Greg Grigoriadis of Metisec describes a design toolkit that replaces fixed inputs with statistical distributions and runs Monte Carlo simulations across the resulting parameter space. The output is a probabilistic picture of performance: failure probabilities, sensitivity rankings, and the specific conditions that actually drive risk.

A sensor mounting bracket for a smart wearable serves as the test case. Traditional optimization cut bracket weight by 30%. Probabilistic analysis revealed the design had been tuned to an improbable drop event and still carried unresolved thermal failure risk. Incorporating that information allowed the team to re-optimize and achieve a 50% weight reduction at a demonstrably low failure probability.

Greg is an engineering consultant specializing in consumer electronics, digital twin technologies, and advanced simulation workflows. His practice combines physics-based modeling with data-driven methods across finite element analysis, predictive maintenance, and automated computation pipelines.

Presented at CDFAM Barcelona 2026. Learn more at cdfam.com.

Tilman Steininger, Customer Success Manager for Agentic Engineering at Synera, and Juan De Dios Escribano Felguera, Team Lead for Body-in-White and Corrosion Development at SEAT/CUPRA, present their collaborative work digitizing structural development workflows across the full BIW development cycle. Recorded at CDFAM Barcelona 2026.

About CDFAM

The CDFAM Computational Design Symposium is a global conference series bringing together researchers, engineers, and software developers working at the intersection of computational design, AI and machine learning for engineering and architecture. The program spans computational geometry, generative design, topology optimization, simulation-driven workflows, and advanced manufacturing across scales from architected materials to architectural systems. CDFAM events are held worldwide.

cdfam.com

In this episode recorded at CDFAM Barcelona 2026, Johannes Mueller-Roemer presents SubSimX, a pipeline that addresses this by treating subdivision surfaces as a native simulation medium rather than a preprocessing step. Designers work on a standard Catmull-Clark control mesh. Meshing and boundary condition setup happen once. From that point, geometry edits propagate to the existing analysis mesh in seconds, structural feedback is continuous, and the design session never has to stop for remeshing.

The technical core is a precomputed mapping between the control mesh and the volumetric interior, combined with a local mesh-repair step that maintains element quality through large deformations without changing mesh topology. Coupled with RISTRA, Fraunhofer’s GPU-accelerated FEM solver, the system delivers real-time or near real-time structural feedback. Johannes demonstrates how this enables dense design sweeps, topology optimization followed by subdivision refinement, and AI-in-the-loop exploration within practical industrial workflows.

Johannes Mueller-Roemer is Deputy Head of Interactive Engineering Technologies at the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research IGD. He received his PhD from TU Darmstadt in 2019, where his dissertation introduced GPU data structures for tightly coupled modeling and simulation — the foundation SubSimX is built on.

Recorded at CDFAM Barcelona 2026 — https://cdfam.com/barcelona-2026/

In this episode recorded at CDFAM Barcelona 2026, Raul C. Llamas-Sandin presents a GPU-accelerated solver that addresses this directly, reducing solve times for large-scale problems to minutes on a workstation. He covers the key technical features that make it relevant for the built environment: asymmetric tension-compression stress constraints, thermoelastic analysis, and geometric constraint enforcement for fixed architectural elements and fenestration.

Applications demonstrated include bridge design and high-rise structural cores at spans up to 80 meters, as well as free-form architectural geometries exported as watertight STL files ready for digital fabrication. The solver’s modular configuration approach decouples problem definition from the numerical backend, making it adaptable across project types without reengineering the workflow.

Raul is a Future Projects Engineer at Airbus Operations SL and Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering at Universidad Europea de Madrid, with over two decades of experience in advanced aircraft design. He holds an MSc in Aerospace Vehicle Design from Cranfield University and 14 patents spanning aerodynamic devices and plasma actuation.

Recorded at CDFAM Barcelona 2026 — https://cdfam.com/barcelona-2026/

In this episode recorded at CDFAM Barcelona 2026, Richard introduces Functional AI as a framework for 3D design automation and walks through Augmenta’s work applying it to real building projects. The technical scope covers agentic AI for MEP path finding, generative modeling of complex structural and mechanical layouts, and progress toward a foundation model for building data. He also discusses what makes non-residential construction — commercial, medical, institutional, and mission critical — a particularly hard problem for AI systems to crack.

The conversation closes on a concrete milestone: two elementary schools in Michigan where the electrical system was fully modeled and delivered using AI-powered generative design, a first for the industry.

Hao (Richard) Zhang is VP of AI and R&D at Augmenta and a Professor in the School of Computing Science at Simon Fraser University. He is a Fellow of the IEEE, a member of the ACM SIGGRAPH Academy, and served as Technical Papers Chair for SIGGRAPH 2025.

Recorded at CDFAM Barcelona 2026 — https://cdfam.com/barcelona-2026/

Mike brings an unusual combination of deep physics intuition - PhD from Columbia studying geometry and electron behavior at the molecular scale - and operational experience from McKinsey and C-suite roles at Swiss aerospace and defense company RUAG. That background informs Arena’s approach to reimagining electromagnetic simulation across semiconductors, aerospace, and automotive sectors.

The conversation covers how Arena is building what they call Artificial Intuition for EM design, the limitations of current simulation approaches, and why a foundation model purpose-built for electromagnetism represents a fundamentally different path forward.

Watch the full presentation:

Full archive at cdfam.com/barcelona-2026/

Pablo draws on his background in aerospace engineering, aerodynamics at Mercedes F1, and cloud-scale AI at AWS to frame where CAE bottlenecks actually live - and what NVIDIA is doing about them. The conversation covers AI physics and surrogate models for real-time simulation feedback, the role of digital twins, and how agentic AI built on the NVIDIA NeMo stack is automating end-to-end engineering workflows.

He also walks through the AI-Q Blueprint, a production-ready enterprise research agent, and explains how the NeMo Agent Toolkit manages LLM call prioritization to reduce latency without additional hardware investment.

