FoDES - Future of Design & Engineering Software

We talk with Juan Carlos Santamaria about how AI in engineering has evolved from rule-based robotics to modern systems that perceive job sites and help machines make better decisions. We dig into Trimble’s push from AI perception to operator assist and what it will take for engineers and operators to trust AI in the field and in design tools. 
• Juan Carlos’s PhD-era view of AI as a multidisciplinary field 
• Planning versus reactive robotics and why brittle plans fail 
• AI for perception on construction sites using point cloud images and video 
• Turning recognition into jobsite semantic...

We talk with OpenSpace CTO Michael Fleischman about turning job-site photos into spatial data that teams can actually act on, from 360 degree capture to progress tracking and AI agents. We dig into why construction software adoption is so hard, and what changes when your phone can be used to create higher-quality data and automation. 
• Michael’s path from philosophy and psychology to computational linguistics and AI 
• Meeting OpenSpace co-founders at MIT Media Lab and pivoting into construction 
• Reality capture as the foundation and why “agents need eyes” 
• Cameras vs LiDAR on phones and why photos solve most field n...

Matt McElvogue, VP at Teague, talks about Teague's human-centered design. We explore how building early aligns design, engineering, and business, and why full-scale prototypes beat slide decks. From accessible aircraft cabins to friendlier autonomous shuttles, we show how human-centered design meets hard constraints while accounting for many factors, such as aesthetics and functionality, that design engineers may not consider.

• Teague’s “thinking through making” philosophy across aerospace, automotive and defense
• Tooling choices from Rhino and SolisWorks to CATIA for aerospace rigor
• Full-scale cabin mockups and high-fidelity showpieces that survive travel
• Aligning desirability with feasibility in regulated e...

We talk with Makistry founder Parth Meta about turning plain English prompts into parametric CAD and why a structured AI “brainstorm” can speed design without losing engineering control. We dig into standards-aware reasoning, exports, limitations, and the roadmap for assemblies and 2D-to-3D.

• Why CAD still slows real projects
• Text to parametric models through a guided brainstorm
• Using RAG to ground standards like M4 and hole specs
• Open Cascade kernel, STEP exports, in-browser visualization
• Measuring and parameter checks for trust and repeatability
• Limits on complexity and plans for sketches to 3D
• Assemblies, mates...

We trace how focused simulation wins over all-in-one platforms, then try to find out more about the design of an Olympic helmet  — with no luck. Rand Simulation experts use LS-DYNA and validate the results to cut risk and time. We close with a frank take on what AI can and cannot do for complex physics and where humans must stay in the loop.

Amit Shastri, CTO Americas at Digitate, explains how composite AI moves operations from reactive firefighting to predictive and autonomous action, without sidelining human judgment or ripping out trusted systems. Digitate’s approach blends logical reasoning, LLMs, and guardrails to deliver unified observability across IT, OT, and business processes.

• Regional CTO role bridging customers and product
• Autonomous and ticketless operations as the North Star
• Predictive alerts that prevent downtime
• Horizontal observability across procure to pay
• Integrations with ITSM, monitoring, and CMDB
• Composite AI with logic, LLMs, and human approvals
• Action firewalls and role-based contr...

We talk with Lukas Fraser, VP of Product at Looq AI, about a camera-first platform that delivers survey-grade 3D models and automates utility workflows. We cover hardware design, accuracy claims, pole and cable analysis (for power lines), and why controlled capture makes photogrammetry competitive with LiDAR.

• Controlled handheld capture with four synchronized lenses and GNSS
• Calibrated hardware and encrypted storage with cloud processing
• Point clouds, panos, and ground-view outputs for engineers
• One-centimeter relative measurements for pole loading analysis
• Image-based detection projected to 3D for faster extraction
• Complementary roles of photogrammetry and LiDAR
• Subscr...

We talk to Tudor Vasiliu, founder and director of Panoptikon, about how architects use AI to elevate visualization without losing control, unpacking “AI passes,” professional guardrails, and why speed still needs expertise. A live demo shows rapid mood and lighting iteration, while we call for better client tools and more usable AEC software.

