Overall, I learned a lot in the class and looked at topics I was not familiar with. I was able to connect with my classmates through discussions and use them as resources in understanding what we were learning about the technology and the application of them. I initially took the class to check off part of the professional elective requirement, but ended up seeing how relevant it is in the design and construction fields today.

COMMENTS:

Allison Abad:

I agree that this class was a nice break from the computation-based classes we usually see as engineers, it was a nice way to see a different aspect of the field and hear from people already in the industry. Like you, the database was a challenge for me but was practical for our majors. The class was geared towards digital building concentrations, but it was still interesting and insightful as a mechanical concentration.

Brad DiGiovanni:

I agree that the class schedule was nice—we were able to take a couple weeks to dive into each topic. Prof. Mitchell is very knowledgeable in these topics and did a great job of spreading that knowledge to us. I agree that the class did open our minds to the ever-changing technology of our society, though it worries me. We must embrace the changes or be left behind, but if technology goes too far, we could be in trouble.

Lauren Kujawa:

Like you, I’m unsure how often I will use the database knowledge we learned in this class, but all the topics we discussed were interesting and could become relevant to our jobs as time progresses. Andrew and I also wrote our paper on the differences between green and intelligent buildings. I also have learned about green buildings from other classes so seeing the intelligent building side was a positive change.

Quelly Wk 10-1: B7, Reflection

B7: Reflection

Reflect on course and its effect on your profession and your future

My experience in this class was mixed; and I say that acknowledging that I am taking this class concurrently with other classes that have lead me to my current head-space. I am not passionate about architectural engineering. What I am passionate can be summed up with a couple of observations,

Johnson - B7 Course Reflection

I really enjoyed taking this course.  It was very self-guided, which was incredibly satisfying.  You certainly got out what you put into the class.  The research was really interesting because it is information you would never get from another class.  We got a glimpse into the future of our industry by studying how A.I., robots, and BIM will all be integrated, and they are all basically in their initial stages.  The class made me not only consider my future profession in contracting, but also made me think about how it will be different in 5 to 10 years.  Understanding the technology that will be used in the future will keep me prepared and hopefully a more valuable employee.

The freedom allowed from the final project basically allowed for us to research any topic or work on anything we wanted, so long as it fit into the class categories.  This allowed my partner, Brad, and I to research a topic that was not only interesting but also a technology that may end up becoming a norm in the construction industry.  Our research project was on 3D laser scanning and how it connects all professions within the construction industry.  If we ever see scanning being used on a project, we will know how to handle it with knowledge that a typical engineer may not have. 

In addition to the new research that I was able to do, the class also provided a great foundation of knowledge within both BIM and databases.  Revit is a crucial part of any concentration of architectural engineering, so it is important to graduate with as much knowledge of the program as possible.  Creating and editing families is a crucial part of Revit and will be used across all disciplines.  It certainly would have helped for my past coop experiences where I edited families incorrectly.  In addition to BIM technologies, it really helped to have a base knowledge of what a database is, what it does, and how to make one.  Databases can help connect different categories and record certain values for future use.  After the database is created, it is simple to add new parts to the table to expand upon historical data.

Overall, the class is a really good experience.  It allows the students to do independent research based on their own interests due to its “loose” structure.  Its refreshing to take a class that is not strictly by the book.  It also helps students understand that the industry is constantly changing.  To be successful, we must accept change and adapt to new work environments.  There are so many technologies we learned about that are just being started up that will probably be in regular practice 10 years from now and will probably be outdated 10 years after that.  It is important to continue researching so that we do not fall behind the times.

Comments:

1) Deutsch
Alyssia,
I thought you made a good point about not really thinking outside your concentration. Since you are structural, you always think in terms of structural design. I think the class did a good job of pushing students to see aspects of the industry from different perspectives and how other aspects can apply to you, even if they are indirect relationships. I also agree that the research and collaboration aspects of the course were some of the most helpful as they helped you hear how other people view the topics. Overall, it gave a great base knowledge and helped build understanding for other's views.