Full presentation and archive at cdfam.com/barcelona-2026/

Organization:MITPresenter:Alfonso Parra RubioCrease, Fold, Transform. Presentation AbstractFolding is a fundamental process found throughout nature on multiple scales. Rather than altering the material itself, folding transforms its shape, offering a powerful means of engineering without compromising integrity.This presentation explores, from an engineering and design perspective, the unique potential of folding and discrete assembly as a design and manufacturing tool across multiple scales in engineering.From millimeter-scale bulk cellular materials to meter-scale structural corrugations and actuated robotic systems, and ultimately to architectural shell structures spanning tens of meters, folding enables the creation of high-performance, architected materials.Speaker BioAlfonso Parra Rubio is a PhD candidate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, working at the Center for Bits and Atoms led by Neil Gershenfeld. His research explores how folding and discrete assembly can be combined to design and manufacture architected materials across multiple scales: from bulk cellular materials (millimeters to centimeters), to structural corrugations and actuated systems (centimeters to meters), and up to architectural-scale shell structures (meters to decameters). His work fundamentally explores how materials and structures are designed, engineered, manufactured, and assembled. In addition to his academic research, he founded RnKolektive, a collaborative platform for sculptural exploration. This parallel practice focuses on mixed-media works that merge folding techniques with blown glass, creating pieces that use the same research contributions but with an expressive intention.

OrganizationPrinceton UniversityPresenter:Tuo ZhaoSuper-Modular Chiral Origami MetamaterialsPresentation AbstractMetamaterials with multimodal deformation mechanisms resemble machines, especially when endowed with autonomous functionality. A representative architected assembly, with tunable chirality, converts linear motion into rotation (1). These chiral metamaterials with a machine-like dual modality have potential use in areas such as wave manipulation, optical activity related to circular polarization and chiral active fluids. However, the dual motions are essentially coupled and cannot be independently controlled. Moreover, they are restricted to small deformation, that is, strain ≤2%, which limits their applications. Here we establish modular chiral metamaterials (2), consisting of auxetic planar tessellations and origami-inspired columnar arrays, with decoupled actuation. Under single-degree-of-freedom actuation, the assembly twists between 0° and 90°, contracts in-plane up to 25% and shrinks out-of-plane more than 50%. Using experiments and simulations, we show that the deformation of the assembly involves in-plane twist and contraction dominated by the rotating-square tessellations and out-of-plane shrinkage dominated by the tubular Kresling origami arrays. Moreover, we demonstrate two distinct actuation conditions: twist with free translation and linear displacement with free rotation. Our metamaterial is built on a highly modular assembly, which enables reprogrammable instability, local chirality control, tunable loading capacity and scalability. Our concept provides routes towards multimodal, multistable and reprogrammable machines, with applications in robotic transformers, thermoregulation, mechanical memories in hysteresis loops, non-commutative state transition and plug-and-play functional assemblies for energy absorption and information encryption.References:(1) Frenzel, T., Kadic, M. & Wegener, M. Three-dimensional mechanical metamaterials with a twist. Science 358, 1072–1074 (2017).(2) Zhao, Tuo (presenter), Dang, X., Manos, K., Zang, S., Mandal, J., Chen, M., & Paulino, G. H. Modular chiral origami metamaterials. Nature, 640(8060), 931-940 (2025).Speaker BioTuo Zhao is a postdoctoral research associate at Princeton University. His expertise is in computational mechanics, nonlinear topology optimization, soft robotics, and mechanical metamaterials. Tuo is currently addressing the scalability challenge for developing useful metamaterials. By integrating an untethered actuation scheme (e.g., three-dimensional magnetic fields and micro-magnetic responsive materials), he designs micro-robotic machines with tunable properties on demand.

Organization: STILFOLD

https://www.stilfold.com/

Presenter:Julia HannuGreener by Every Fold. Strength in Every Curve. Presentation AbstractThis talk introduces STILFOLD’s innovative origami-inspired manufacturing process, where metal sheets are folded into form. The process uses both straight and curved crease folding, expanding the possibilities of how sheets can be transformed into products. This, to make curved crease folding accessible to a wider community of designers and engineers – moving it from a niche research technique into a scalable industrial method. Our aim is to develop a more environmentally friendly way of making things – reducing the number of parts, energy consumption, material use and transportation needs. Achieving this involves multiple layers of complexity: from designing folding patterns of efficient structures to developing dedicated folding systems for production at scale.The presentation will share insights into how STILFOLD is pushing to transform folding into a sustainable and practical approach to manufacturing – and what that could mean for the future of design, engineering, and production.Speaker BioJulia Hannu is a Software Engineer and Computational Design Lead at STILFOLD, where she develops digital tools and algorithms to enable new approaches to sustainable manufacturing and design. Her work centers on transforming complex geometric challenges into practical, efficient, and user-friendly solutions. With a background in architecture and an MSc in Architectural Computation from UCL, she combines experience from practice and academia to bridge technology, design, and sustainability.

OrganizationTetmet

https://www.tetmet.net/

Presenter:Rachel AzulayConformal Lattice Design Made Easy: A CAD-Integrated ApproachPresentation AbstractTETMET has developed an innovative process to produce large-scale lattice structures in an automated way, enabling applications across multiple industries.However, existing lattice design software has significant limitations, particularly when it comes to creating efficient, manufacturable conformal lattice structures. Most available tools were developed with general 3D printing in mind, offering only basic latticing capabilities that fail to meet the demands of more advanced applications.Our approach takes a different path by integrating lattice design seamlessly into traditional CAD workflows. By combining the flexibility of CAD with the specific requirements of lattice generation, we significantly enhance the design process—allowing engineers to work with familiar tools while unlocking new possibilities for complex, high-performance structures.Speaker BioRachel holds a PhD in Lattice Structure Design and leads the Application Engineering team at TETMET. She specializes in transforming complex customer challenges into innovative, lightweight lattice solutions, bridging cutting-edge research with real-world applications.

