In Aerospace Liaison Engineering there is a need to visit the shopfloor on a regular basis to resolve problems. Most times there is a requirement to look at both the next higher assembly or the previous lower assembly. All over the shopfloor are (usually) a number of computer terminals in which Liaison has access to the whole aircraft if needs be and by accessing that data a speedy resolution of problems is possible. Authorizing a fix on the spot is possible by accessing the information, copying it into the Liaison personal account for formalizing later on AND at the same time running hard copy to sketch up the preferred fix in conjunction with the shop limitations (access and blind spots for example) which provides a comprehensive record of correcting nonconformance. It is oftimes necessary to work with several drawing sheets spread out on the shopfloor tables in order to figure out anything, so, the I-pad in these circumstances would be regarded as a toy. It depends on the job and the scale of whatever you are working with whether an I-Pad would be adequate...it is nothing to do with young engineers versus old engineers. The 64 bit laptop I use for concept work is taken to the clients place where I can plug in to a big screen via HDMI or to a monitor make the presentation and where change is necessary make notations in the CAD which is resident in the laptop. It would be interesting to see a counter point-of-view which shows that the I-pad can adequately do the same thing particularly when dealing with more than one person.
Scotcan: Thanks for the very rich description of a real-world engineering scenario, which points up both the limitations and potential for tablets, including the iPad. I agree that the current technology might have limitations in the scenario you describe, particularly for the large design review applications where there are multiple people present. I do think, however, that the iPad could be connected via HDMI to a large-screen monitor for presentations--if it can't today, it will tomorrow.
Again, not sure the tablet will ever be a direct replacement for modifying geometries in CAD, but my guess is these auxilliary CAD apps and new mobile design tools will zero in on particular stages of that very same design review task and find ways in which they can add value. I'm curious to see what others think.
Interesting, this parallels what's going on in machine vision on the factory floor. There's something of a push for mobile apps there, at least on the part of vendors, but things aren't moving very quickly. Although this is partly due to the still-needed technology that's required, perhaps this has also been slowed because of resistance among older operators.
Beth, I think you are right that "Engineers, by natural, are a skeptical lot and don't necessarily want to play around with "toy" apps that don't really do anything substantial." Engineers are not immune to attraction to shiny objects and new tech, but more likely than the average consumer to examine functionality of technology, not just the glamour or sexiness of it. And in the design venue, where engineers frequently find the functionality of a standard pc to be underpowered and with insufficient display size, a mobile platform with even less power and smaller screen is not a substitute for the workstation.
That doesn't mean there is not a place for the mobile apps. But their place is more as an adjunct to the primary workplace hardware and software. They can excel in the field, providing portable access to documents, capturing photos, notes, and data in the field. Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. Sometimes the fastest way to take notes is to snap a few photos of relevant data and measurements.
Likewise, mobile apps have much to offer for interacting with field instrumentation. Here, the field instrumentation interface has in the past been limited by cost and environmental limitations. The hardware cost of adding mobile device connectivity to field instrumentation can be minimal, comparable to just a couple of conventional controls. With appropriate software, the mobile app is capable of providing a much richer and more flexible interface to the instrumentation, going beyond what can easily be implemented via switches and knobs. And being mobile, the interface can be disconnected and travel with the operator, so doesn't have to be capable of extended operation/storage under temperature extremes, which pose cost, functionality and power consumption issues for fixed interfaces.
Good points Brad. I'm hearing much the same thing you're saying. As I understand it, the mobile apps are being used for on-the-run checking and verification of plant equipment. The kind of thing operators have been using laptops for. To gather data, run some quick diagnostics. What I'm hearing is that the smartphone and the tablet are simply easier to handle on the run than a laptop balanced on the knee.
We're talking about consuming and producing information here. Tablets and phones by nature are terrific for consuming. No matter how fast your thumbs though, you're not going to create a 40 page specification in a timely manner on your phone.
Engineers use these tools when they make sense, to consume information (drawing viewers). Producing is much more difficult on them.
Size is another issue. One can easily use a regular clipboard and pad of paper propped on one arm and fist to make decent drawings or diagrams. For an android or ipad tablet to be USABLE as a producer of information, it's going to have to be about the same size.
I think the real stumbling block is that no one has licked the data-input challenge with mobile devices. The soft keyboards stink, and portable, bluetooth-based keyboards just don't cut it. Perhaps Siri on the new iPhone is the first inkling of a possible solution--a speech recognition tool with a decent user interface. The only other challenge I see though is that CAD typically requires numerical entry. So you wouldn't be able to create drawings on mobile devices, but sharing and manipulation would be made a lot easier.
Good point, TJ. That's a concise way of viewing it. As far as I can see, operators are using the mobile apps to consume information and transfer it to a larger system. Grabbing data remotely and sending it to the main box seems a perfect use for mobile devices.
I agree, Brad. Engineers are an exceptionally pragmatic bunch. There are exceptions, of course, but for the most part if they can't see a work advantage, they're not going to mess with the technology.
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