This month, our July quiz looks at the history of construction technology, and the evolution of CAD, BIM, and AR/VR, etc., as adapted from earlier innovations in other industries, as well as our own.
1. The “Father of Computer-Aided Design (CAD)” died in July 2019 at the age of 91. In 1957, his breakthrough as a computer scientist working with General Motors and IBM created a graphic Design Automated by Computer (DAC) that soon evolved into PRONTO, the first commercial, numerical-control programming CAD system. Can you name him?
2. In 1982, this innovator founded Autodesk, which released AutoCAD, the first CAD software made for PC’s instead of mainframe computers. Three years later, the developer launched the first 3D modeling system for AutoCAD. Who was Autodesk’s founder?
3. The concept of Building Information Modeling (BIM) can be traced to the 1970s, although the term, itself, did not emerge until the 2000’s. Today, BIM is still evolving and growing in popularity as a process whereby designers generate digital drawings for projects. One influential architect and educator who helped to pioneer the use of building description and parametric modeling systems later earned the nickname as “Father of BIM.” A founder of the Association for Computer-Aided Design in Architecture (ACADIA), his name is:
4. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) headsets today are increasing in popularity as a helpful tool that can foresee project completion, detect potential clashes and depict design alternatives. Surprisingly, the idea dates back decades to the work of computer scientist Ivan Sutherland and student Bob Sproull. They created a bulky contraption they called the “Sword of Damocles,” a head-mounted, VR/AR display connected to a mainframe computer and suspended from the laboratory ceiling. What year did they unveil this invention?
5. The use of 3D laser scanning is also growing on jobsites and is projected to expand exponentially in the next decade. Also known as high-definition surveying (HDS) or “reality capture,” the practice employs a laser to map an area with extraordinary accuracy. Developed in the 1960s, the technology was later adapted for use in design and construction in which decade?