OrganizationScawo3DPresenter:Philip Schneider + Timo ZollnerComputational Design for Assembly: Automating Design Workflows for 3D Concrete Printed Freeform StaircasesPresentation AbstractBuilding large freeform reinforced concrete staircases has always been a challenge. Traditional methods rely on labor-intensive wooden or EPS formwork, making many designs too expensive. This can be changed with Selective Paste Intrusion, a new 3D concrete printing technique by Scawo3D using a large particle bed, with no constraints related to print overhangs or angles.While fabrication now allows full geometric freedom, the design process became the bottleneck. Our previous AutoCAD-based solution, initially developed for producing G-codes for CNC-milling EPS formwork blocks, was not viable for 3D printing. Manual 3D modeling made scaling production impossible, leaving the printer underused. To solve this, Timo Harboe Zollner developed an automated workflow that cuts design time by up to 95%. This approach balances automation with intuitive user input, transforming 2D geometry into finely detailed 3D models in minutes. It integrates SubDs, meshes, volumetric modeling, and implicit modeling, achieving in moments what once took days.This presentation highlights the adaptation of computational design to a new production method—one with only few geometric constraints yet capable of achieving material properties comparable to standard concrete.Speaker BioPhilip Schneider Computational & Architectural Design Lead at Scawo3D and founder of Skeno. He holds a M.A. from TU Munich with a focus on computational methods in architecture and specialises in 3D concrete printing by Selective Paste Intrusion at an architectural scale. Since 2022, he has led the design and fabrication of the first projects realised by SPI in academia and industry.Timo Harboe Zollner is the founder of Timo Harboe ApS, a Copenhagen-based consultancy specializing in automating processes related to geometry, particularly within additive manufacturing. With a background in structural engineering and computational design, Timo collaborates with clients to develop parametric workflows and digital tools that streamline complex design and fabrication processes. His recent projects include automating the generation of 3D-printed formwork for freeform concrete staircases together with Scawo3DAbout CDFAM:CDFAM is a global symposium series at the forefront of computational design, advanced manufacturing, and performance-driven engineering. With a strong emphasis on innovation, CDFAM highlights how leading companies and researchers are leveraging AI, machine learning, and simulation technologies to drive the next generation of design tools, workflows, and digital fabrication methods.The symposium fosters cross-disciplinary collaboration and knowledge exchange between designers, engineers, and technologists exploring the cutting edge of digital design — from generative workflows.Past presenters and partners include companies such as NVIDIA, NASA, New Balance, BMW, ARUP, Foster +, Partners, BIG, Autodesk, Dassault Systèmes, nTopology, PyhicsX, Neural Concept, Siemens and more, showcasing how computation and AI are transforming everything from aerospace to footwear.Learn more at

https://cdfam.com

About CDFAM:CDFAM is a global symposium series at the forefront of computational design, advanced manufacturing, and performance-driven engineering. With a strong emphasis on innovation, CDFAM highlights how leading companies and researchers are leveraging AI, machine learning, and simulation technologies to drive the next generation of design tools, workflows, and digital fabrication methods.The symposium fosters cross-disciplinary collaboration and knowledge exchange between designers, engineers, and technologists exploring the cutting edge of digital design — from generative workflows.Past presenters and partners include companies such as NVIDIA, NASA, New Balance, BMW, ARUP, Foster +, Partners, BIG, Autodesk, Dassault Systèmes, nTopology, PyhicsX, Neural Concept, Siemens and more, showcasing how computation and AI are transforming everything from aerospace to footwear.Learn more at

https://cdfam.com

Organization:

Pasteur Labs

Presenter:

Alexander Lavin

The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Simulation Intelligence

Presentation Abstract

Scientific rigor & engineering reliability have always been important yet contentious topics in the AI field. Recent AI trends crank up model sizes, but at what costs? Transparency and verifiability, amongst others that are core to industrial R&D—not to mention the massive spending. These costs are perhaps felt the most in physics simulation and digital engineering. Enter simulation intelligence (SI). SI is not antithetical to AI, rather it is the pragmatic approach to bringing AI capabilities into industrial R&D. Rather than LLMs atop legacy engineering tools or Foundation Models to opaquely replace physics solvers, we look to the combinatorial possibilities available when SI motifs are brought together—namely differentiable physics programming and surrogate modeling, yielding multiphysics modules. This talk will describe the distinction, that is: static CAE simulations vs dynamic simulators, bespoke surrogate models vs flexible multiphysics modules, massive black-box AI vs efficient programmatic SI. Examples from the SI Platform will elucidate end-to-end digital engineering pipelines, in diverse sectors from nuclear energy and data centers, to aerospace and automotive safety.

Speaker Bio

Alexander Lavin is a leading expert in AI-for-science and probabilistic computing. He’s Founder & CEO of Pasteur Labs (and non-profit “sister” Institute for Simulation Intelligence), reshaping R&D with a new class of AI-native simulators, commercializing in energy security, aerospace, materials & manufacturing sectors (

https://simulation.science

). For the last dozen years, Lavin has focused on artificial general intelligence (AGI) research with top startups in neuroscience and robotics (Vicarious, Numenta), and sold his prior ML-simulation startup Latent Sciences to undisclosed pharmaco in neurodegeneration R&D. Lavin also serves as AI Advisor for NASA, overseeing physics-ML efforts for the NASA-ESA “Digital Twin Earth” projects. Previously, Lavin was a spacecraft engineer with NASA and Blue Origin, and won several international awards for work in rocket science and space robotics (including Google Lunar XPrize during graduate studies at Carnegie Mellon). Lavin was named Forbes 30 Under 30 in Science, and a Patrick J. McGovern Tech for Humanity Changemaker

About CDFAM:CDFAM is a global symposium series at the forefront of computational design, advanced manufacturing, and performance-driven engineering. With a strong emphasis on innovation, CDFAM highlights how leading companies and researchers are leveraging AI, machine learning, and simulation technologies to drive the next generation of design tools, workflows, and digital fabrication methods.The symposium fosters cross-disciplinary collaboration and knowledge exchange between designers, engineers, and technologists exploring the cutting edge of digital design — from generative workflows.Past presenters and partners include companies such as NVIDIA, NASA, New Balance, BMW, ARUP, Foster +, Partners, BIG, Autodesk, Dassault Systèmes, nTopology, PyhicsX, Neural Concept, Siemens and more, showcasing how computation and AI are transforming everything from aerospace to footwear.Learn more at

https://cdfam.com

.

