Class Reflection

Prior to taking this course, I thought its content would have been more focused on the design of intelligent buildings, or the intelligent design of buildings. However, after the first class I realized it was much more than that. The class, to me, was very conceptual. While I can't say that I walked away from this class with a full understanding BIM, robotics, or databases, I can say that I have a very broad understanding of these topics. With that understanding came my ability to come up with ideas and understand how building design could be done more efficiently, and intelligently. All of the aspects of the course can be tied back to idea of designing a better building.

One misconception I discovered I had during this class was that intelligent and green buildings can go hand-in-hand, but aren't one in the same.  Professor Mitchell mentioned that Bill Gates's house is extremely intelligent, having televisions that follow people on the adjacent walls throughout the house. However, that does not make his house very "green".

Course Reflection

Coming into this course, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. My intention behind taking the course was that it would fill a professional elective requirement and the class name "Intelligent Building" sounded like it could be interesting.

After taking this class, I am leaving this term with a much more realistic view on where the engineering and construction industries are going.  Going through the core architectural engineering classes, I have focused more on the academic aspect and have only been given a glimpse of the real life engineering industry through my co-op positions.  This class allowed me to explore and reflect on technologies such as robotics, sensors, BIM and databases and how those technologies can be applied in engineering and construction.

Professor Mitchell tended to focus on the possibilities of these technologies and encouraged us to discuss the most extreme developments and uses possible. The speakers we had in class were a helpful balance by providing us with a more realistic perspective on how these technologies are currently being used and developed.  I enjoyed learning about BIM from Eric of KlingStubbins because I was able to see the possibilities that BIM offers and how it can be applied when designing real life building systems.

AE 510 - Course Reflection

Week 10

3/12/13

David Bregande

                Overall, I found this course to be very interesting and thought provoking in its range of topics and activities.  Each class presented a different subject as well as a different way to approach learning about it.  Between Professor Mitchell’s knowledge and that of the guest speakers, I obtained more information about engineering in the real world than in any class prior.  It was very beneficial to see how the little things we are learning about all come together in so many different fashions in the real world.  Someone I know asked about the lecture on databases and if it was interesting or not; I found it very satisfying to respond that to about 90% of the world population it would have been boring nonsense, however, I found it extremely interesting and beneficial to learn about.  It is amazing how many companies are dependent upon something that most people take for granted.  Each, more or less, seemed to invoke that same curiosity and respect for something I had previously been ignorant of.

                As asserted above, I found the most beneficial classes to be the ones with guest lectures or where Proffessor Mitchell was just speaking on his own accord.  Although group exercises are good practice, in this environment they are generally ineffective and time consuming.  I obtained the most knowledge and enjoyed my time spent the most when listening to the lecturers. The BIM and Database assignments were also very concise and beneficial.

                I felt that the blog process was very beneficial and an interesting way to communicate with the class without feeling the need to physically get everyone together and share.  Not only did I spend time each week on writing my own blog, but was also engaged in other peoples thoughts by being asked to include some reflection on them.  I wish that the grade weighted more heavily on these posts as they were a weekly requirement and continually kept the class engaged.  I felt the post themselves were actually more beneficial than the term assignment because so much more time was spent focused on them.  The term paper was sort of left hanging in the background and then at the end played a very important, and unfortunately confusing, part in the grading process.  This sentiment, along with a general feeling of difficulty with the assignment schedule, was expressed by many other people including Rita Pauliushchyk.  Either way, a very enjoyable course that was well worth the hours spent on campus late at night.  I agree with David Morrison, if the title of this course and the content presented within it does not excite an Architecural Engineer major, than the major is probably not for you.

AE-510 Reflection

The Intelligent Building course was a great tool to learn more about current ways, as well as a look into the future ways, that technology is used within the design and construction of buildings. When I signed up for the class I expected a heavy dose of building networks and sensor information which I knew could help me in my career. We did get that for a few weeks. The added lectures on robotics and BIM offered a great deal of information through the guest speaker and Prof. Mitchell’s knowledge on the topics. Exploring the database functions also offered a great deal as many students are not familiar with Access and other database software, which can be put to great use in areas other than buildings.

