- What if we could start over with all the technology we have today?
- What would a truly integrated 3D built environment system architecture look like?
- I have to think laser scanning would be one of the foundation technologies.
What if we could start over, with all of the technology that we have today – the PC, Internet, laser scanners, BIM, GPS, machine control – all of it? What if we had the luxury of creating the next generation of software and hardware, with the prior commitment of the major stakeholders of the AEC industry to support it, and without the legacy of what we have invested in today? What if the technology was like it is in the music or telecommunications industry?
What I am thinking about is a unified, holistic 3D system that supports the entire built environment project lifecycle in a sustainable, energy efficient manner. Are the components all there today, but they just lack the systems integration? I believe that most of them are, but I think we would be further ahead if we started over with a common, standards-based system architecture that had the power of a mandate.
If that were to somehow happen, I have to believe that laser scanning would be one of the core technologies. The new ASTM E57 data interoperability standard, along with the work being done by the buildingSmartalliance on a National BIM standard could be key elements in the new architecture.
A highly trusted computer programmer friend of mine tells me that he could create the equivalent of AutoCAD 11 with Flex in a very short amount of time. What if we put a couple hundred smart people to work on it?
Maybe the concept is not that crazy after all.
