Backflip AI’s copilot has had an extensive reworking to its foundational model for AI, allowing it to reverse engineer a part into fully editable parametric CAD, with a feature tree as though built and by your best human engineers.
Capable of converting 3D scans data, STLs, and other mesh files into fully editable, parametric CAD models, Backflip AI says that the update on its exiting Mesh-to-CAD AI excels at moderate-complexity 3-axis CNC milled and turned parts.
The data can then be pushed straight into a user’s CAD package, where it’s fully editable. Agent loops layered on top of the model take this further – the 3D Scan to CAD tool can reconstruct a mesh, check its own work, then iterate to improve fidelity and dimensional accuracy.
Two modes are available; a Fast mode that reconstructs typical geometries in a couple of minutes; and Thinking mode that gives the agent more time to work through complex geometry for higher-fidelity results.
The software also includes a Multimodal AI Search capable of trawling a parts library from text prompts or photo images to instantly find a part you need.
Available today as an Autodesk Fusion add-in and on the web, plugins for additional CAD packages are in development and coming later this year. Continued access starts at $20per month across Builder, Pro, Business, and Enterprise plans.
“Most frontier models have limited 3D comprehension that emerges more or less as a byproduct of their training on large-scale internet data. We built ours with 3D CAD operations as a first-class primitive and trained it to design the way engineers actually do – breaking down a bulk geometry, then rebuilding it feature by feature, operation by operation,” said Backflip founding engineer Kairo Morton.
“The result is the first foundation model whose output you can open in your CAD package and just keep working. Today, that unlocks scan to CAD, and it’s the base on which everything we build next stands.”
Until now, turning any physical part into a usable CAD model has meant hours of skilled reverse-engineering work at a typical cost of $1,500 or more per part, says Backflip AI, stating that its latest tools can reduce that figure to roughly $10 – a more than 100x drop that makes it economical for manufacturers to digitise every part on the factory floor rather than a fraction of them.
“Star Trek had the replicator: a machine that creates anything. We built the reverse. It takes anything real and creates a digital version you can make, modify, or improve,” said Backflip AI CEO Greg Mark. “When something breaks, [factory staff] have to start by reverse engineering it — making it digital. It’s an hours-to-days-long process that costs about $1,500 per part. Our new AI model does it for about $10, in one to five minutes,” adding that this will free up more talented CAD engineers to design more important parts, speed up factory floor efficiencies and enable more skilled people to use CAD.