Organization:

ARENA-AI

Presenter:

Pratap Ranade

Artificial Intuition: Building an AI Mind for Electromagnetic Design

Presentation Abstract

Most advances in computational design focus on mechanical structure — domains we can visualize and have evolved an intuition for. But as modern hardware becomes increasingly software defined, the unseen and unintuitive world of electromagnetism is taking center stage. Conventional solvers can simulate fields, yet they cannot imagine new ones. In this talk, I’ll share how we’re pushing past that frontier by creating artificial intuition — AI systems that learn physical behavior inductively, not deductively. Drawing inspiration from quantum experiments like the Kondo mirage, where discovery outpaced simulation, I’ll show how our team built Atlas: an AI that learns directly from electromagnetic test data to verify, optimize, and eventually postulate new designs. We’ll share results from realworld applications in semiconductors and aerospace, and offer a teaser of what’s to come over the next twelve months.

Speaker Bio

Pratap Ranade, CEO and Founder of ARENA-AI

Join us at CDFAM Barcelona April 8-9, 2026, the premier symposium for computational design, AI, and engineering innovation.

Don’t miss your chance to connect with global leaders in design and technology.Register by February 1st to secure the early bird rate and be part of the conversation shaping the future of design, architecture, and advanced manufacturing.

Organization:

University of Southern California

Presenter:

David Gerber

Digital Twining a Living Lab

Presentation Abstract

The Living Lab Project is an innovative Viterbi initiative designed to enhance academic research and provide practical learning experiences through real-time monitoring and analysis of the new Ginsburg Hall building. Leveraging sensors embedded in the building’s systems and integrating cutting-edge digital twin technology, this project captures and analyzes data on energy usage, water consumption, building health and occupant well being, and more, offering a comprehensive dataset for faculty and student research. The project treats our newest building, a LEED platinum accredited building, as a scientific instrument to support both near term and longitudinal research across a multitude of disciplines including but not limited to Human Building Interaction, to AI, and sustainability related research fields

Speaker Bio

Dr. Gerber holds a joint appointment at USC’s Viterbi School of Engineering and the USC School of Architecture as a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Practice and of Architecture. Dr. Gerber is the program Director for the Civil Engineering Building Science undergraduate program and the program Director for the Masters of Science in Emerging Technologies for Construction Program. Dr. Gerber is an associate director in the Office of Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship. He teaches in the Viterbi School of Engineering, the School of Architecture and at the Viterbi Startup Garage. Dr. Gerber’s professional experience includes working in architectural, engineering and technology practices in the United States, Europe, India and Asia for Zaha Hadid Architects in London; for Gehry Technologies in Los Angeles; for Moshe Safdie Architects in Massachusetts; The Steinberg Group Architects in California; and for Arup as the Global Research Manager. Dr. Gerber’s research has been industry, fellowship, DoD, and NSF funded and is focussed on the development of innovative systems, tools, methods for design of the built environment. He has developed digital twin technologies and advises, and co advises PhD students from Architecture and Engineering on topics that integrate computer science, robotics, engineering, with architecture. David Gerber received his undergraduate architectural education at the University of California Berkeley (Bachelor of Arts in Architecture, 1996). He completed his first professional degree at the Design Research Laboratory of the Architectural Association in London (Master of Architecture, 2000), his post professional research degree (Master of Design Studies, 2003) and his Doctoral studies (Doctor of Design, June 2007) at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. Dr. Gerber was the recipient of the Frederick Sheldon Fellowship at Harvard University and was a Research Fellow at MIT’s Media Lab in the Smart Cities group.

Organization:

CORE studio | Thornton Tomasetti

Presenter:

Sergey Pigach

Engineering Intelligence: Practical Applications of AI in Structural Engineering Practice

Presentation Abstract

Artificial Intelligence is no longer a distant future. It is actively shaping how structural engineers work, collaborate, and innovate. This session offers a practical look into how Thornton Tomasetti’s CORE studio is advancing AI integration within the firm, with a focus on real-world tools and workflows that enhance engineering practice. Attendees will explore the firm’s hands-on experimentation with generative models, domain-specific co-pilots, and applications of agentic workflows, as well as strategies for cross-disciplinary collaboration that ensure AI tools align with engineering priorities. The presentation will also share lessons learned in promoting firmwide adoption, cultivating technical fluency, and building an inclusive innovation culture that empowers all team members to contribute to AI-driven transformation.

Speaker Bio

Sergey Pigach is a Senior Associate Applications Engineer at CORE studio | Thornton Tomasetti. Sergey’s work builds on his architectural training by bridging the domains of technology and design, driving him to develop computational tools for architects, designers, and engineers. Since joining CORE studio he has worked on desktop and web-based projects including Swarm, a cloud compute solution for Grasshopper; ShapeDiver, a desktop client integration following a merger; and—most recently—Cortex, CORE Studio’s new MLOps platform.

Organization:

NVIDIA

Presenter:

Ian Pegler

Keynote Presentation: How NVIDIA Is Accelerating Product Development

Presentation Abstract

Computational simulation and design have transformed product development by significantly reducing time and costs. However, designing complex products remains a challenging and resource-intensive process.

In this presentation, we will explore key industry challenges and demonstrate how NVIDIA is leveraging innovative solutions to address them. Specifically, we will highlight the use of accelerated computing to enable faster, higher-fidelity simulations, and AI surrogate models to provide designers with real-time feedback.