I would have to say my favorite part of the class was hearing everyone’s thoughts on the various topics during class. I also enjoyed getting experience with building Revit families as well as increasing my knowledge on database creation, even though I could not figure out how to get my reports and forms to work together like I wanted.

I agree with many other students in their posts that this class just scratches the surface of each topic and whole classes can be used to explore each topic further. I also think some people mentioned the workload being heavy but I think the assignments were manageable and easy to complete within an hour or two.

Having taken AE390 and AE391 under Prof. Mitchell and now this course I see that he really appreciates every student and loves teaching what he knows.

Course Reflection

                         The overall experience of this class was great. When I came in to this class I expected to learn about BIM and how to utilize BIM capable programs. Even though we did learn a few things about BIM, like creating a simple building and looking at videos. It wasn’t as in-depth as I thought it would be and wished that we would have spent more time on that topic. Which is fine considering all that I have learned throughout this course as well as using different programs like Revit and Microsoft Access.  Creating the database was the most difficult assignment of the whole term, but it was the most rewarding. I didn’t expect that I would have learned so much about databases, like relational and object oriented. Even more I wouldn’t have imagined that I would be able to create one and how easy it was to do so. Furthermore the blog posts were a resourceful way to focus us to think specifically about a topic, while at the same time, broadening our minds. Allowing us to read and comment on other student’s posts giving us other facets about the topic originally not conceived. But most of all the best aspect about this course was the presentations. I learned so much from each and every one of the guest speakers. They gave a full spectrum of career paths that our majors can take us as well as giving us advance and insight to the industry. This alone was worth the taking the course. But I do agree with Cifligu’s post about 10 weeks being too short of a time to completely cover all the concepts mentioned in AE. The database topic spanned for a little too long, while other subjects were neglected like robotics which I found really interesting. Overall the course was an amazing experience, having given me a glimpse into the future of the industry, my career seems less daunting. 

Final Blog Post

In Kayleigh's post she discusses how important it is to stay up to date with current technology to prepare for changes in your field. Rapidly growing technology is a huge part of the engineering field, and therefore it is very important to stay on top of it. I felt that this class gave us a basic knowledge of a handful of important technologies in the engineering field today. The two topics that we covered in this course that I feel will be most beneficial for me in my future career are BIM and databases.

While I know that the term is only 10 weeks long and it is hard to fit everything in, I agree with Gabrielle that I would have preferred if we could have spent more time on BIM. On almost every co-op interview I have been to, the first question they ask is if you have any experience with BIM. While I am no expert in BIM, I do feel that after this class I can confidently say I have a basic understanding of how BIM works. I felt that the project we did with creating a bookshelf and placing it in a small building was a great project to help students learn the basics. It not only showed us how to create a basic building but also gave students exposure to working with families.

For me, the most challenging part of this course was the creation of a database. Prior to this course, I knew very little about databases and how they were created. While doing the assignment, I constantly questioned myself on whether or not I was creating the database correctly. I think that more strict guidelines on what was expected may have been helpful for a technology that such a large portion of students are unfamiliar with. Overall, I found the experience to be very helpful because I felt that I gained a basic knowledge of how to work a program that I had never used before. I also feel that even if I am not able to create a detailed database, I at least understand the basic concept and would be able to further my knowledge, if needed, for my future career.

In summary, I truly thought this class was well structured and thought provoking. I agree with Maria that the class was setup in a way that allowed students to put as much work and time as they chose into it. I felt that the more you put into the course, the more you got out of it. I appreciated that the due dates for all assignments were given at the very beginning of the term, allowing you to work on things at your own pace, but I wish the due dates had been a bit more spread out. I would absolutely recommend this class as a professional engineering elective, as I gained a great deal form the course.

