Gartner's Technology Hype Cycle (2013)

As seen in last month's issue of Develop3D, the Gartner Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies is a chart which sets human expectation of work-in-progress/theoretical technologies against time.  It aligns them along a path which enters several stages of hype, peaking then troughing, until a "plateau of productivity" is reached.

Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies, 2013:

Some of these should be easily recognisable, some of them not so much.  The website isn't friendly for casual reading so for that reason here is a summary of all the technology in the chart:

Bioacoustic Sensing - the transmission of sound through e.g. skin and other organic matter.  Disney demo'd this recently, but it's not clear if this was just a concept or actual proof
Smart Dust - tiny microelectromechanical systems that can relay sensor information to a network
Quantum Computing - using quantum states of matter as the binary method of computation
Quantified Self - related to mobile health monitoring, this is the quantification of our daily lives in terms of energy consumption, oxygen absorption, etc
3D Bioprinting - the 3D printing of biological materials, most significantly human body parts
Brain-Computer Interface - a means of interacting with machines through brain communication
Human Augmentation - the use of technology in our bodies to improve physical or mental capability
Volumetric and Holographic Displays - help me Obi Wan, you're my only hope
Electrovibration - electrical stimulation of metals to replicate the feeling of textured materials
Affective Computing - essentially a form of AI, where a computer system can empathise and respond appropriately
Prescriptive Analytics - synthesizing data of potential situations to predict outcomes in business
Autonomous Vehicles - cars that drive themselves
Biochips - biological processing units for, among other things, disease detection
Neurobusiness - "Neurobusiness is the capability of applying neuroscience insights to improve outcomes in customer and other business decision situations"  In other words, mind-reading for profit.
3D Scanners - like Faro, devices to generate a 3D model of real-world scanned data
Mobile Robots - robots, that are mobile.  These are in contrast to fixed, industrial robots
Speech-to-speech Translation - instantly translating your native tongue to another's with electronics
Internet of Things - things that you never thought needed to be connected to the internet, connected to the internet. e.g. fridges, heating & lighting systems, cupboard stocks, etc
Natural-Language Question Answering - computational answering of questions posed in the human native tongue.  Similar to what Steven Wolfram is trying to achieve
Big Data - data which is too large to analyse by traditional database management systems e.g. 1EB (exabyte) which is equal to 1 billion GB
Consumer 3D Printing - 3D printing for the home, MakerBot is leading the way in this field
Gamification - to make games out of non-entertainment based activities to aid in problem solving
Wearable User Interfaces - smart watches, augmented reality glasses
Complex Event Processing - the analysis of smaller events to determine the larger driving force and use this information to make predictions or assess risks and threats
Content Analytics - essentially a computerised form of extracting the pure meaning from empirical records which contain subjectivity and nuance
In-Memory Database Management Systems - holding and working with entire databases in the RAM of the computer
Virtual Assistants - professionals who work from home with access to a company's IT infrastructure
Augmented Reality - overlaying a user interface over the physical world e.g. windscreen dashboards in cars, but also glasses
Machine-to-Machine Communication Services - machines collaborating with other machines in industry - see Industry 4.0 on our blog
Mobile Health Monitoring - e.g. heart rate monitors on mobile phines
NFC - near field communication.  A chip to communicate with a radio network when in close range, without the need for power
Mesh Networks: Sensor - piggy backing off the public to create a daisy chain of internet communication
Cloud Computing - computing, but not on your local machine
Virtual Reality - see Oculus Rift for a modern example, which has just been bought by Facebook (where is the dislike button?)
In-Memory Analytics - the analysis of large volumes of data/statistics in RAM instead of hard disk
Gesture Control - using physical gestures as a user interface.  Leap Motion is a (poor) example
Activity Streams - the cross-implementation of user activity e.g. Facebook newsfeeds across multiple sites
Enterprise 3D Printing - superlative 3D printing including more hazardous methods not suitable for home use
Biometric Authentication Methods - the use of human biological information as passwords e.g. iPhone finger scanner
Consumer Telematics - integrated information systems in vehicular transport e.g. fuel stations on a satnav
Location Intelligence - gathering information based on geography to provide business opportunities and information
Speech Recognition - recognising voice input.  Google Now gets my Scottish accent, so this has definitely plateaued
Predictive Analytics - assessing future risks/opportunities based on historical data (just like the "algorithm" in the latest Captain America movie)

S.C.

Introducing myself to the Blog

Dear Readers,

You may have noticed over the last month or so that the topics covered in the blog have deviated slightly from a CAD focused nature to something a little more eclectic.  That would be partly due to myself coming on board to chip in with the content.  Hi, I'm Scott Cunliffe.

I'm one of the helpdesk support engineers here at Micro Concepts, and I have been given free reign to post articles on things I find interesting in the world.  Having a degree in mechanical engineering and an interest in all things technological - both hardware and software based - the topics I post about will cover a pretty wide area of the modern world and won't be limited to just Autodesk tips n tricks or the latest service pack releases.  I like to keep on top of the latest developments going on in the consumer electronics market and that means articles on monitors, graphics cards, mobile phones and other kinds of gadgetry.  From the engineering side of things, I like the big stories as much as the smaller surprises in engineering advances, and it's the increasingly symbiotic nature that software and hardware plays in in conjunction with engineering practices that really motivates me.  I'm particularly interested to see how emerging tech, such as augmented reality, can benefit the engineering world and how we at Micro Concepts can play a part in something so promising.