2) V. A.
Mariano,
I agree that it was tough to understand how sensors and robotics would actually have a great impact on the future of the construction industry before taking the class. Understanding sensors and what they do is crucial for everyone in our line of work. We had a motion sensor on site for one of my coop jobs that would constantly go off. My company would get calls trying to figure out why they were getting high activity readings which was actually just because of wind and not our work. Sensors are important for regulating but it is also important to understand what could be causing different readings when you are on the wrong end of it. They will only get more prevalent in construction as people want to always know what is taking place.

3) Anibaba
Malik,
I absolutely agree that the blog posts were helpful in not only making us research a weekly topic but also getting feedback and seeing different perspectives. This is not only good for the class but also helps when we need to work with others with different backgrounds in the field. The class helped us understand more about our future work and what we will end up dealing with in terms of technology. AE410 was able to teach us both new technical skills with BIM and databases, as well as develop an understanding of what technologies we will face in the future as we advance in our careers.

B7 - Course Reflection

AE410: Intelligent buildings taught by Dr. James Mitchell looked at the building industry and how it is changing with technological advancements. Goal of the course was to enable students with an understanding of the impact technologies could have in their professional careers. More specifically class explored Information technology aspects of a buildings life cycle with includes design to demolition. Students learnt about BIM (Building information modelling), Database operations and networks. Class tasked students with reading and discussing scholarly articles with the aid of blog posts as well as taking an in depth look at a specific branch of intelligent buildings by taking on a project or writing a paper.

Personally, the class was a lot different than I imagined, I expected technical outlook on intelligent technologies and how they impact the building i.e. Electrical consumption, implementation and installation. However, I got more than I intended. Class looked at the topic from a broader aspect, by questioning what it means for a building to be intelligent, looking at intelligent technologies before construction started and the possible future of intelligent technologies in the architect, engineer, and contractor industry.

Weekly blogposts were efficient in the sense that each student was not reporting on the exact same topic or was looking at the same topic from a different approach or angle. This allowed us to learn from each other and provided avenues to learn more: We covered more content in this way.. Projects assigned during class duration were well guided by professor. Database and Bookcase projects required preliminary submissions which allowed professor to make comments and give feedback on how to better develop final submission for effective learning process. Submissions also required a writing component to them which required students to report their findings and difficulties. This allowed student reflection for a better learning process and also give course instructor feedback on how to better structure projects for future students taking the class.

Final project required in depth technical research typical of a 400 level engineering class. This charged students with picking a desired topic and seeing it through. A great deal was learnt in this manner and presentation allows students to bounce ideas of each other. In general AE 410 is a really efficient and effective class. Being a Civil engineering the tools picked up from class will definitely come into play in my professional career.

Comments:
Shaden - I like that you enjoyed the futuristic outlook on the AEC industry. i was more fixated on the pre design and pre construction applications. I do liked that we also looked at Artificial intelligence and how it could play in the future, i would previously not have agreed it had any impact on the AEC industry. I to do not think i would have found myself looking at Microsoft access if not for this class.

Cody Johnson - I like that this class has had an impact on your career goals and objectives. I myself briefly considered gearing my career goals to be in line with Building information modeling if i decided to take the general contractor route. Access was also new and eye opening, if not for this class i am not sure i would have explored databases.

Jacob Wahbeh - I like that you pointed out the connotation of the AEC industry to be old without technological advancements. I who i am a member of the industry also in some sense thought this way. This class has more than shown me that that is not the case. It in facts uses technological advancements from pre design to construction.

B7 - Course Reflection

Intelligent Buildings was a course that provided a wide variety of exposure in terms of what will be leading most industries in the future. The future which holds nothing, but technological methods and improvement as explored through our lecture topics and discussions.

The initial class discussion of what makes a building intelligent opened doors to understanding how the future industries will account for nothing but technology to complete minor and major tasks of a given work load to achieve time efficiency, and higher productivity rates, while that was proven through the discussed topics of what Artificial Intelligence are, the use of 3D printers, learning and understanding what is a database, and what BIM tools are capable of. In addition to preforming a research to further explore what intelligent buildings are.  