Course Reflection

Overall, I found this course to be a thought provoking one. Previous to the first class, I thought that the primary focus of the course would be learning how to utilize Building Information Modeling systems, in particular Revit. However, I soon realized  that there would be much more depth to the curriculum. I had absolutely no knowledge of databases and their relevance to engineering before entering this course. I believe that the best way to prepare for future changes in your field is remain up to date with the current methods being utilized so that any "revolutionary" technology doesn't take you by complete surprise. I think that engaging in thought provoking conversations regarding the future of architecture and engineering got all of us excited, and a little bit scared about what was to come in the field. On a personal level, I had an experience recently while at an interview where the CEO of the company was describing a revolutionary technology that he had been developing for the past fifteen years. Thanks to this course, I had a much deeper understanding of databases and the implementation of software that links into BIM. Even having the very basic understanding that we developed in this course greatly assisted me in being able to understand the concepts behind the process in developing this very complicated software. This was just one example of what I'm sure will be many to come in my future in Architectural Engineering.
While it is extremely important to have the fundamentals and foundations of engineering that will never change, it is vital to remain current with technological trends. What may seem like a fad, will become a regular and necessary technology in the engineering process. For this reason, it is important for courses like "Intelligent Buildings" to exist to keep our minds open to the changing technologies and techniques so that we're not blind sided in the future.

Group C - High Rise CIA Facility

The building we are focusing on is a high rise office building in Washington, DC. The building will be a 36 story office facility for the CIA.  Because this is a government building with an assumed large budger, advanced building intelligence and maximum security are both top priorities.
In terms of programming, BIM would be highly useful in allotting spaces for highly classified areas and creating a flow of spaces based on security clearances.  BIM and cost analysis would be the primary technologies in the design process.  BIM would be used to integrate all building systems and to satisfy the client's needs regarding security. Sensors play an important role in security and monitoring systems for energy efficiency. For bidding and approval, the municipality, contractors, and owners would be the key stakeholders. BIM, a building program database, and structural model would all be used in this stage of the building process through cost analyses and permit approvals.
All stakeholders would be involved in the construction process. BIM, surveys, and regional models would all be utilized through construction management.  These technologies would be used to make the building process more efficient. Sensors would be the most important technology during the occupancy of the building.  They would be used to control temperature, humidity, and lighting to control the building conditions. BIM and building analyses would be used during any required renovations as well as the demolition process.

Key conclusions:
high security
low energy
well integrated building automation system
database integration

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/11zHlbeyAH2uO-qwbqSojYviIMqF4eBdOyr3su7oHtTs/edit?usp=sharing

Humidity Sensors

       A humidity sensor measures three different types of humidity; absolute humidity, relative humidity, and specify humidity. Absolute humidity is the ratio of water to air, the total mass of water vapor that is in the air at a given time. Relative humidity (RH) is where many believe is temperature is actually the saturation level of the air. It’s shown as a percentage of the ratio of the moisture in the air and the total amount of moisture the air can hold. If the RH is at 100% then the air cannot hold any more moisture which can mean a high possibility for rain. The warmer the air is, the more moisture it can hold, the colder the air the less moisture. Meaning that the RH is affected by the change in temperature, which can justify why some believe humidity sensors measures temperature. Specific humidity is the ratio of the mass of water vapor in the air to the total mass of the mixture of air and water vapor. These humidity sensors can be used both indoors and outdoors, as well as being available in both digital and analog forms. The analog sensor uses a system called capacitive measurement. The sensor would be made of either glass or ceramics. The insulator material made from polymers, absorbs and releases that water which changes the level of charge in the capacitor. The measure of the change in the charge is the humidity of the given area. The digital sensor uses an electrode based system consisting of polymers, there are two micro sensors that are calibrated to the humidity of the given area. Which are then converted into digital format using an analog to digital conversion. There are actually another type of system called the hygrometer, where there is a pair of thermometers are used. One is kept wet while the other one is kept dry. The difference of the two moisture levels are measured. I really liked how in Nastasha’s blog, she when more in-depth with the components and circuitry of the sensors. There are many applications that a humidity sensor has. To regulate humidity in buildings like museums, laboratories, and wine cellars. Create a sterilized environment for a hospital and even the defogging or defrosting systems in cars need humidity sensors. Humidity sensors are key into making a green building as in Jeanine’s blog, she mentioned that “The humidity sensors will collect data that will be used to determine the comparative advantages and worth the new technology.”

