At last week’s Autodesk University in San Diego, the AECO industry keynote felt like more than a mere presentation; it was a deep dive into Autodesk’s transformative vision for the future of architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC). Led by Nicolas Mangon, Autodesk’s VP of AEC Industry Strategy, the keynote drew an eager audience of industry professionals to explore how connected, data-driven tools are not just reshaping project workflows but are poised to redefine the AECO industry itself.
Nicolas Mangon VP, AEC Industry Strategy, Autodesk
Nicolas Mangon kicked off the event with a compelling vision centered on data as the “gold mine” of the industry—an asset with immense potential to solve many of AECO’s biggest challenges, including skilled labor shortages, supply chain disruptions, and urgent sustainability concerns. But the true star of his opening remarks was Dasher, a robot built by Deconstruct Robotics, equipped to perform real-time data collection and monitoring on construction sites. Mangon introduced Dasher with a blend of humor and awe, calling her a “data Rockstar,” whose job goes beyond simple scanning; Dasher connects physical and digital environments by capturing data and funneling it into Autodesk Docs, Autodesk’s powerful data management environment. This real-time data capture not only provides granular insights into physical assets but also enables seamless updates and decision-making across teams—a vision Mangon framed as the future of connected, accessible, and secure project data.
Dasher, as Mangon explained, is more than a tool; she symbolizes the future of autonomous systems in the AECO industry, where robots on construction sites and drones in the sky could map, scan, and update digital twins. This future, as Mangon highlighted, is closer than ever, thanks to Autodesk Docs, which acts as the “garage” for storing and organizing data collected from Autodesk’s suite of tools, including AutoCAD, Revit, Civil 3D, Tandem, and third-party integrations like PowerBI. “Imagine a future where a robot on the ground or in the sky can scan the built environment or job sites and capture data,” he explained, painting an image of a world where digital and physical environments converge. He described Docs as a secure, universally accessible platform that allows every stakeholder, regardless of location, to participate in decision-making, bridging the gaps between project phases and breaking down traditional silos.