Additionally, we will discuss integrated approaches that combine these technologies to create responsive, real-time digital twins. The foundational platform supporting these advancements will be examined, along with real-world industry applications illustrating their impact.

Speaker Bio

Ian Pegler is a member of the Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) team at NVIDIA. With a career largely focused on computational fluid dynamics (CFD), Ian has extensive experience across various industries, including aerospace, automotive, energy, and marine. Currently, he collaborates with small and start-up CAE companies to help accelerate their engineering tools and workflows. Ian holds a Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Southampton, UK, and is based in Chicago.

Join us at CDFAM Barcelona, April 8-9, 2026 to connect with leading designers, engineers and architects at the forefront of the adoption of AI and Machine learning through computational design for two days of knowledge sharing and networking.

Organization

David Burpee Design

Presenter:

David Burpee

Computational Morphogenesis: Leveraging Proceduralism to Unlock Temporal Design

Presentation Abstract

Current paradigms of design and engineering operate on the premise that realized designs are static – that is once they are designed and manufactured they exist in their final state. Likewise even flexible computational systems tend to not incorporate the dimension of time as a design tool. Despite dozens or hundreds of sliders, variables, and graphs, most products – even those designed computationally – are “frozen” at a certain point and designed as a static object.

New advancements in material science research particularly around Engineered Living Materials or ELMs have elucidated these shortcomings in our design and engineering workflows. How can we model, simulated, validate, product performance or behavior in this dynamic, temporal environment? We need new processes, workflows, methods, and tools in order to effectively utilize this new dimension of material typologies, as well as continue to design in ways that are more connected to engineering simulation and validation.

In this presentation I will explore the use of proceduralism as an essential creation environment that is uniquely able to design in conjunction with these temporal constructs. I will present a subset of my work that utilizes computationally-driven simulations for the creation of physical product, as well as some of my teaching and research through the NSF grant project designing with Engineered Living Materials at the University of Washington.

Speaker Bio

David Burpee is a multidisciplinary Computational Design Leader based in the Pacific Northwest, with expertise spanning Footwear, Apparel, Consumer Goods, Automotive, Medical, and Architecture industries. He lectures on Computational Design and Algorithmic Thinking at the University of Washington and is a Computational Researcher on a National Science Foundation grant exploring Engineered Living Materials (ELMs).

With over a decade of Computational Design experience, David has delivered advanced design strategy, tools, and training for companies including Nike, PUMA, FILA, General Motors, Harry’s Razors, and EQLZ. His work demonstrates a proven methodology that merges creativity, deep technical capabilities, and broad market impact.

Originally trained as an Architectural Designer with a Master of Architecture from USC, David has contributed to highrise and supertall projects in Los Angeles, Seattle, and across Asia. His work integrates computational approaches at every scale, from skyscrapers to small installations.

Driven by a passion for biomimicry, generative systems, and sustainable innovation, David applies computational design to address complex ecological and social challenges through creative, high-performance solutions.

Join us at CDFAM Barcelona, where the forefront of computational design and advanced manufacturing comes alive. This gathering brings together innovators, researchers, and industry leaders to explore the future of design through simulation, generative tools, and performance-driven workflows. Set in one of Europe’s most dynamic creative hubs, CDFAM Barcelona is the place to connect, learn, and be inspired by what's next in the world of computational fabrication.

Harman International

Presenter:

Austin Mitchell

Acoustic-Driven Computational Design: Premium Branded Audio In The Automotive Industry

Presentation Abstract

In the evolving landscape of automotive experiences, premium audio has become a defining element of in-cabin experiences and brand identity. At Harman International, we sit at the intersection of acoustic engineering, branded storytelling, and advanced manufacturing—designing audio systems globally for over fifty automotive manufacturers. This presentation explores how computational design is central to our industrial design strategy, enabling our team to generate highly manufacturable, acoustically-performative designs that are both brand-specific and scalable across diverse vehicle platforms.This talk will go beyond production work to discuss how computational design fosters entrepreneurship—creating space for designers to prototype new product categories and contribute to IP development.

Speaker Bio

Austin Mitchell is a senior computational designer at Harman International leading acoustic-driven computational design initiatives across automotive and lifestyle industries.

Organization:

New Balance

Presenter:

Samuel Whitworth

Computational Craft: One Footwear Designer’s Quest To Replace Himself

Presentation Abstract

Footwear design, like many design domains, has long been defined by the combination of two-dimensional drawings and designers’ intuition. While these remain important elements of the field, various digital design methods are currently surging and have significantly altered the traditional footwear design process. This presentation will explore the opportunities presented by this shift through the lens of my own experience as an industrial designer turned computational designer—specifically how the application of computational methods has allowed me to expand the types of design solutions I can explore. In this sense, it’s been a journey of “replacing” my traditional industrial design role with a new hybrid role defined by what I call “computational craft.”

Computational craft can be defined as a collaborative human/computer design approach, where the computer extends the reach of the human designer, while the human grounds computational results in the real world of manufactured objects and human sensibility. I will demonstrate several examples of this method in Grasshopper, including Kangaroo-based simulations, multi-objective optimization, and mesh generation/manipulation. Audience members will be able to take away new inspiration for using computational methods in their design workflows, and a feeling of confidence that computational design is accessible to anyone regardless of academic or professional background.

Speaker Bio

Samuel Whitworth is a Computational Designer II at New Balance Athletics, where he has contributed to both inline and innovation projects for the past six years (recent releases include the SuperComp Elite v4 and More v5.) Sam focuses on the intersection of footwear geometry and function using scripting, simulation and functional prototyping, leveraging deep skillsets in both Grasshopper and Blender. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Industrial Design from Brigham Young University.

VARIANT3D

Presenter:

Will Samosir

Knit Everything: Surfaces, Systems, and the Future of Textiles

Presentation Abstract

What if anyone who can draw could knit?