http://www.tech-faq.com/humidity-sensors.html

http://www.articles-place.com/various-types-of-the-humidity-sensor/

http://www.ehow.com/how-does_5306344_humidity-sensor-work.html

Humidity Sensors

Week 8

2/19/13

Humidity Sensors

                Humidity sensors, or hygrometers, come in multiple forms depending on the desired measurement (absolute vs. relative), cost factor and level of accuracy.  These sensors are used to measure the moisture content in the air.  Measuring the relative humidity is most practical because the reading depends on an associated temperature; where a ratio of current moisture content to the maximum moisture content at that temperature is developed.  This makes the most sense as we are dealing with both moisture and ambient temperature when designing a room to be as comfortable as possible.  In this way, data from a hygrometer will be fed into an HVAC systems computer which will either humidify or dehumidify the air based on the requested conditions.

                Due to their ability to be used in multiple scenarios, low cost and relatively high and stable accuracy, the capacitive humidity resistor is the most commonly used type.  In this style, a film capacitor is sandwiched between a ceramic and a dielectric polymer.  The polymer will absorb or release moisture based on the relative conditions.  The addition or subtraction of water will change the capacitance of the capacitor which can be converted to a digital reading.  These sensors have an average accuracy of about +/- 2%.

                The least accurate humidity sensor is called the metal-paper coil and gives a good visual of the principle that makes the more accurate types work.  In this style, a piece of paper that has been saturated with salt is attached to a metal coil.  When humidity increases, the paper absorbs water and changes the shape of the coil.  These changes are calibrated so a dial can be used to provide relative readings.  Although the accuracy is limited to +/- 10%, these gauges are cheap and require no digital feedback to function.

 Brian did a good job in his post to point out the range of options from the most accurate to least accurate.  He refers to the idea that “primitive” methods of something physically changing such as the length of a hair have been superseded by more technological methods that use electrical properties and digital conversion.  In the end, however, these primitive methods still do the job that they were designed to do.

                Originally, I only thought of hygrometers being used in conjunction with HVAC systems for air condition quality purposes.  Jeanine’s post made me realize that their uses go far beyond just providing comfort.  Having a controlled humidity level in a hospital scenario is very important for controlling the spread of airborne germs and bacteria.  Industries like greenhouses can benefit by controlling the amount of moisture introduced to the plant life.  The uses obviously stretch much further than home comfort in thermostats.   

Humidity Sensors

Developments in semiconductor technology have made possible humidity sensors that are incredibly accurate, durable, and inexpensive.  The three most commons types of humidity sensors are capacitive, resistive, and thermal conductivity.

Resistive humidity sensors measure the change in impedance of a medium which has an inverse exponential relationship to relative humidity.  Mediums used include conductive polymers, salt, or treated substrate.  These sensors typically use ceramic as a coating for protection from condensation.  The voltage output provided from the sensor become directly proportional to the relative humidity when signal conditioning is applied.

Thermal conductivity humidity sensors calculate the difference between thermal conductivities of dry air and air containing water vapor to measure absolute humidity.  Because of their ability to measure absolute humidity, these sensors are also referred to as absolute humidity sensors.  This sensor consists of two negative temperature coefficient thermistor elements within a DC bridge circuit.  One element gets sealed in dry nitrogen and the other remains exposed to the environment.  Absolute humidity is directly proportional to the difference between the resistances of each element.

Capacitive sensors are the only type of full-range sensor that can accurately measure to 0% relative humidity.  This type of relative humidity sensor is most commonly used in industrial, commercial, and weather applications and is used over wide ranges of temperature due to their low temperature effect.  Capacitive sensors measure the change in dielectric constant which is proportional to the environment’s relative humidity.  A 0.2-0.5 pF change in capacitance is related to a 1% change in relative humidity. This type of sensor would most likely be used in HVAC applications.