• AI passes that enhance materials, lighting, foliage, and people
• Why expert workflows beat one‑prompt myths
• Accuracy and ethics in public review visuals
• Faster iteration with in‑house tools and cloud models
• Video enhancements from stills and CG using diffusion
• Client expec...

We talk with CTO and co-founder Theopile Allard about Neural Concept’s AI copilot for engineering and how option-driven workflows change speed, creativity, and trust in simulation-heavy design. We explore physics prediction, geometry generation, LLM agents, and how legacy solvers stay central.

• AI copilot that creates and evaluates many variants
• Physics predictive engine for CFD, structures, EM
• Geometry generation to expand design spaces
• LLM agents linking rules, docs, and constraints
• Solver integration and uncertainty triggers
• Fluids as a high-impact domain for discovery
• Real-world examples including quieter impellers
• Iterative, interactive design with plain English...

We talk with Arjun and Kanal Jain, co-founders of Tandem about building an AI knowledge layer that captures design decisions, links requirements to CAD, and helps engineers spend more time designing. We compare text-to-CAD promises to enterprise reality, dig into traceability and DFM, and explore how integrations unlock better simulation.

• Capturing design intent across CAD, PDM, PLM
• Linking requirements, tests, and design changes
• Closing the manufacturing feedback loop
• Reducing rework and documentation overhead
• Enabling simulation through shared context
• Funding path, pilots, and early customers
• Differentiation from text-to-CAD and new CAD software
• Partner...

We trace FIU’s early bet on AI, the rise of AI-ready engineering education, and why security research must outpace attackers. From LLM jailbreaks to drone resilience, we share how to validate tools, keep fundamentals strong, and deploy AI safely in the real world.

• FIU’s AI strategy across engineering disciplines
• Faculty journey from cybersecurity to AI-driven defense
• Research strength, funding, and emerging tech focus
• AI Summit takeaways from flood modeling to controls
• Quantum threats and post-quantum cryptography
• LLM jailbreak risks and malware generation
• Layered defense and resilience-by-design
• Teaching with AI while preserving...

We explore how smart glasses moved from bulky prototypes to practical tools, why waveguides make displays vanish into lenses, and how hybrid AI solves the offline problem. Dr. Chris Parkinson explains the tradeoffs between tethered and on-board compute, and where enterprise adoption is outpacing consumer demand.

• Waveguides turning thin lenses into bright displays
• Tethered glasses as lightweight monitors vs full Android on-head
• Enterprise durability, all-day shifts, and safety constraints
• Privacy lessons from Google Glass and why context matters
• Vuzix strategy supplying components and building solutions
• Manufacturing waveguides at scale in the US
• Weight...

We explore how complex electrical systems can be designed faster and with more confidence by combining an intuitive canvas with deep electrical intelligence and pragmatic AI. Anthony Samuel shares lessons from aerospace startups, Y Combinator and competing with incumbents while staying focused on validation and usability.

• Seed funding from YC, Floodgate, Boost VC, enabling hiring and product build
• Why New York and other hubs matter for advanced hardware
• Startups versus incumbents framed as validation of the market
• Respect for safety: AI as assistant, not replacement
• Common failure modes in harness design and integration
• Arti...

We explore how GIS connects BIM, CAD, and reality capture into usable context for design, construction, and operations. Gaussian splatting takes center stage as Patrick Wallace explains how it preserves fine detail and enables point clouds, meshes, and object detection at scale.

• Indoors product ingesting DWG to power floor-aware campus maps
• Difference between authoring tools and GIS as the system of context
• Drones, LIDAR, photogrammetry workflows for operational models
• Weekly drone flights for 4D construction review and issue forensics
• Gaussian splatting fundamentals, benefits, and capture best practice
• Filling gaps with open imagery and managing...

Tassos Hadjicocolis, CEO of Phenometry, and Stephanos Androutsellis-Theotokis, CTO and founder, give a detailed demo of Phi, a browser-based modeler that makes organic shapes quickly and precisely, then sends results to Onshape as clean NURBS for downstream CAD operations. 

