CAD + Machine Learning = ?

AI and Machine Learning are trending these days. It is revolutionizing the world of computers and make possible to discover and learn large sets of information. It can mitigate many computing problems and tasks challenges. In a nutshell, machine learning can create an algorithm that can be exposed to a large volume of data then can self-teach and evolve. The result can be powerful and sometimes surprising.

Google just announced a funny tool that can turn your badly drawn doodles into fun stuff. Navigate to the following PC Mag article to learn more. The following passage can give you an idea.

In November last year, Google asked people to start drawing doodles to aid an AI experiment called Quick, Draw! It was an example of machine learning, with the doodles we drew helping to teach the AI’s neural network what different shapes represent so it could better predict what it was viewing. Several months on, and Quick, Draw! has become a real service in the form of AutoDraw. The AI became good enough at predicting what we draw to be of use to us non-artists.

The following video speaks by itself.

I found this video entertaining. It made me think about a whole market of sketching applications.

Last year Siemens PLM introduced Catchbook for smart concept design. Engineering.com article can give you more details. You can think about modern sketching tools as a bridge between concept sketch and CAD.

Catchbook

This is obviously not the only sketching tools. Autodesk Sketchbook and Concepts sketching are only 2 alternative examples.

Autodesk Sketchbook

https://youtu.be/q6cIukJ2a-I

Concepts

https://youtu.be/wyjLT_x-wwA

As much as sketching app can be entertaining, the business is in professional grade CAD systems. ML and AI made me think about future trajectories of CAD tools and Machine learning. Will Machine Learning and AI change an existing 3D modeling and design paradigm. PLM tools and CAD libraries can provide enough data to train ML algorithms and then dream about how future CAD systems will help make real design more productive.

What is my conclusion? You think ML automated doodles drawing tool is a joke? Well, think twice. Every new tool started as a joke and then expanded into something much more serious. I think, we can see an interesting beginning of the automation and AI driven CAD here. Just my thoughts…

Best, Oleg

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Disclaimer: I’m co-founder and CEO of openBoM developing cloud based bill of materials and inventory management tool for manufacturing companies, hardware startups and supply chain. My opinion can be unintentionally biased