Regardless of the type of relative humidity sensor, all outputs are affected by both temperature and perfect of relative humidity.  When higher accuracy or wide operating temperature ranges are considered, temperature compensation is included in the application. Relative humidity integrated circuits, or RHIC, have linear voltage outputs that are a function of the supply voltage, percent of relative humidity, and temperature.  This allows for the sensor to translate supply and output voltages to determine the true relative humidity of an area.

Humidity Sensors

Of all the sensors used in a typical building, humidity sensors were what I knew the least about before writing this post.  I had a general idea of how the other types of sensors worked, but couldn't even really make assumptions as to how humidity sensors worked.  The first thing I learned with this post is that humidity sensors are called hygrometers.  I did figure that, like other sensors, hygrometers used a combination of temperature and pressure, or change in electrical properties for electronic sensors to determine the moisture in the atmosphere. 

When searching the internet I came across a list of typical types of hygrometers used in the industry; metal-paper coil, hair tension, chilled mirror dewpoint, capacitive humidity, resistive, and thermal conductivity. The metal-paper coil and the hair tension hygrometers seem to be the most "primitive" form of sensor, being that it uses physical properties of materials and calibration to display humidity level on a dial.  The metal-paper coil hygrometer works like a bimetallic thermometer, only instead of two different metals, a salt infused strip of paper is attached to a coil, causing the coil to change shape.  A hair tension hygrometer works by measuring the change in tension in a human or animal hair with the hair shortening as humidity increases.  Both of those types of hygrometers are calibrated to display relative humidity. 

The other types of humidity sensors use the change in a materials electrical properties to determine the relative humidity.  Most of the time a type of salt or electrical polymer is used in these hygrometers. 

Humidity Sensors

Before understanding humidity sensors, one must first understand what humidity is. “Humidity refers to the water vapor content in air or other gases.” A humidity sensor measures and regularly reports the relative humidity in the air. As Kayleigh's post says, "hygrometer is the proper name for an object which measures humidity or moisture content.” The most commonly used type of humidity sensor relies on the ability of two nearby electrical conductors to create an electrical field between them. A source describes the process; “A polymer film on the conductors collects moisture from the air, and the moisture causes minute changes in the voltage between the two plates. The changes in voltage are converted into digital readings showing the amount of moisture in the air.” Humidity sensors then use the information collected to help regulate the space.

Humidity sensors are helpful in everyday residential uses. For example, people who suffer from conditions that are affected by high humidity, such as allergies or asthma, can have humidity sensors installed in their homes to control humidity. Humidity sensors are also very useful for medical purposes. Hospitals generally use humidity sensors to carefully maintain humidity in spaces containing sick patients. These sensors can also be very useful in spaces that store objects damaged by exposure to moisture. Examples include wine cellars, humidors, greenhouses, or antique storage areas. 

Humidity sensors are also an important part of building design, especially as we move towards green and energy efficient buildings. In an article entitled “Putting Building Science Into Practice,” a retrofit project of Fraunhofer’s new Boston headquarters is discussed. The rehab project aims to test emerging build technologies. One of these technologies relies on the use of humidity sensors to measure its efficiency. “The Showcase building will try many types of insulation on the walls, including vacuum panels that use gas, rather than cellulose or fiberglass, as the actual insulator.” The humidity sensors will collect data that will be used to determine the comparative advantages and worth of the new technology.

