Revolutionary software for digital modeling
With Synchronous Technology, Howard
Mattson and Douglas King have significantly contributed to an entirely new
working environment for digital design
As major contributors to the invention of Synchronous Technology software, Howard
Mattson (50) and Douglas King (40), who both work in Cambridge UK within the Siemens
Division Digital Factory division, have helped to dramatically simplify the way designers use
Siemens PLM programs to work on digital models. The technology enables engineers to
change their models up to 100 times faster than before.
Douglas King, Howard Mattson –
Inventors of the year 2015
Software experts at Digital Factory,
Cambridge, United Kingdom
01
Douglas King, Howard Mattson –
Inventors of the year 2015
“Innovative ideas do not
only arise in the office but
also in the park – or even
in the pub.”
Two men are strolling through the Cambridge University
Botanic Garden in the UK. They are deep in conversation.
The two are software specialists and work for Siemens PLM
Software in the local development center. Although it may
look like they are just shooting the breeze, they are in fact
trying to crack a tough nut. Howard Mattson (age 50) and
Douglas King (age 40) have been involved in developing a
new type of software known as Synchronous Technology,
which has dramatically simplified the design process with
digital models. Since the software was initially released in
2008, they have been constantly improving it within their
local group and as part of a 40-strong global team. Software developers often have a reputation for being nerds,
loners who spend their time hammering away on their
keyboards and have difficulties relating to people. What a
pleasant surprise it is, then, that neither Mattson nor King
fits this cliché at all; in fact, they see continuous creative
communication between everyone involved, rather than
rigid processes, as a crucial part of the success of Synchronous Technology.
When tasked with developing an entirely new software
component for use within the Siemens PLM portfolio, they
were at first a bit apprehensive, but then their enthusiasm
prevailed: “Inventing something utterly new is a once-in-acareer challenge,” explains Mattson. “We had no template to
follow,” adds King. Siemens PLM software comprises a series
of programs for 3D design and the management of design-related data. Since Synchronous Technology was integrated in
2008 in the PLM products NX and Solid Edge – both software
systems for designers – digital product development has
become a whole lot easier. Synchronous Technology makes
it possible to continually change the digital models now
used in all modern design departments across a wide variety
of industries – up to 100 times faster than before.
As Mattson explains: “The technology we have developed
enables designers to evolve their digital models in a fast,
fluid and intuitive way.” Instead of having to explicitly define
how every part of the model should change, the designer
simply selects the element they wish to change and adjusts
the parameters as desired, with the system then automatically changing the rest of the model as expected. People
deploying this easy-to-operate software generally have no
idea how much hard work went into it. “We had to take a
thoroughly new approach,” says King. And that is precisely
what they succeeded in doing, by constantly sharing, developing and improving their ideas. Any place is fine for that –
whether it is the office, the adjacent botanic gardens or the
local pub. As is customary in the British working world, the
two like to enjoy an occasional beer with colleagues, before
heading home. Mattson is convinced: “You have to create
the right atmosphere in order to develop new ideas.” The
two inventors’ technique is to throw any ideas they have into
the ring and discuss them openly, “because good ideas often
come together with bad ones.”
It is a stroke of luck when the creative talents of two
colleagues complement each other so well. After all, they
have had to cooperate closely with each other over many
years. Mattson and King come from very different professional backgrounds. Mattson studied physics at the
University of Nottingham, and then Artificial Intelligence at
Edinburgh University specializing in computer vision. Before
joining Siemens 23 years ago, he carried out research in
experimental physics at the University of Cambridge.
Mattson’s children are already young adults, but as he says:
“Although I really ought to have more time now, I don’t
have a proper hobby.” But then he mentions an activity
that he likes very much, one he describes as “very British”:
gardening.
King studied mechanical engineering at Oxford Brookes
University, focusing mainly on automation. “Developing
software was the one thing I never wanted to do,” he says
with a laugh, because that is exactly what he ended up
doing. The more he specialized in automation, the more
interested he became in software for engineers. After an
intermezzo at a small software company, he began working for Siemens 16 years ago. King’s three sons are all
still at school, “which is why I don’t have much time for
hobbies.”
The two colleagues’ ideas have led to 22 filed inventions;
with eight granted patents so far. They concur with many
experts in predicting that software will play an even more
important role going forward. The two inventors are
convinced: “This is only the beginning.”
SIEMENS.COM/INNOVATION
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