IndyPy Nov. 2022: Python in Engineering

The November 2022 edition of IndyPy — Indiana’s largest Python meetup founded in 2007 by Six Feet Up CTO and Amazon Web Services (AWS) Community Hero, Calvin Hendryx-Parker — featured a discussion of Python’s use in engineering, architecture, and construction over the years.

Scott Lecher, senior geospatial engineer and system lead for HNTB, walked attendees through not just a history of technology’s use in engineering, but his personal history with technology — from his days using Logo on the Apple IIe in elementary school to when he first read “Automate the boring stuff with Python” seven years ago.

“When I saw that, it was eye-opening,” Lecher said.

Lecher and his colleagues at HNTB assist clients in transitioning from manual CAD drafting to 3D modeling. Lecher is a big proponent of a single repository 3D BIM (Building information modeling) design that pulls together multiple data sources for a project — such as GIS data, 3D visualizations, 2D plans, cost estimates, and analyses — into a single repository, which can then be edited and updated using collaborative tools such as Speckle.

Lecher’s presentation included a number of real-world use cases for Python in engineering, such as:

• managing computer vision software for a LiDAR-equipped vehicle that created an accurate 3D model of a railway,
• using AI and machine learning models to help a LiDAR-equipped van identify stop lights, medians, guard rails, and other assets along major roadways; and
• using sensors to measure the movement and structural integrity of a swing bridge that needed replacement.

Watch the Presentation

Did you miss the presentation? Watch the recording and explore tidbits via @IndyPy’s live Twitter thread.

Links and Resources

You can find Lecher on:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-lecher-b9492478
• His website: https://www.heavycivilbigdata.com/pages/about.html#about