When reading over other student’s posts, I found Matthew's post about flow sensors to be very interesting. The comparison he made between the displacement method and the bucket and the stopwatch helped to simplify the method and make it easy to understand.

http://www.technologyreview.com/view/510131/putting-building-science-into-practice/

http://EzineArticles.com/4695977

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-humidity-sensor.htm

http://www.sensorsmag.com/sensors/humidity-moisture/choosing-a-humidity-sensor-a-review-three-technologies-840

Humidity Sensors

Previous to writing this blog post, I could have assumed that humidity sensors calculated their values based upon other factors within the atmosphere such as temperature or pressure. When first searching the internet I found that the term "hygrometer" is the proper name for an object which measures humidity or moisture content. They do in fact utilize other factors such as temperature, pressure, and electrical changes in capacitance or resistance in the atmosphere to calculate the moisture content within a room.

I was actually astounded to find that there were so many types of hygrometers. The primary types being hair tension, metal-paper coil, chilled mirror dewpoint, capacitive, resistive, and thermal conductivity sensors. Each of these types uses a different factor in humidity production in order to determine the level of humidity in a space. For example, the hair tension sensor utilizes the shortening of human or animal hair with an increase in humidity to measure humidity (which explains bad hair days in high humidity!) The amount that the hair shortens directly translates to the amount of moisture in the air on the dial.

A major distinction in the types of sensor utilized is whether or not it is utilizing electrical datum. Chilled mirror dewpoint, capacitive, resistive, and thermal conductivity sensors all fall under this category. Thermal conductivity sensors, measure absolute humidity in the surrounding air rather than relative humidity. This is another distinction in the type that could be measured that had not crossed my mind.

In reading other students blog posts, I found Matthew's to be interesting because flow measurement of fluids is similar to the measurement of humidity in that there are several different factors that can be measured in order to obtain the same result.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hygrometer

OODB

Object-oriented databases are an important evolution for database management systems because can handle data that needs to be managed for a large variety of applications. Object-oriented databases, commonly referred to as OODB, have been developed to meet the need for a database that is more flexible and can handle the need for custom operations. 

One of the most useful aspects of this type of database is that it is not limited by the types of data and language typical of traditional databases. It provides flexibility in that both an object and all of its possible functions and methods can be specified. Because of this flexibility, different data types can be used within this type of database to serve the needs of the industries such as design systems like CAD, scientific, medical, and multimedia databases, and geographic information systems. These data types allow the development of programs that consist of independent objects as opposed to basic information. Independent objects can contain functions and methods that specify what that object can do.

A lot of the research I did for this post was difficult to understand because I have no experience with computer programming and my knowledge of that field and common language used is slim to none. One thing I was able to understand was how relevant object-oriented databases are to our field of architectural engineering design, especially in terms of developing models using BIM. Revit is based on an object-oriented database. Each object you use or place into a model is part of a class and has its own parameters and functions. The objects also communicate with other objects within the model. Without object-oriented databases, we would not have the BIM software available to us today.

Because this type of database is very specialized, it is not relevant for all fields and is not as commonly used as the traditional database; however, the opportunities available for industries looking for a more flexible and customizable database management system find OODBs to work exceptionally well. Due to the increased use of object-oriented databases, standards and specifications have been developed for using this type of programming.

Object-Oriented Databases

Week 6

2/12/13

Databases – Object Oriented Databases

                An object oriented database is a particular type of database that is most commonly used when CAD software is being utilized.  When the database is used alongside some kind of computer program that functions on object-oriented programming (C++, Java), it becomes a object-oriented database management system (OODBMS).  This acronym is common because a object oriented database is only relevant when being utilized in this way.

                The easiest way to explain the difference between an OODBMS and a traditional relational database is that the “data” is stored as objects rather than large columned lists.  These objects are created when multiples data sets have defined relationships and characteristics.  In this sense, data can be given specific attributes that allow these defined relationships between the data to be taken advantage of.  In this sense, an object is something that will contain strings of data input along with a functioning code that manipulates and presents this data in a meaningful way.  As Kayleigh points out, large MEP manufactures like TRANE and Touzer can use OODBMS to provide accurate representations of their systems from large sets of data and create realistic “models” of their products.

