Forging a bright future in aerospace, robotics, education

Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks World 2013 ended inspiring thousands of attendees at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resorts in Orlando, Florida. For the past years that International Metalworking News for Asia (IMNA) has been attending the event, DS SolidWorks is always evolving and trying to improve upon an already impressive platform.  In this day and age, a lot of companies in the industry are really trying to push the limits of design and becoming more lean and efficient with their time and resources.

Every day, thousands of designers and engineers use SolidWorks 3D design software application to bring their projects to life. The SolidWorks World conference has helped spur the creation of new ideas, while enabling attendees to share, collaborate, and embrace their love of design. Thos who came learned from keynote speakers: Art Thompson, Sage Cheshire; Vijay Kumar, the University of Pennsylvania; Elias Knubben, Festo; and Thomas Atchison, the Mavericks Civilian Space Foundation, who are also users of SolidWorks. They have helped change the course of human history, helping the people acquire the knowledge and inspiration that will take their projects to the next level.

SolidWorks World 2013 kicked off with 2012’s most death-defying aerospace project: Felix Baumgartner’s “One Giant Fall for Mankind.” Art Thompson, Technical Project Director, Sage Cheshire, who spearheaded Baumgartner’s record-setting leap from the edge of space, took the attendees beyond the news headlines and behind the scenes of the famous jump. Thompson discussed  how Red Bull Team Stratos took the project from  conception  to  design and execution, providing an intimate look at the experiment that changed space travel for generations to come.

The keynote session on the second day of  the conference focused on robotics; highlighting  two  expert designers discovering  new approaches to human/robot interaction and behaviour: Vijay Kumar, professor at the University of Pennsylvania, shared his experience creating swarms of agile aerial robots, and Elias Knubben, head of Corporate Bionic Projects at Festo, a supplier of pneumatic and electrical automation technology, presented some of the prototypes from the Bionic Learning Network.

Day three of SolidWorks World addressed the future and development of the next-generation of great design professionals. Thomas Atchison, chairman of the Mavericks Civilian Space Foundation, talked about his experiences in building the world’s first civilian space programs.

“Human beings have an inherent, natural desire to innovate and discover solutions to overcome the world’s major challenges,” said Bertrand Sicot, CEO, SolidWorks, Dassault Systèmes. “The SolidWorks World keynote speakers have pushed the limits of design and their life experiences pushed our community to positively impact future generations through revolutionary products.”

SolidWorks  Mechanical Conceptual

IMNA spoke to Sharon Toh, General Manager, SolidWorks Asia-Pacific South, about the new Mechanical Conceptual.

“Design process engineers spent  31%  of  their  time  on conceptual mechanical design. There  is  a  lot  of  thinking, interaction  and  discussion involved to really understand like a meeting of the minds,” she said.

Dassault Systèmes’ plan is to leverage the strength and the capabilities of its 3DExperience Platform and build a new experience that is as intuitive and eaAir Jordan