I'll be writing in a mostly objective manner, but now and then I'll be dropping my own opinions into the fray and I'd welcome you to debate any of the points I put across.  If there's anything you would like me to cover in future posts, do get in touch and let me know what interests you.

Best regards,
Scott Cunliffe

LABS - DesignScript for AutoCAD 2013

DesignScript is a unique language. It is intended to help designers build and analyse complex geometric models that would be difficult to model with interactive techniques. This type of exploratory design is best served by a scripting language that is designed for exploratory programming. Additionally DesignScript is intended to be used by designers with little previous programming experience. It is much less rigid than conventional programming languages, and it is completely integrated into the host geometry application (currently 64-bit AutoCAD).

DesignScript introduces the distinction between a generative description of a design (as a script) and the resulting generated model. The designer no longer directly models the resulting design: instead he develops a script whose execution generates the model. This enables a completely different kind of design model to be created. The design process is also different. An apparently minor edit to the script could have a profound effect on the generated model, and this enables the exploration of a vast array of alternatives, with much less effort than manual interactive modelling.

The free technology preview of DesignScript application includes:

• the language,
• an IDE (interactive development environment) for editing, debugging and executing scripts,
• a geometry library to generate geometry, initially within AutoCAD,
• analysis and simulation tools.

Availability:

The technology preview will operate until March 31, 2013.

You can find the download on Autodesk Labs at:

http://labs.autodesk.com/utilities/designscript

Project Hydra for Autodesk Simulation Multiphysics/Mechanical 2013

Project Hydra is a free technology preview that is compatible with Autodesk Simulation Multiphysics 2013 and Autodesk Simulation Mechanical 2013 software.

The features of the Project Hydra technology preview include:

• Improvements to the Parametric Design Studies (PDS) feature
  Some improvements to the previously released (in Technology Preview Project Scout) PDS include the ability to export results as a CSV file and the support for CAD additions such as bolts/joints as well as remote loads and boundary conditions.
  
• Import temperatures from Autodesk CFD
  Temperatures from Autodesk CFD can be imported to linear, thermal, and MES analyses. Both steady-state and transient Autodesk CFD results can be imported as appropriate. To use this feature go to the respective Thermal tab in the Setup->Parameters dialog and choose "Simulation CFD file" as the "Source of Temperature."
  
• New fast Subspace with AMG solution of dynamics analyses
  For larger dynamics (modal, natural frequency) analyses with relatively small numbers of needed frequencies, a faster solution option is available: Subspace-AMG. The dynamics analysis solver will automatically switch between this new solver and the pre-existing one depending on the size of the model and the number of frequencies requested.
  
• Inquire results by part
  A new capability that allows the user to inquire the displayed result of any analysis on a per part basis has been added.
  
• Improvements to the Drop Test Wizard (DTW) feature
  The DTW from Project Scout has also been improved in Project Hydra.
  
• Rerelease of the GPU-enabled AMG Solver (AMG-MF)
  The Project Scout AMG Solver (AMG-MF) is being rereleased in this Tech Preview. This solver is faster than the original AMG solver for a class of well-conditioned and bulky models. Additionally, this solver can utilize a supported NVIDIA video card if requested.

Availability:

The technology preview will operate until April 1, 2013.

You can find the download on Autodesk Labs a:

http://labs.autodesk.com/utilities/hydra

LABS - Project Scandium for Autodesk Simulation Moldflow 2013

Project Scandium for Autodesk Simulation Moldflow 2013 software is a free technology preview that extends simulation capabilities by offering new capabilities to try out and provide feedback.

Project Factory.Modz() for Inventor

Traditionally machine line layouts in a factory are created with pen and paper or in the form of 2D drawings. Using these means, it is extremely difficult to explain the working intent of the machine lines toclients or internal stakeholders. Using 2D workflows, it is very challenging to account for movement of material, people, and material handling devices and show them interacting with each other inside the facility. The inability to clearly articulate the working intent often results in losing bids to competition and the inability to sell ideas to stakeholders.

LABS - Project Simulus Technology Preview

Project Simulus is a free Technology Preview that showcases a number of innovative approaches to mechanical simulation. This Technology Preview offers powerful geometry modification capabilities through embedding Autodesk Fusion along with a very intuitive simplification environment to prepare various CAD models for different simulation studies. In addition, it provides you with easy and quick ways to set up and run many simulation studies, exploiting the power of Cloud computing that leaves your desktop free of much of the computational burdens.

LABS - Project Krypton

Project Krypton Technology Preview provides early stage design advice to plastic part designers. Seamlessly integrated into the Autodesk Inventor and Autodesk Inventor LT environment, it provides real-time feedback on a plastic part’s manufacturability, cost efficiency, and the environmental impact of the selected material. Project Krypton helps designers make better decisions to ensure their products can be properly manufactured, are more cost-effective, and are produced using materials with a lower environmental impact.

Project Krypton Technology Preview automatically assesses the part after each design modification and raises alerts regarding potential concerns. Users can review details of each concern and view problem areas highlighted directly on the model. Design advice is offered, which helps the user make appropriate design changes to address the concerns.

Project Krypton Technology Preview is only applicable for injection molded plastic parts designs. The Project Krypton Technology Preview executable will operate until November 20, 2010.