                This characteristic allows for data to be much more useful and relevant because it can be manipulated and altered in order to analyze various design options.  The data is no longer “2-D” and can be used easily as a visual object in some kind of GUI program.  Instead of looking at a list of thousands of temperature differences resulting from window angles in a building and trying to deduce a reasonable design, someone can take an object in a OODBMS that represents a window and apply multitudes of different designs and implementations to that window.  Data is being simultaneously called up from multiple points and put through en executable code that reflects that change in the design.  A real world example of this is provided by Jeanine in her post.  She explains how people like aircraft carriers can use OODBMS to manage, organize and enhance the thousands of small parts used in an airplane.  Instead of gathering tensile stress on a component and throwing it in a list, someone can use OODMBS to understand the effects of the data, designs something better and implement in the real world.

                I want to close this by saying that I am no extremely computer savvy and am especially challenged by the world of programming.  The information above is what I was able to take out of what I read while trying to make sense of a lot of programming language.  I am open to comments and corrections from someone less confused by the subject matter.  

SOURCES:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Object_database

http://www.comptechdoc.org/independent/database/basicdb/dataobject.html

Object Oriented Databases

As engineers in this modern era, databases are used in almost every aspect of our careers.  While working on co-op I learned to use databases that the firm created, that were provided by equipment manufacturing, and that had been used for BIM or Revit purposes.  The database most relevant to this course would have to be the one we used for Revit and AutoCAD.  As a structural engineer, most of the materials we work with are somewhat generic and do not have specific manufacturers providing models of their product.  For the most part, Revit has the steel shapes stored within the preloaded database. However, when it came to concrete design, we often had to create our own families within the database for different types o concrete beams and columns.  Eventually this database begins to cover almost every type of beam or column and therefore lessens the requirement for engineers to make new families for a given project. After reading Maria's and Kayleigh's post I was able to understand a little better what exactly databases are and what they are used for within the BIM category.  While I had an idea of what an object oriented database is, I wasn't actually clear until reading their posts. 

Object oriented databases are exactly what their name implies, they store objects rather than data points.  This is obviously geared towards design applications, whether they be in CAD, BIM, manufacturing, animation, or anything of the sort.  This allows for the designers to be more efficient with their design and modeling.  I know that if I had to redraw everything in Revit or even AutoCAD, my job would have taken twice as long, which would dramatically decrease my efficiency.  I only see the use of these databases increasing tremendously over the course of our careers.  With the theme of this course being intelligent buildings, I feel this topic fits perfectly.  As engineers and designers, we will definitely continue to utilize these databases to further the efficiency of our process and design more intelligent buildings. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Object_database

ieor.berkeley.edu/~goldberg/courses/F04/215/215-OODB.ppt

http://www.25hoursaday.com/WhyArentYouUsingAnOODBMS.html

Object Oriented Databases

There are varies types of databases that store information. Object oriented database (OODB) is "a database management system in which information is represented in the form of objects.". The difference between OODB’s than the rest of the databases, is that it stores objects rather than data. This allows OODB’s to handle more complex data than other databases like Relational database. Relational databases are "a collection of data items organized as a set of formally described tables from which data can be accessed easily". For example a Relational databases stores information by breaking the data into many different pieces, then categorize them into various tables for storage. When you need that information again it will gather all the different pieces and try to reassemble them back together, by using a program that speaks the same language as the data. This process takes a long time to retrieve the data. OODB’s on the other hand can simply just store the whole object into the database, no need to reconfigure the data. It can store graphics, videos, CAD models, and much more. While Relational databases can hold simply information like an employee’s name, DOB, hire date, exp. The OODB has been around for a long time, started in the late 1980’s and was supposed to replace the relational database which started in the 1970’s. Flash forward today and relational databases are still the most widely used database. But OODB’s are on the rise since the 2003 the sales for it have been steadily increasing by 12.5% annually. This is because there is a niche market, OODB’s are becoming more popular for uses with artificial intelligence and CAD/CAM applications. Companies like J.P. Morgan, Chase, and Citibank are using OODB technologies in modeling financial instruments. In the coming years I believe that more and more companies will adopt the use of OODB’s for its complex data storage, but it won’t replace the relational databases because of its simplicity. Like in Jeanine Lancellotti's post she says that “Object-orientation is yet another step in the quest for expressing solutions to problems in a more natural, easier to understand way.” Probably in the near future, with the advance in software, will might even see another form of a database and would trump both the relational and object-orientation databases.     

