A 6-axis robot, such as you might see in an automotive plant, is an incredibly versatile machine, capable of an almost infinite number of movements and actions. But most 6-axis robots spend their lives doing only a single specific action over and over, limited by the directions specified in their programming. In a sense, until now, robots have been capable of “learning” only what the programmer teaches. Heather Kerrick is trying to change that by giving robots the tools to learn on their own. She’s a senior research engineer in the Applied Research Lab at Autodesk’s Pier 9. Kerrick’s project,... READ MORE >

Curious about the future of UAVs in AEC? Look no further than Simon Yorke's class from AU 2016. An advanced design technologist for Aurecon, a global engineering firm, Yorke illustrated his innovative recipe of UAVs, photogrammetry, AR, VR, ReCap, ReMake, 3dsMax, Dynamo, and Stingray using the case study of the earthquake-damaged Deans Head site in New Zealand. READ MORE >

Learn to adjust AutoCAD settings to plot and publish drawings effectively. Find out why although PDF is the norm, DWF is more sophisticated and has higher technical functionality.  Watch now. 2. Discover how one developer leapt from old school to new school in a single project using BIM 360 Docs - and how it can help you avoid writing off $50,000. Watch now. READ MORE >

It’s that time of year again. The holiday season has come and gone, we’re finally used to writing “2017,” and yes—it’s time to start planning AU Las Vegas 2017. As part of our ongoing commitment to our community (yep, we’re looking at you), we want to hear your ideas, your needs, and your ambitions for the next AU. What do you hope to learn at AU 2017? What do you want to achieve outside the classroom? Is there a particular field or practice you’d like to focus on that was under-represented in the past? Anything specific, academically or otherwise, you think we can do better? How about an exp... READ MORE >

You hear a lot about carbon fiber these days. It’s difficult to find another substance that delivers so much strength while being so light. Those characteristics make it an important material in automotive, aerospace, and other industries, because it enables us to make vehicles lighter but no less strong. The lighter the vehicle, the less fuel it requires. The less fuel it consumes, the lower the emissions. That’s the good news. But carbon fiber has a few drawbacks, as we learn from Andrew Maxey, founder of Vartega Carbon Recycling LLC, in the latest Innovation Zone presentation from AU 2016.... READ MORE >