During the opening keynote address at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada, Panasonic® Corporation announced the development of a new "4K Tablet" with a 20-inch 4K IPS Alpha LCD and a high precision pen. It is expected to enhance the way Architects, Engineers and Construction (AEC) professionals view and interact with digital drawings. Targeted to become available later this year, the tablet's 20-inch IPS Alpha LCD panel contains more than four times the resolution of Full High Definition. It leverages the touch capabilities of Windows 8 and includes a high precision digital pen for making notes on the panel's screen. Lightweight and less than an half inch thick, the tablet is slim, portable and represents the future of design review, bid, estimation, RFI response, and plan room access to drawing sets.
To help introduce this new technology to the AEC industry and demonstrate its endless possibilities, Panasonic is collaborating with Bluebeam® Software, a leading developer of PDF-based collaboration solutions for the design and construction industry, for R&D, product testing, and promotion.
"The upcoming 4K Panasonic tablet emulates the way design and construction professionals interact with printed drawings while giving users an incredibly high resolution view, making it simple to migrate from paper-based to digital workflows," said Bob Dobbins, Vice President, Corporate Planning & Strategic Initiatives at Panasonic Corporation of North America. "The potential of this technology is magnified when combined with the power of Bluebeam's PDF-based markup and collaboration solutions for the design and construction industry."
"When we first saw the prototype for the 4K tablet, we were blown away by the opportunities this device will offer project teams in the office and at the jobsite," said Richard Lee, CEO and President at Bluebeam Software. "We are excited to work with Panasonic and lend our knowledge and expertise of the AEC industry to bring this must-have technology to AEC professionals everywhere."
Bluebeam Software's flagship product, Revu®, is an award-winning PDF creation, markup and collaboration solution used by the world's top architecture, engineering and construction firms to digitally share and review project information. Revu enables users to electronically redline 2D and 3D PDFs with industry-standard markups and measurements, track all comments in an integrated Markups list, compare drawing revisions, store project files in the cloud and collaborate with others in real time. +
Related Stories
Multifamily Housing | May 8, 2023
The average multifamily rent was $1,709 in April 2023, up for the second straight month
Despite economic headwinds, the multifamily housing market continues to demonstrate resilience, according to a new Yardi Matrix report.
University Buildings | May 5, 2023
New health sciences center at St. John’s University will feature geothermal heating, cooling
The recently topped off St. Vincent Health Sciences Center at St. John’s University in New York City will feature impressive green features including geothermal heating and cooling along with an array of rooftop solar panels. The geothermal field consists of 66 wells drilled 499 feet below ground which will help to heat and cool the 70,000 sf structure.
Office Buildings | May 4, 2023
In Southern California, a former industrial zone continues to revitalize with an award-winning office property
In Culver City, Calif., Del Amo Construction, a construction company based in Southern California, has completed the adaptive reuse of 3516 Schaefer St, a new office property. 3516 Schaefer is located in Culver City’s redeveloped Hayden Tract neighborhood, a former industrial zone that has become a technology and corporate hub.
Mass Timber | May 3, 2023
Gensler-designed mid-rise will be Houston’s first mass timber commercial office building
A Houston project plans to achieve two firsts: the city’s first mass timber commercial office project, and the state of Texas’s first commercial office building targeting net zero energy operational carbon upon completion next year. Framework @ Block 10 is owned and managed by Hicks Ventures, a Houston-based development company.
Market Data | May 2, 2023
Nonresidential construction spending up 0.7% in March 2023 versus previous month
National nonresidential construction spending increased by 0.7% in March, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data published today by the U.S. Census Bureau. On a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, nonresidential spending totaled $997.1 billion for the month.
Life of an Architect Podcast | May 2, 2023
Life of an Architect Podcast Ep. 124: Show Me the Money
I get asked a lot about how much money an architect makes. Without understanding a few parameters, that’s like trying to buy a car by the pound. I spend a fair amount of my time discussing the architectural marketplace, where we can find value, what’s the going salary rate based on skill set and experience, and how badly we need this spot or that spot filled.
Hotel Facilities | May 2, 2023
U.S. hotel construction up 9% in the first quarter of 2023, led by Marriott and Hilton
In the latest United States Construction Pipeline Trend Report from Lodging Econometrics (LE), analysts report that construction pipeline projects in the U.S. continue to increase, standing at 5,545 projects/658,207 rooms at the close of Q1 2023. Up 9% by both projects and rooms year-over-year (YOY); project totals at Q1 ‘23 are just 338 projects, or 5.7%, behind the all-time high of 5,883 projects recorded in Q2 2008.
Architects | May 1, 2023
HOK names Eli Hoisington and Susan Klumpp Williams as Co-CEOs
HOK has appointed Eli Hoisington, AIA, LEED AP, and Susan Klumpp Williams, AIA, LEED AP, as its new co-chief executive officers, succeeding Bill Hellmuth, FAIA, LEED AP, who passed away on April 6, shortly after his scheduled retirement.
Multifamily Housing | May 1, 2023
A prefab multifamily housing project will deliver 200 new apartments near downtown Denver
In Denver, Mortenson, a Colorado-based builder, developer, and engineering services provider, along with joint venture partner Pinnacle Partners, has broken ground on Revival on Platte, a multifamily housing project. The 234,156-sf development will feature 200 studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom apartments on eight floors, with two levels of parking.
Mass Timber | May 1, 2023
SOM designs mass timber climate solutions center on Governors Island, anchored by Stony Brook University
Governors Island in New York Harbor will be home to a new climate-solutions center called The New York Climate Exchange. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), The Exchange will develop and deploy solutions to the global climate crisis while also acting as a regional hub for the green economy. New York’s Stony Brook University will serve as the center’s anchor institution.