• Running Phi inside or alongside Onshape
• Direct push–pull of vertices, edges, faces
• Curvature combs and smoothen for fairing
• Precise move, rotate, and scale with inputs
• Image‑based modeling and pop‑out extrusions
• Exporting to STEP with tight NURBS tolerance
• Snapping to Onshape faces and edges
• Dissolve to replace face groups with a single patch

We dive into why CAD feels hard and how natural-language automation can remove friction without forcing a platform switch. Co-founder and CEO Owen Dourneau explains MecAgent’s approach to compiling plain English into SolidWorks actions, the limits of file translation, and where AI can truly help engineers.

• Pain points with feature trees and steep learning curves
• Why building on top of SolidWorks beats starting from scratch
• LLMs as a CAD compiler for dependable automation
• Examples like DXF export and sheet metal unfolding
• Simplicity over code editors to reach non‑programmers
• Risks from incumbents and s...

We talk with Mastercam CEO Russ Bukowski about how AI, vertical integration are reshaping CAM. From voice‑enabled Copilot to reseller acquisitions under Sandvik, Russ lays out a roadmap for faster programming, safer code, and a tighter art‑to‑part thread.

• Modernizing Mastercam’s UX and onboarding the next generation
• Vertical integration of sales, service, and support to get closer to customers
• Sandvik acquisition and the digital thread from design to inspection
• Copilot as an action layer: voice commands, automation, and scripts
• Leveraging tooling data for safer feeds and speeds across materials
• Enabling one‑off and...

Eduardo Torrealba, founder and CEO of Lumafield, on how industrial CT gives engineers a safe, fast way to see inside products and make better decisions. He discusses LumaField’s approach to trials, safety, resolution and GD&T from scans.

• Value of non‑destructive 3D inspection for complex assemblies
• Differences between industrial and medical CT and how shielding works
• Try‑before‑you‑buy approach and what it costs
• Main manufacturing use cases across batteries, plastics, and electronics
• Limits and trade‑offs for resolution, contrast, and dense materials
• CAD‑to‑scan comparison and ethical lines around reverse enginee...

We talk to Fraser Patterson, CEO and founder of Skillit, about how digitizing skilled trade workers would affect hiring speed and quality, why construction jobs are resistant to AI displacement, and what new data reveals about women entering the trades and pay equity. Practical AI supports recruiters and workers without removing humans from high-stakes decisions.

•Diagnosing labor shortage as an access and data problem
• Founder’s journey from journeyman carpenter to tech builder
• Fuilding data-rich worker profiles and semantic search
• Privacy-preserving eligibility checks via co‑pilot outreach
• Scale and demand for data center and energy pro...

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Shiva Dhawan, CEO & Co-Founder at Attentive.ai shares his journey from mechanical engineering to building an AI-based takeoff software for construction, and explains why manual takeoffs from PDFs remain one of the biggest bottlenecks in bidding workflows. The conversation dives into how AI can read construction drawings, the role of human verification in ensuring accuracy, and why PDFs, not BIM files, still dominate the bid phase in North America.

The discussion also covers:

We explore how 3D utility-centric design on top of AutoCAD speeds grid and fiber projects by connecting CAD, GIS, and SAP  by enforcing standards that prevent costly errors with Al Eliasen of SBS. We also dig into pragmatic AI uses that shorten proposals and enhance UX without risking safety.

• Origins of SBS and Autodesk utility heritage
• Competition with Bentley; partnership with Esri
• GIS as source of truth for underground design
• 2D input with 3D models for true digital twins
• Intelligent design rules for safety and standards
• Training designers fast with drag-and-drop workflows
• Pragmat...

We sit down with Michael Bogomolny, Ph.D. of InfinitFORM, which has blasted through the hype of topology optimization with a deterministic, GPU-accelerated engine that creates parts that are both optimized and manufacturable. The result: shorter design cycles because prismatic parts are ready for machining. 

In this podcast, Michael talks about:

• Funding update and market momentum
• Why mesh-based generative design fails machining
• Manufacturable, parametric outputs with feature trees
• AI as assistant for setup, critique and reports
• GPU solvers for fast, deterministic results
• Cloud and on‑prem options for reg...

