#Get2KnowSC4: Dr. Martin Hardwick

Keep up to date with the #Get2KnowSC4 campaign at SC 4's LinkedIn page 

 

ISO Technical Committee 184 Sub-Committee 4 (#isotc184sc4) is the home of #industrialdata standards. They are responsible for publishing over 750 standards (774 to be exact), have 38 currently under development, and have participation from 18 country/territory members across the globe. Have you ever wondered about who those members are? What are the backgrounds of those making these far reaching decisions that impact industries from Gas and Oil, to Aerospace and beyond? Or have you wondered how those individuals got involved in this work to begin with? That is the very reason TC 184 SC 4’s Social Media team is hosting a #Get2KnowSC4 campaign. We have been publishing a series of articles showcasing members of our SC who stepped up to share their standards story.

In this latest article we welcome you to meet the convener of Working Group 15 (Digital Manufacturing) Dr. Martin Hardwick.

Facts:

• Name: Dr. Martin Hardwick
• ISO Position: Convener of Working Group 15 - Digital Manufacturing
• Day Job: President of STEP Tools, Inc.
• Other Positions: Former Professor of Computer Science, RPI

 

Work Questions:

How did you get pulled into the world of standards and ISO?

When I was a junior professor we had a DARPA contract to develop software to get products to market faster by performing design and manufacturing actions concurrently. 

Why do standards and standards development matter to you?

 Standards reduce costs by enabling new synergies. For example, the development of standards for electricity generation and transmission reduced costs enormously and made it possible to create a world where nearly everyone can have light and heat. SC4 is doing the same for industrial data. The standards we are developing will allow everyone to share technical data and enable the creation of products that are safer, less costly and less polluting.

What is SC4 responsible for? What do they do?

 Digital Manufacturing which means we are developing standards for manufacturing directly from 3D models.

How is your ISO position different then you thought it would be first coming in? How is it the same?

 I was hoping for more hero worship.

What are you proudest to have accomplished with ISO so far?

 I was part of the team that developed the original STEP standards and I am very proud of the way that we managed to get STEP implemented by every CAD system. We had to develop a new language to describe 3D geometry, a new file format to be infinitely extensible, and a new architecture for future computer technologies

What are the failures that you most cherish?

Marrying the queen, stopping world hunger, and not going to Glastonbury when it was only 30 miles away.

Personal:

How are you surviving the pandemic?

 It was scary at first because I live in NY and it kept getting worse, then we learned how to control it using masks and social distancing.  

Dogs or Cats? Neither?

 Four dogs. Twin Collies named Teddy and Holly. A Pomeranian named Pippa, and a mutt named Charlotte who was the result of an accidental encounter between Pippa and Teddy.

What keeps you motivated?

We are solving problems of great technical complexity by developing solutions that can be used for hundreds of years.

What’s more important to be smart or work hard (can’t be both!)?

 When you are young it is important to be both. As you grow older, you must keep things in balance because too much work makes you dumb.

What are you most curious about to come next (in life or work)?

Why are we here, what's it all about, can we believe in the incredible set of coincidences that made all this possible?

 

This article is brought to you by and expresses the operating procedures and roles specifically within ISO TC 184 SC 4. For any questions, including how to get involved, please contact Melissa K. Harvey with SC 4's social media engagement team.