Shows
FoDES - Future of Design & Engineering SoftwareDr Mohammad Ashiqur Rahman - AI at FIUWe 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...
2025-12-3032 min
FoDES - Future of Design & Engineering SoftwareArjun and Kanal Jain, Building Tandem, an AI-based Knowledge Layer for Mechanical EngineersWe 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...
2025-12-3026 min
FoDES - Future of Design & Engineering SoftwareDr Chris Parkinson and Vuzix' Smart GlassesWe 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...
2025-12-2823 min
FoDES - Future of Design & Engineering SoftwareAntony Samuel - Artifact for Drag and Drop Electrical System DesignWe 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...
2025-12-2830 min
FoDES - Future of Design & Engineering SoftwarePatrick Wallis and Marc Goldman about Esri, AI and Gaussian SplatsWe 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...
2025-12-2737 min
FoDES - Future of Design & Engineering SoftwareTassos Hadjicocolis, CEO of Phenometry on Phi which Models Organic ShapesTassos 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
2025-12-2455 min
FoDES - Future of Design & Engineering SoftwareOwein Dourneau, CEO of MecAgent, Converts Natural Language to SolidWorksWe 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...
2025-12-2233 min
FoDES - Future of Design & Engineering SoftwareRuss Bukowski, CEO of Mastercam’s and the Bold Bet On AI and AcquisitionsWe 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...
2025-12-2231 min
FoDES - Future of Design & Engineering SoftwareInside View - Eduardo Torrealba, Lumafield and X‑Ray Vision of PartsEduardo 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...
2025-12-2221 min
FoDES - Future of Design & Engineering SoftwareFraser Patterson of Skillit. A Data-First Job Platform Aims to Solves Construction’s Labor ShortageWe 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...
2025-12-1923 min
FoDES - Future of Design & Engineering SoftwareShiva Dhawan, Attentive.ai, and Creating takeoffs from PDFsSPONSORED EPISODEShiva 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:What construction takeoffs are and why they’re foundational to estimatingHow AI interprets drawings, symbols, and schedules fr...
2025-12-1921 min
FoDES - Future of Design & Engineering SoftwareAl Eliasen, CEO of SBS, Has an AutoCAD Add-On for Utility DesignWe 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...
2025-12-1822 min
Masters of Technology Happy HourBernard Murphy: Writing for the Sheer Pleasure of ItWe sit down with Bernard Murphy to explore how a physicist became a trusted voice in semiconductors and why storytelling makes or breaks technical ideas. Along the way we unpack NVIDIA’s pivot, Apple’s chip strategy, on‑device AI, and the shifting media landscape in tech.• Moving from Silicon Valley to the Sierra foothills• Wildlife rescue as context and purpose• Writing as a learnable craft through coaching• Hero’s journey adapted for technical writing• Problem-first narratives that beat feature lists• NVIDIA’s matrix engines repurposed for AI• Apple’s vertical integration and custom sil...
2025-12-081h 00
FoDES - Future of Design & Engineering SoftwareMichael Bogomolny, CEO of InfinitFORMWe 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...
2025-12-0432 min
FoDES - Future of Design & Engineering SoftwareUzair Sayid of NexCAD - AI Catches Your Drawing MistakesWe 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
2025-12-0129 min
FoDES - Future of Design & Engineering SoftwareGustavo Navarro, Founder of Divergence AI - AI Copilots For RF EngineersWe 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...
2025-11-2932 min
FoDES - Future of Design & Engineering SoftwareDraftAId, by Mohammed Al-arnawootWe 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
2025-11-0828 min
FoDES - Future of Design & Engineering SoftwareBrad Rothenberg: nTop Removes CAD's LimitsWe 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...
2025-11-0535 min
Masters of Technology Happy HourGrant Rochelle, from Bike Crashes to Hiking Around Everest, with a Whole Lot of CAD In-betweenWe swap crash tales, altitude math, and plans for a 21,000‑foot trek while sharing how injury, MS, and early retirement reshaped our choices. Between Garmin alerts and book drafts, we weigh risk, recovery, and why some goals still feel worth the climb.• Cycling crashes, concussions and a hip fracture• Blackouts and memory gaps around impacts• Trekking to Everest Base Camp and high passes• Altitude, acclimatization and Diamox trade-offs• Planning a 21,000‑foot trekking peak without oxygen•MS diagnosis (wife) and early retirement• Risk tolerance as we age and safer sport options• Turning travel journ...
2025-10-1514 min
FoDES - Future of Design & Engineering SoftwareBudapest or Global? Istvan Knows No BoundariesShape3D 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...
2025-10-0830 min
Masters of Technology Happy HourKenneth Wong, the Most Well Rounded CAD JournalistWe trade press releases for real stories with Kenneth Wong—writer, artist, photographer, and Burmese language instructor at UC Berkeley—exploring how tools, culture, and ethics shape the way we create. From tea leaf salad to Apple Pencil, from cloud CAD to AI, follow Kenneth's journey.• Literary craft applied to B2B tech writing • Pragmatic uses of AI for summaries, transcripts, and creative prompts • Caffeine rituals, tea leaf salad, and cultural memory • Life in socialist Burma and communal norms vs American privacy • Drawing and photography on iPad, pressure sensitivity, and tactility • Why consumer-grade UX...
2025-10-0540 min
FoDES - Future of Design & Engineering SoftwareMai Bui, Building a Design Wiki"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...
2025-10-0129 min
Masters of Technology Happy HourS1 Ep 12: Jon Hirschtick, from Blackjack to Cloud-Native CADJon Hirschtick, founder of SolidWorks and co-founder of Onshape, shares his journey from developing groundbreaking CAD software to his current role as Executive Vice President and Chief Evangelist at PTC. His 44-year perspective on the CAD industry reveals how most design tools in use today predate both AI and the internet in their architecture, creating limitations as companies try to incorporate cutting-edge technologies.• Cloud-native architecture uniquely positions Onshape for AI integration with massive compute capabilities, 50 million CAD data items, and three-week release cycles• Most CAD tools still used today have major elements written before the internet exis...
2025-09-0718 min
Masters of Technology Happy HourS1 Ep 11: David Cohn, an Architect's Journey Through CADDavid Cohn shares his extraordinary journey from architect to CAD pioneer and influential technology journalist during the pivotal early days of computer-aided design software.• David's background as an architect and almost Olympic-qualifying run• How government contract requirements forced architectural firms to adopt CAD technology• First experience with AutoCAD 1.4 and its mere 28 commands• Creation of the Memphis AutoCAD User Group newsletter• Development of architectural add-ons for AutoCAD that predated SketchUp• Journey from newsletter publisher to editor in chief of Cadalyst magazine• Confrontation with Autodesk CEO Carol Bartz over the problematic Release 13• Battle for edito...
2025-09-0440 min
FoDES - Future of Design & Engineering SoftwareThe AI Revolution in Mechanical Design is HappeningMaorr 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•...
2025-08-1938 min
Masters of Technology Happy HourS1 Ep10: John McEleney's CAD Revolutions from Desktop to CloudWhen technological platforms shift, opportunities for disruption emerge. Few people understand this principle better than John McEleney, who has twice been at the center of CAD industry revolutions – first as SolidWorks CEO during the 2D-to-3D transition, and later as Onshape co-founder when cloud computing transformed design collaboration.In this wide-ranging conversation, McEleney takes us back to the mid-1990s when he created the famous "plume chart" that visualized how 3D CAD would expand from specialized applications into the mainstream market. He reveals SolidWorks' strategic genius: rather than targeting committed Pro/ENGINEER users or complete CAD novices, th...
2025-08-0742 min