25 Technologies to Watch

While much hype exists over the concept of e-commerce, an expert in design and construction information technologies points out that there are many other technologies in the developmental stages that engineers should not only investigate, but in many instances, attempt to influence. These include, but are not limited to, holographic visualization and data storage techniques; using computer “agents” to identify all of the implications of even the smallest changes in a computerized design, or to find information from otherwise unorganized sources such as e-mail; the development of a hypertext mark-up language specific to the architecture, engineering and construction industry (known as AECXML); the evolution of digital signatures and seals; and even voice recognition and wearable computers.