VARIANT3D exists to break down the barriers to textile manufacturing. Our proprietary software LOOP is the first and only WYSIWYG CAD system for knitting that requires zero knowledge about how knitting works.

Unlike conventional knit engineering, which demands months of expert iteration, LOOP lets anyone access a vast library of knit structures and generate machine-ready files in minutes, bringing industrial complexity down to a creative interface. From instant prototyping to scalable product lines, our platform also supports automated calibration and grading. In a world saturated with cut-and-sew fabrics, we’re pioneering a decentralized, on-demand, and zero-waste model of textile production.

Beyond that, we recognize that knitting is a medium that blends the language of computation, powerfully soft and flexible materials, as well as pure, collaborative human ingenuity. At VARIANT3D, we’re not just building tools—we’re also cultivating a new language for textile and material innovation. We are excited to share how this vision has shaped our process and journey as an organization, and how we are empowering the future of textiles.

Speaker Bio

Will Samosir is the CTO and Co-Founder of VARIANT3D, where he champions a future that is expressive, adaptive, sustainable, and open. He leads a multidisciplinary team and spearheaded the development of LOOP, a state-of-the-art software platform that reimagines how textiles are made—and who gets to make them. His life’s work is rooted in the belief that humans and computers are co-authors, and that our relationship with complex systems should be intuitive and human-centered.

Will is also obsessed with computational geometry, topology, generative design, and emergent behavior. His favorite language is Python, and he’s drawn to all things polymorphic—surfaces, materials, tactile stuff, naming systems, myth and mythology, the many languages of art, and how tools shape thought. He loves music and live shows, and if you’re lucky, you might catch him biking through the summer streets of Brooklyn!

Eaton + Intact Solutions

Presenter:

Karthik Rajan Venkatesan

Neel Kumar

Accelerating Metal-to-Plastic Conversion with AI, Implicit CAD, and Mesh-Free Simulation

Presentation Abstract

This work presents a simulation-driven generative design framework for reengineering a metallic explosion-proof enclosure into a lightweight, injection-molded fiber-reinforced plastic alternative. The methodology integrates advanced process and performance simulations with AI-guided optimization to enable rapid, intelligent design iteration.

Central to this workflow is the use of implicit CAD modeling in nTop, which allows for highly flexible and parameterized geometry generation, seamlessly integrated with a robust, mesh-free simulation engine from Intact Solutions. This combination eliminates traditional meshing bottlenecks and enables direct evaluation of complex geometries without meshing or format conversion.

The workflow is executed in two stages. Stage I establishes baseline using Moldflow for plastic flow simulation, Digimat for fiber orientation mapping, and ABAQUS for traditional FEA, culminating in a stress field point cloud. Stage II transitions to an AI-driven design space exploration loop, where models are trained and evaluated through a Bayesian optimization framework. The implicit CAD models are directly analyzed using Intact.Simulation for Automation without any manual pre-processing, enabling a seamless feedback loop between design and performance while supporting rapid, large-scale design iterations.

This approach exemplifies the power of computational design at scale—reducing turnaround time from over 48 hours with traditional CAD and FEA methods to under 1.5 hours with the full AI-driven pipeline with implicit modeling and automated, mesh-free simulation.

Speaker Bio

Karthik Venkatesan is a Lead Engineer in Computational and Digital Product Development at Eaton’s Center for Materials & Manufacturing Innovation in Southfield, Michigan. His work focuses on bridging advanced simulation, AI, and generative design to accelerate the development of next-generation engineered systems. Karthik leads R&D initiatives that span simulation-driven design automation, lightweighting, and digital workflows for both traditional and additive manufacturing (AM) processes.

He holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Arizona State University, where he led multiscale modeling efforts for composite materials under DoD- and industry-funded programs. His broader research spans geometry compensation for binder jet AM, performance prediction for polymer extrusion-based AM, virtual design of experiments, and generative AI for material discovery.

Karthik is also passionate about computational creativity, with interests spanning astro photography, AI-generated media, and music production

Novineer

Presenter:

Dr. Ali Tamijani

Simulation and Optimization for FFF/FDM Printed Parts

Presentation Abstract

Additive manufacturing with FFF/FDM 3D printing has long struggled to optimize toolpaths for better structural performance. Traditional slicing software failed to fully take advantage of material anisotropy, missing opportunities to boost strength and stiffness. Novineer’s toolpath optimization software changes this by maximizing material properties through tailored print paths based on load paths, resulting in a 60% increase in structural stiffness without changing the geometry.

Speaker Bio

Dr. Ali Tamijani, the co-founder/CEO of Novineer, is a professor of Aerospace Engineering at ERAU. He has spent three summers at Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) as a Faculty Fellow to explore the structural load paths and load flow. This was followed by investigating a Load Path-based Topology Optimization funded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR)-Young Investigator Program (YIP). Ali is also working on Multiscale Optimization of Additively Manufacturable Cellular Microstructures that received the National Science Foundation (NSF) -CAREER.

RECENT INTERVIEWS & ARTICLES

* Call for Speakers: CDFAM Barcelona – April 8–9, 2026

Flexcompute: Real-Time Computer-Aided Optimization

Acoustic-Driven Computational Design: Premium Branded Audio In The Automotive Industry – Austin Mitchell – Harman International

Simulation and Optimization for FFF/FDM Printed Parts – Novineer

Engineering Intelligence- Sergey Pigach – CORE studio | Thornton Tomasetti

Automating Design Workflows for 3D Concrete Printed Freeform Staircases – Philip Schneider + Timo Zollner

Organization:

Alloy Enterprises

Presenter:

Ryan O’Hara

Shaping Flow: Computational Design Strategies for High-Performance Liquid Heat Exchangers

Presentation Abstract

At Alloy Enterprises, we combine traditional CAD, implicit geometry modeling, and advanced simulation workflows to engineer high-performance cold plates tailored to the unique thermal and dimensional requirements of each customer. Our approach begins with a curated library of optimized, periodic internal geometries that serve as a foundation for thermal performance and manufacturability. Using computational design tools, we scale and adapt these geometries through parametric controls and implicit modeling techniques, enabling rapid customization across a wide range of form factors. Simulation-driven iteration ensures that each design meets target pressure drop and heat transfer criteria before it reaches the build stage. This integrated workflow allows us to balance design flexibility, performance, and production efficiency in delivering scalable liquid heat exchangers for demanding applications.

