Wëli kishku Re/Cappers!
Congratulations, you just learned “it is a nice day” as said by the Lenape people, one tribe of which will soon anchor our lead Re/Cap.
It got Re/Cap HQ thinking - the industry knows reality capture’s utility in wholesale cultural preservation. But what about native peoples specifically?
Thankfully, today’s lead Re/Cap is far from the first instance, and one early endeavor is quite the tale.
In 2009, eminent University of New Hampshire Professor of Anthropology Meghan Howey, Ph.D., had a LiDAR light bulb go off.
It was long suspected that parts of Northern Michigan would hold under its soil a wealth of Native American cache pits (think old school fridges). So Ms. Howey assembled her LiDAR lobbyists, and ventured west.
Little did they know it would be an eight-year undertaking.
The crew would find 69 clusters of the dirt dens, used by Native Americans between 1200 - 1600 AD. These birch bark-lined pits preserved food for the mixed hunter-gatherer-horticulturalist communities that once thrived in what we now call the Great Lakes State.
A cache pit located by Professor Howey & crew, probably featuring a veggie, fruit, AND buffalo drawer. Image credit Photonics Spectra
But Howey had an inkling that there was more to discover. She looked skyward, partnering with the Michigan Statewide Authoritative Imagery & LiDAR program to take things aerial and in turn, wider.
The results were mesmerizing.
Their survey revealed nearly 150 high-potential cache pit clusters, in areas far from lakes and overlooked in traditional surveys.
A new comprehension of Native American life emerged. These communities had modified their landscape far more extensively than imagined, demonstrating a nuanced understanding of their environment beyond the lakeshores…all while eating well.
Professor Howey's work not only uncovered hidden aspects of Native American history, but also showcased the power of blending traditional archaeology with modern innovation.
THAT’S Howey do technology.
What’s Cappenin’ This Week: Photogrammetry enshrines tribal artifacts, normal smart cities look dumb compared to Lithuania’s capital, we can all get more fiber (internet) thanks to geospatial and reality capture, AI in construction needs deeper thought, and a Brazilian balance beam of an AEC Error of the Week.
Mini ‘Cappenins: Throwable 360° camera for tactical units, Michael Dell on AI’s future, a ConBot elevator installation, beautiful rock scanning, interest rate cuts & construction, and an RCN pod of the second Matthew Byrd interview.
Last week: Autonomous LiDARobots for first response, digital twins are way more + than - for batteries, BIM dreams green, diploma-deserving drones, and an AEC Error of the Week that wishes it raised the roof instead of dropped it.
The Anadarko, Oklahoma-based Delaware Nation is one of three federally-recognized tribes of the United States’ Lenape people.
And through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the unremitting efforts of many, it will partner with the University of Oklahoma to digitize its stunning collection of archival and museum artifacts.
Official seal of the Delaware Tribe, which the University of Oklahoma seeks to honor via reality capture. Image credit Delaware Tribe of Indians
Photogrammetry will spearhead the 3D project, entitled “Delaware Nation – Digitization of Delaware Nation Collections.” Through an online digital cloud-based catalog that will complement the tribe’s physical museum, the digital models will be accessible to any and all. But most importantly, current and future Delaware Nation citizens can enjoy a more secured legacy of their material treasures.
Navigate to Norman, Oklahoma below, and let the university tell you all about it.
In most digital twin-fueled smart cities, the technology is often used as a sort of reconnaissance mission, in which city planners can use the responsive models to simulate suggested changes.
For Vilnius, capital of Lithuania, that’s so 2023. They’re still planning, but thanks to a Lithuanian litany of technologies, the current services to their citizens are excelling.
Drones are evaluating pavement and walkway conditions in Vilnius, expediting any need for repairs. Image credit Esri
Specifically, a fleet of four drones, AI, and painstaking mapping efforts are creating international buzz over Vilnius’ being so victorious. Services and amenities from waste management and infrastructure to walkways and public transportation have seen marked improvements.
