Re/Cappers, things get very real with the artificial today, as a lead Re/Cap explores the GenAI efforts of a colossus in technology and future-building; Digital Twin Consortium.
But what’s the who/what/when/where/why of this digital twin arbiter?
First off, it’s technically not its own entity, but rather an offshoot of Object Management Group, a not-for-profit technology standards consortium.
In May 2020, the consortium was born out of a collective vision from industry leaders, including Ansys, Dell, Lendlease, and Microsoft, which recognized the need for a collaborative platform to accelerate the adoption of digital twins.
Membership skyrocketed quicker than you can say “Internet of Things,” attracting nearly 150 organizations by October and establishing new founding members such as Autodesk, GE Digital, and Northrop Grumman Corporation. Such rapid growth underscored the widespread recognition of digital twins as a crucial technology for enhancing interoperability and reducing risks.
December 3, 2020 arrives, and a red-letter day it henceforth became. DTC released its official definition of a digital twin, setting the stage for a cohesive understanding of this technological revolution.
Today, the Digital Twin Consortium continues uniting industry leaders, academic experts, and government representatives to propel the advancement of digital twin technology.
And then sometimes, as we’ll soon see, they just up and make their own stupendous stuff.
What’s Cappenin’ This Week: Digital Twin Consortium peeps tinker with AI, LiDAR locates a Maya mystery, drones let first responders take a coffee break, AEC software gets visionary, and an AEC Error of the Week on a skinny bridge that left a wide mark on engineering.
Mini Cappenins: NVIDIA <3 NeRFs, 5G and geospatial boost India, drone biz developments, Metrology + EVs, RCN pod on content/conferences/ relationship-building, and Spain’s first BIM wind farm.
Last week on a nonprofit for underserved youth wielding GIS to yield success, the U.S. Forest Service UAS chief getting interviewed, three firms closing the gap between design and fabrication software, PropTech + ConTech = GoodJobs, and an AEC Error of the Week that doesn’t go on tilt, but does go on stilts.
Multi-agent GenAI Systems (MAGS) work independently, to achieve collectively. They are to your dad’s AI what the Cybertruck is to a shoddy Depression-Era prototype ride.
So leave it to Digital Twin Consortium members to advance them in the precise way they want to, instead of waiting on Silicon Valley.
Their creations will cater specifically to “product design, services, and processes” in the automotive, infrastructure, and manufacturing spaces. If they’re worth being labeled “the next phase of the evolution of digital twin system” by CTO Dan Isaacs, they’re probably worth monitoring. Get a mindful in their press release below.
In between their astonishing architectural feats, calendar development, and occasional human sacrifices, The Maya loved games; ball courts were nearly ubiquitous in prominent Maya sites, making a recent discovery ooze intrigue.
A survey and excavation of a Maya ball court in the Mexican state of Campeche has unearthed a puzzling structure. Likely dating back to 200-600 AD, the structure’s walls featured abundant remains of painted stucco. Additionally, nearby was some type of ceremonial center with walls 40 feet in height. The hypothesizing has only just begun on this revelation, but Smithsonian Magazine is on the case. Take their latest Maya tour below.
MAYBE IT’S A SEAT FOR A TENNIS OFFICIAL!
18,000 police departments protect and serve the United States…and over 90% of them remain drone-less in any capacity. But adoption is growing nationwide, and you can bet your chips that it will continue to. Maybe that’s just the power of a clean acronym – in this case, DFR, or “drone as a first responder.”
Augmenting natural disaster response, search & rescue, firefighting, police requests, and other emergencies, DFR programs have achieved liftoff because the data are simply too persuasive to ignore. Commercial UAV breaks it all down, framed around Skydio insights and three case studies in California, Illinois, and North Carolina.
A chasm exists in design tech, between burgeoning technologies like AI and digital twin, and the stagnant-but-still-essential, day-to-day tools. It’s given way to a dense wish list among AEC pros, one that AEC Magazine just encapsulated in a brilliant 30-page special report.
Among the wealth of topics are data framework, context and scale, responsible design, modular construction, UX & AI user experience, modeling capabilities, automation, deliverables, licensing, and more. It’s a titanic effort, plus it’s a flip-book!
It’s 1940, and the Tacoma Narrows Bridge is the newest architectural marvel in Washington State. Spanning a whopping 2,800 feet, it was a bold testament to engineering prowess. But behind its sleek design lay a hidden flaw that would soon turn it from “all hail” to cautionary tale.
Affectionately dubbed “Galloping Gertie,” the bridge had a penchant for dramatic swaying. From the moment it opened, it danced in the wind like it was auditioning for a Broadway show. Engineers and onlookers alike were almost…charmed. That is, until November 7, 1940, when the winds picked up and Gertie decided to throw caution to the, well, you know.
With winds hitting a not-so-whopping 42 mph, the 2,800-foot main span went into a series of twists that would make a pretzel jealous.
Turns out, Gertie’s designers had given it the aerodynamic properties of a kite with the stability of a Jenga tower. The plate girders and narrow two-lane roadway made it about as wind-resistant as a sheet of paper in a hurricane. The grand finale came when Gertie literally tore itself apart, plunging into Puget Sound. Talk about going out with a bang!
Lessons for Bridges, From One of Their OwnBridges, up to this point, might be the most featured structure in our AECEotW. They are such extraordinary feats, full of such complexity, that so many things can go wrong. But that’s where lessons are learned, and wowsa did we learn from Gertie. Most notably, the plate girder was practically abandoned in suspension bridge design.
But the other lesson is even more expansive – technology is a conduit for accuracy and a shield for disaster. Reality capture would have had much to say about Gertie, and surely has much to say about hundreds of bridges ‘round the globe to this very day.
BIM could have provided an immaculate digital representation of the bridge, allowing engineers to analyze its design and identify potential vulnerabilities. Additionally, a network of sensors integrated with BIM could have offered real-time data on the bridge’s movement, alerting engineers to any concerning oscillations well before disaster struck.
Precise measurements through laser scanning and metrology would have highlighted discrepancies between the original design and actual construction, ensuring that critical components like gusset plates were manufactured and installed to exact specifications. Regular inspections via drones equipped with high-res cameras and LiDAR could have detected early signs of stress or fatigue, enabling timely interventions to address potential issues.
The Tacoma Narrows Bridge disaster serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of rigorous engineering practices and the value of modern technology. With today’s reality capture tools, we can gain critical insights and foresight, helping to prevent similar failures in the future.
Washington State Department of Transportation Debrief
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