Speaker Bio

I am a results-oriented business development leader with over 20 years of DoD acquisition experience. I have extensive experience in advanced manufacturing, aerospace engineering, and federal contracting. I have a proven track record of driving significant revenue growth and securing substantial funding through strategic proposals and federal contracts. With expertise in technical hardware and software sales, I enable cross-functional collaboration in aerospace application development. My technical experience includes transitioning research and development activities from concept to full-scale production, leveraging advanced design and manufacturing concepts. I have demonstrated success in initiating and developing processes, including the certification of materials, equipment, and procedures that comply with aerospace and maritime standards.

Organization:

Flexcompute

Presenter:

Gregory Roberts + Qiqi Wang

Real-Time Computer-Aided Optimization (CAO): How GPU-Native CFD Changes the Industry

Presentation Abstract

Computer-aided engineering (CAE) has been a foundational tool in aerospace and photonics design, but slow workflows, high costs, and constrained design exploration limit its potential. Traditional methods rely heavily on intuition and a few simulations to validate designs, leaving vast opportunities untapped. However, a paradigm shift is underway: integrating mathematical optimization techniques like adjoint optimization and inverse design into CAE is redefining what’s possible in engineering.

This modern approach – Computer-Aided Optimization (CAO) – directly leverages advanced mathematical optimization to automate and enhance the design process. CAO replaces intuition-driven, validation-focused methods with a data-driven, goal-oriented workflow by specifying design goals and using algorithms to refine configurations iteratively. Techniques like inverse design, which uses objective functions and gradient-based optimization, and adjoint methods, which enable efficient sensitivity analysis, are central to this transformation.

GPU-native simulations amplify the impact of these methodologies, making it feasible to address industry-scale problems in a fraction of the time previously required. High-performance GPU computing accelerates the iterative optimization process, enabling rapid exploration of vast design spaces with unprecedented fidelity. Applications range from optimizing aerodynamic performance in aerospace to creating innovative photonic devices like metalenses and quantum computing components.

This synergy of mathematical optimization and GPU acceleration positions CAO as the future of engineering design. By reducing costs, accelerating development cycles, and enabling robust design exploration, CAO allows engineers to confidently tackle complex challenges. Whether designing aircraft or photonic circuits, these advancements fundamentally reshape how industries approach innovation, driving breakthroughs across disciplines and unlocking new possibilities for high-performance, efficient design.

Speaker Bio

Greg Roberts is a research scientist at Flexcompute working on building gradient-based inverse design tools for photonic optimizations. He earned his PhD from Caltech in August 2023 on this same topic. His dissertation focused on the inverse design of 3-dimensional structures for advanced and high efficiency mid-infrared imaging applications. By using gradient information, he demonstrated practical design of color and polarization sorting devices that could be tiled on the pixels of focal plane arrays. Using multilayer fabrication via a finely tuned two photon lithography process, he was able to measure these novel devices to confirm their complex, target behavior. Greg followed graduate school with a postdoctoral research role at NYU applying inverse design to enhance contrast in biomedical imaging. Before graduate school, Greg worked as an embedded software engineer at an augmented reality startup called Magic Leap. Here, he optimized computer vision and machine learning algorithms to run at high speeds on a low-power embedded processor.

Organization:

C-Infinity

Presenter:

Sai Nelaturi

Assembly Configuration Spaces

Presentation Abstract

All non-trivial hardware products are assembled. They are also designed and manufactured in multiple configurations to serve diverse customer needs. Product designs define a configuration space of options that can be instantiated into variants per customer order. OEMs seek to maximize reuse of subassemblies across this space to balance flexibility with cost efficiency—especially in high-mix, low-volume manufacturing.

The challenge is translating a product’s design structure into its assembly process structure: reframing design intent as a sequence of operations executed on the factory floor. In Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) terms, this is the translation from the Engineering Bill of Materials (EBOM, “as-designed”) to the Manufacturing Bill of Materials (MBOM, “as-planned”). EBOM and MBOM are not separate domains, but dual representations of the same configuration. Today this translation is manual and painful.

At C-Infinity we are automating this translation and building assembly configuration spaces as a foundation for product design and manufacturing planning. By treating EBOM and MBOM as dual views of one structured space, we strengthen reuse, change propagation, streamline configuration management, and enable tighter digital-to-physical integration—addressing long-standing challenges at the heart of advanced manufacturing competitiveness.

Speaker Bio

Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, UW-Madison. Expert in CAD, AI, and Digital Manufacturing. Former R&D Director at Carbon and PARC. DARPA and UW career award recipient.

Organization

Carbon

Presenter:

Andrew Sink

Podium Performance: The Future is Personal

Presentation Abstract

In this presentation, learn how world-renowned saddle manufacturer, fizik, has embraced the latest in computational design, customization automation and advanced manufacturing to offer cyclists– from amateur to elite– a one-of-a-kind 3d printed saddle, tuned to their specific needs.

The One-to-One saddle leverages each partner’s expertise– fizik’s dedication to saddle craftsmanship, Carbon’s groundbreaking lattice design automation and printing technology, and gebioMized’s dynamic pressure mapping precision– to create a saddle that is not only tuned to custom to each rider, but is also fit for champions. In 2025, Tadej Pogačar rode victorious over the Tour de France finish line on a fully custom One-to-One saddle.

But podium performance isn’t achieved overnight. In this presentation, we’ll share how we worked to identify the base saddle geometry, developed robust stress testing, and built a custom pipeline to produce this groundbreaking custom bike saddle at scale.