We sit down with Uzair Sayid, founder of NextCad AI, to explore how automated drawing checks cut busywork, reduce errors, and capture expert standards without slowing design. The conversation tracks his journey from frustrated mechanical engineer to building an on-prem tool that blends rules with AI to expertly check engineering drawings.

• Origin story rooted in wasted time on documentation
• Local, secure checker for PDFs and native CAD
• Standards and company rules embedded in a knowledge graph
• Detection of hidden dimensions, missing depths, and BOM issues
• CAD integrations with Inventor and SolidWorks for deeper checks

We explore how an AI copilot layers on top of HFSS to automate RF simulations without losing rigor or control. Gustavo Navarro shares a live demo, a practical roadmap from post‑processing to pre‑processing, and a vision for cross‑domain orchestration across trusted solvers.

• Why HFSS expertise is hard but essential
• Natural language to HFSS automation without hiding code
• Generating S‑parameters, 3D patterns, and full reports
• Interactive agents that ask for missing setup details
• Orchestrating sweeps and long runs with monitoring
• Using ML for fast screening, solvers for validation
• Pre‑processing: geomet...

We explore how DraftAId automates mechanical drawings from 3D models, why focus beats hype in CAD AI, and how human-in-the-loop design keeps engineers in control. A live demo shows associative drawings in Inventor, and we preview cost estimation and an upcoming open version.

• Drafting automation for mechanical fabrication
• Lessons from YC to 175k+ drawings generated
• AI hype versus real manufacturing workflows
• Human-in-the-loop interactivity and PMI implementation
• Datum strategy, tolerances, and communication intent
• Integrations with major CAD and vault systems
• Competitive landscape and why focus matters
• Preview of cost estimation for North America

We sit down with Brad Rothenberg of nTop to explore how implicit modeling and signed distance fields make computer models that are robust, physics-aware and ready for fast iteration. From aircraft wings to heat exchangers and turbine cooling, we show how fields, splines, and optimization unlock design spaces that B-reps can’t handle.

• Why B‑rep models fail under topology changes 
• How signed distance fields encode geometry and space 
• Spline-driven aircraft surfaces and robust lofts 
• Custom blocks for reusable parametric assemblies 
• Duct and inlet optimization tied to flow targets 
• Integrated CFD and meshless solver conne...

Shape3D demonstrated how CAD can feel as natural as drawing with a pencil on paper, while still handling complex product design with an iPad and the Apple Pencil. Shapr3D’s founder, István Csanády, has taken the company from its Apple roots to Windows, and by doing so is starting to be recognized by the market. 

Join as István discusses:

• Pain points with legacy CAD and steep learning curves
• Origins of Shapr3D and mission to simplify serious design
• GDP-scale impact from productivity gains in manufacturing
• Building a global, multic...

"Why do hardware teams still rely on brittle slides and spreadsheets?" asks Mai Bui, cofounder of Quarter20. "A CAD‑connected wiki can turn documentation into living, executable knowledge."

Quarter20 shows auto-updating work instructions, technician analytics, and a cloud workflow that links design to the shop floor.

• The boiling frog of legacy CAD tooling and manual documentation
• Quarter20’s origin story from real manufacturing pain
• A CAD-connected wiki as a single source of truth
• Replacing PowerPoint and Word with live documentation
• Linking hardware tools like software’s integrated stack
• Customer use cases in robotics...

Maorr Farid, co-founder and CEO of Leo AI, shares how his company is revolutionizing mechanical engineering by creating the first AI that truly understands CAD. His mission is to transform engineers from "glorified secretaries" back into creative innovators by eliminating the tedious 85% of time they spend not actually designing.

• Former Unit 8200 intelligence officer with a PhD from Technion at an unprecedented young age
• Founded Leo AI after discovering engineers spend only 15% of their time moving the mouse in CAD software
• Already reached 55,000+ users with zero marketing budget, including major clients like HP, Intel, and Scania
•...