The knowledge taken from this class were all very useful and eye opening to what is going on in the real world, but what I personally feel was very useful was learning how to use Microsoft Access for creating a database as I would never through in million years to check what Microsoft Access is, what it does, and how it works. In addition to using Revit to create families.

Before using Revit to create families, I wasn’t proficient with Revit and I still have more to learn and practice to achieve proficiency using the program, but this assignment has helped me become more familiar with Revit.

This course has definitely well prepared me for the future, as the knowledge gained through this course has allowed me to think out of the box in terms of building design, where every time I will think of designing a building I will thinking about all the technological methods and feature we talked about in class and see how I can implement them to my design to make my building more intelligent. Another thing this course has prepared me for is when I buy my own house when day I will install HVAC sensors to increase energy efficiency and indoor air quality, while having lower utility bills : D  

Since we have come to the end of this course I would like to share my current definition of intelligent buildings: Intelligent buildings is where there are high levels of control that does require constant interaction from human.   

Comments:
Hillinger
I agree with you the guest lectures were interesting and helpful, because it was nice having someone in the profession close to our age that we can related to in terms of our future careers. 

Abad
I agree with you in terms of how guest speakers were very useful to have as I am digital building concentration too, and I was confused about what can really be done with a digital building concentration up until we had our guest speakers and having further discussion with Professor Mitchell.

Sisson
I have to agree with you as engineers I believe BIM tools will just be involved in everything we do whether analysis or design.

Course Refection - Da Costa, Marino

This probably one of the most interesting classes I have ever taken at Drexel. Besides its fun and interesting, it also gives a lot of information about building technology. The most enjoyable assignment was the final project. I never thought I was going to design an underground building using Revit. There were some difficulties but the Revit assignment helped me and my team partner, Bach, to finish the final project successfully.

 I took info 210 and learnt a lot about database but I didn’t get a chance to learn how to use Database Access a lot since the professor from info 210 more focused on the Oracle Database program. The database assignment definitely deeper my understanding in database relationship between 1 to many better. Database allows you to think and break complex information into groups that have relationship with each other.

Furthermore, it was really fascinating to learn from two guest speakers about sensor and BIM. I personally gained a lot of information from both speakers. I never thought of sensors whenever I entered any building in the past but now it’s weird that whenever I go to a new building I am always curious to find out what time of sensors are in that building and where they are located.

Another interesting thing about this Intelligent building class was having an opportunity to learn and share knowledge between students in class. Some students have more or deeper understanding about intelligent building and technology and the fact that they share what they know with others is truly amazing. The blog assignments are definitely better way to connect the students with each other in class.

All the feedbacks that the professor Mitchell provided after students submitted their work assignments are very useful. The professor took his time to write all his feedbacks as clear as possible so the students can take and learn. I have experienced writing or working final projects and later submitted but never get very useful feedback in the past from some other classes. Therefore, I really appreciate that professor Mitchell has a unique way of teaching his students.

This class offers lots of information about intelligent building and technology. I am curious to see and find out about the new technology in the next 5 to 6 years. I never thought it would possible to have a 3D printer to print steel bridge in the air but hey there is one now!. This class allows you to think possible what about is going to be next in the future. It makes you think crazy about the world but I believe if you think crazy about things that never exist before you might be the next Elon Musk.

Alisson,

Thanks for sharing your reflection of this class. I am glad to hear that you gained some great knowledges from this class. I also think that database assignment was interesting even after we took the INFO 210 together. It really challenged us to crease sensors database with the real existing building. I also agree that this class is one of the best required classes for a Digital Building concentration.

Thomas,

I really enjoyed reading your reflection from this class. Especially when you talked about how BIM will impact on everything you do in the future. I also feel the same and I am glad that we learned how to use Revit in class. It was my first time learning Revit from Professor Mitchell in the previous course but I am glad he made one assignment from this class about design a building using Revit.

Lovett,

I was going to write about how the technology will affect engineers in the future as you did but I wrote quite a lot in my reflection so I didn’t. Anyway, I am glad that you brought up this topic in your reflection. I think even new technologies can be scared for us as engineers since they might take over our jobs but I think it’s good since they will help us to make the world to be a better place. We can finally design and building things that we thought impossible before.