http://www.leavcom.com/db_08_00.htm

http://www.comptechdoc.org/independent/database/basicdb/dataobject.html

http://odbms.org/download/005.01%20Chandler%20Introduction%20to%20Object-Oriented%20Databases%20September%201998.pdf

Object Oriented Database

Previous to this assignment, my general understanding and use of databases related to my experience with BIM. The larger manufacturers of MEP equipment (TRANE, Price, etc) have "libraries" or databases of families that they provide on their websites. These databases have three primary advantages: they lessen the amount of time that the engineer will spend creating families specific to their projects, they make the engineer more likely to utilize projects created by the manufacturer of the family, and finally they add the specific parameters for the manufacturer's product to your project therefore giving a more accurate depiction in plan. Maria did a great job of explaining the general aspect of this process in her blog post, relating uses for both engineers and architects. Little did I know, that this type of database is an object oriented database, and I had been using this type of database daily for the past few years.

When I began searching for specific definitions of object oriented databases, I found that the basic definition was that they store objects rather than data. Object databases are typically utilized for CAD projects, commerce, and multimedia applications. The primary advantage of object oriented databases that stood out to me is the fact that they tend to be realistic models rather than relational databases which merely store data.

It is my belief that this topic is relevant not only in this course, but through our use of CAD technologies throughout our careers. At one point or another, we will have to utilize object oriented databases for design and planning, or relational databases for our calculations.

Sources:
http://www.comptechdoc.org/independent/database/basicdb/dataobject.html

ieor.berkeley.edu/~goldberg/courses/F04/215/215-OODB.ppt

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Object_database

Object Oriented Databases

Maria's post describes the overall function of databases, saying:  “They [databases] are structured to collect and store information so the users can add, update or retrieve the information automatically.” There are two major types of databases, relational and object orientated databases.  A simple wikipedia definition of an object orientated database is” a database management in which information is represented in the form of objects used in object-orientated programming. An example of such a database is shown below:

Relation databases, on the other hand, “try to figure out how to represent real-world objects within the confines of tables in such a way that good performance results and preserving data integrity are possible.” Representing real objects in a table in a logical and comprehensive way is not always easy or effective, and so the industry was pushed to look further into object oriented databases. It is clear that, “Object-orientation is yet another step in the quest for expressing solutions to problems in a more natural, easier to understand way.” The major advantage of the objected- oriented databases is that they are able to handle many data types, including: graphics, photographs, audio, and video.

Some common uses of object- oriented databases are in Computer Aided Design (CAD), Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) and Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE) applications. These programs all require efficient management of very complex information. Object-oriented database technology is often used in factory and office automation. The attached article uses the example of aircraft manufacturing. Aircrafts have several small parts and pieces that must be organized, tracked, and assembled in different configurations. Object-oriented database systems can greatly aid in a process such as this. Another example is a French electric company, Electricite de France, that uses an object-oriented database to manage overhead power lines. Finally, we see the use of object-oriented databases in the healthcare industry.  Physicians use these databases to store x-rays and transmit them to clinics away from the main hospital. We also see hospital patient care tracking systems using object-oriented database technologies for simplicity.

 Sources:

 http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=14&ved=0CEQQFjADOAo&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthescipub.com%2Fpdf%2F10.3844%2Fjcssp.2006.781.784&ei=y_kXUdiGH6jA0AHa94CYCg&usg=AFQjCNF0XxkYXMLWX3ZI-QDB8zMfWkRb4w&sig2=iQMS-uW-3UTXvQ7DLetK3g&bvm=bv.42080656,d.dmQ

http://www.personal.psu.edu/glh10/ist110/topic/topic07/topic07_06.html