The overarching goal? According to Stasys Savilionis, head honcho at the Vilnius Data Center, it’s “to identify problems before our citizens do.” And the Oscar for raddest government goes to…
As memories of dial-up days fade, and our sprint toward Ready Player One days hastens, the term “connectivity” has become ubiquitous. Thing is, it’s used often in a social or cloud-based sense, rather than its literal sense which may be most vital; rip-roaring, high-fidelity fiber internet.
And, almost in secrecy, geospatial data, 360° cameras, AI, LiDAR and digital twins are emerging as keystones to its much-needed expansion.
A point cloud crafted for a FTTH (fiber-to-the-home) project. Image credit Trimble via GIM International
The expected wave of quantum and 5G options, and its subsequent role as a death knell for wired connections, has yet to arrive. This means, until proven otherwise, there are two types of projects to manifest our digitized future: fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) and to-the-premises (FTTP). GIM International provided an incredibly upbeat upload on how it’s all coming to be through technology: workflows, benefits, gap-closing, four international case studies, and a whole data center’s worth of analysis.
There’s a common refrain in the laser scanning world to “start with the end in mind.” Such is life in a domain where no one unequivocal “best option” exists, due to the immense variance in project demands.
AI and ConTech software are no different. It’s no secret that AI excitement right now is more raucous than dropped rebar, but refined strategies of implementation are sparse.
Rose/sawdust-covered lenses much! But with good cause...Image credit Ameco Research
That’s because firms get the cart before the horse, readying any faddy AI program before they’ve a clue about its intricacies, and fit to their needs.
AI in construction is a long game, requiring patient evaluation and judicious implementation. Planning, Building, and Construction Today has laid a yellow-brick road to such success, accounting for goal formation, data assessment & cleaning, business intelligence & BIM, projections, and more.
Good luck putting your office putting green in Brazil’s “Leaning Towers of Santos.”Image credit The Travelling Surveyor
Brazil may be known for its soccer supremacy. But a section of one city may be an AEC red card waiting to happen!
Santos, Brazil has two major claims to fame: its Pelé-famed soccer club, and buildings with such a lean that the skyline looks like it’s had too many caipirinhas. We’re talking a whopping 651 leaning edifices, with some tilting as much as two meters off center.
Pisa called, and it wants its gimmick back!
So what caused this architectural conga line? Huge earthquake? World Cup happy hour? Godzilla attack? Nope, just a longtime accomplice to AECEotW; good old-fashioned human greed.
Back in the 1950s and 60s, developers decided to cut corners faster than an F1 driver at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. Instead of splurging on deep foundations that would reach bedrock, they opted for shallow foundations that barely scratched the surface.
These cost-cutting connoisseurs built on a 7-meter layer of sand, sitting atop a bed of clay and water. Over time, the weight of the buildings squeezed the water out of the clay, causing corners and sides to sink. Oh, and don’t even get started on the MEP!
But wait, there's more! Living in these tilted towers is an adventure in itself. Imagine trying to hang a picture frame, only to have it look like a Picasso painting. Or rolling out of bed - literally. Some residents report furniture that won't stay put, windows that won't close, and a constant feeling of being off-balance.
City officials insist these lean kings are perfectly safe. But with property values taking a nosedive faster than the buildings themselves, residents are stuck between a rock and a hard place - or in this case, between sand and clay.
The Leaning Towers of Santos may be fine (for now). But the prevalence of greed and corner-cutting in global AEC today is not, and will never be wholly erased. Here’s the kicker about reality capture and adjacent tech, though…
They may not always prevent human tendencies and errors - but they do make them easier to spot. And the shortcuts and mishaps that occurred in mid-century Santos are routine today. So, about that tech…
LiDAR scans could have mapped the subsurface conditions faster than you can say "Ronaldhino." 3D laser scanning and advanced metrology techniques could have detected even the slightest tilt before things got out of hand while aerial photogrammetry could have assisted more thorough, regular inspections.
BIM could have simulated the long-term effects of those shallow foundations, showing developers that their cost-cutting measures would lead to buildings cutting a rug. And with today's structural health monitoring systems, we could track these buildings' dance moves in real-time, predicting their next steps before they decide to take a bow.
So, next time you're in Santos, remember to bring your level, a good sense of humor, and maybe one of those yackbags from the airplane. After all, in a city where even the buildings can't stand straight, you might as well lean into the experience!
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