Speaker Bio

Andrew Sink is a Senior Applications Engineer at Carbon and is currently focused on enabling companies to create the next generation of production 3D printed parts at scale. An enthusiastic voice in the additive manufacturing industry, Andrew is always excited to talk about what the future holds for this technology.

In addition to his work at Carbon, Andrew has written and published software tools that are designed for home and hobbyist 3D printing as well as various technical guides and videos related to additive manufacturing. After graduating from the University of South Florida with a degree in Technical Communications, Andrew has had feature articles published in traditional print media and has also created a YouTube channel focused on 3D printing that currently has a view count of over 9.5 million.

Organization

Moon Rabbit Lab X PUMA

Presenter:

Jesus Marini Parissi

Running Revolution: Computational Design Behind Fast-R NITRO Elite 3

Presentation Abstract

The Fast-R NITROTM Elite 3 marks a true performance revolution, combining cutting-edge engineering with data-driven design. As part of the Collaboration with PUMA, Moon Rabbit Lab developed a computational design workflow that integrates digital simulation, biomechanical analysis and advanced optimization techniques that combined different KPI’s of the shoe’s performance before the first prototype was even made.

By running several virtual iterations and hundreds of simulation hours, we achieved a 30 % weight reduction alongside a 3.15 % improvement in running economy versus the previous model, gains that translate directly into seconds shaved off personal bests. This approach unites creative engineering, deep knowledge in material science and targeted biomechanical data, with computational design as the central force driving each decision.

This case study highlights the power of combining different areas of expertise with computational design at its core. By prioritizing digital testing and optimization, the process reduces errors and minimizes the need for physical prototyping.

Beyond footwear, this scalable framework has broad potential across athletic performance products and a wider range of data-driven consumer goods.

Speaker Bio

Jesus Marini Parissi is a computational design engineer who merges creative design with advanced engineering methods. He holds a MSc (Master of Science) of Design Engineering from Politecnico di Milano and BSc (Bachelor of Science) in Mechatronics Engineering from Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, and his portfolio spans performance engineering, consumer goods, automotive product development, and experimental research.

He has contributed to global innovation programs like Stanford ME310 and the MIT Design Lab, and worked at Ford Motor Company, earning four patents. He also consulted for brands such as PUMA and Samsung Research America, helping to establish their first Computational Design department.

Today, he leads Moon Rabbit Lab, pioneering new frontiers in product development, system optimization, and design research. By fusing imagination with technical expertise, he fosters collaborative innovation and shapes the future of computational design.

Not a Robot

Presenter:

Matt Shomper

Recorded at CDFAM Computational Design Symposium, NYC, October 29-30, 2025https://cdfam.com/nyc-2025/

Intelligent Anatomic Models from CT Utilizing ML

Presentation Abstract

This presentation discusses an accessible system that takes CT scans and automatically turns them into detailed 3D models while intelligently tagging important anatomical features. Instead of engineers and researchers spending hours manually creating these models and identifying landmarks, our approach uses machine learning to do the heavy lifting.

The process works by feeding CT scan data through specialized algorithms that can recognize the structures and convert the flat scan slices into three-dimensional representations. At the same time, the system automatically identifies and labels key anatomical points like bone structures or tissue edges – creating a smart, annotated 3D map of what was scanned.

This has the ability to dramatically speed up workflows that previously required tedious manual work. The automated tagging means that medical professionals get consistent, standardized labels across different cases, which is especially valuable for surgical planning and patient-specific implants.

The presentation will cover some challenges of utilizing M/L, how manual inputs can train algorithms over time, and looking towards the future of validating such systems for true use in commercialized systems.

Speaker Bio

Matthew is a visionary leader in the computational design of advanced 3D-printed medical implants, with close to 15 years of experience in engineering, research, and innovation. As an inventor, creator, and passionate leader, he has been a part of founding businesses focused on additive manufacturing and is an internationally recognized speaker on biomimicry, computational modeling, and additive manufacturing – lecturing at conferences and prestigious universities including MIT and Harvard. Matthew’s work is driven by his passion for exploring the macro and micro of biological forms, turning algorithms into functional structures for physical devices. He has pioneered the idea of a “biologically advantageous implant,” and has also spearheaded multiple public initiatives to synthesize biological structures as computational models for use in engineered products. He currently is the founder and principal consultant of Not a Robot Engineering, a co-founder of LatticeRobot, and involved in several other stealth startups.

Organization:

Carnegie Mellon University

Presenter:

Chris McComb

Recorded at CDFAM Computational Design Symposium, NYC, October 29-30, 2025https://cdfam.com/nyc-2025/

AI and the Battle for the Soul of Design

Presentation Abstract

Artificial intelligence is reshaping the landscape of design and additive manufacturing, accelerating creative workflows while challenging long-held assumptions about authorship, originality, and human intuition. As AI becomes more deeply embedded in computational design tools, it offers unprecedented capabilities for exploration, optimization, and customization—often revealing solutions that elude traditional design methods. Yet this power comes with profound questions: What does it mean to design when machines generate ideas? How do we preserve the human element in a process increasingly influenced by algorithmic reasoning? This presentation examines emerging patterns in AI-driven design, the shifting role of the designer, and the ethical dilemmas that arise when intelligence—natural and artificial—co-create. Through examples from additive manufacturing and beyond, it offers a vision for navigating this new design frontier without losing sight of the creative soul at its core.

Speaker Bio

Chris McComb is the Gerard G. Elia Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. His lab, the Design Research Collective, advances interdisciplinary design research by merging perspectives from engineering, manufacturing, psychology, and computer science. He also serves as the Director of the Human+AI Design Initiative, an interdisciplinary and international group of researchers focused on application of human-AI collaboration to design, with support by industry partners. He is affiliated with the NextManufacturing Center, the Manufacturing Future Institute, and the Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation. His research interests include human social systems in design and engineering; machine learning for engineering design; human-AI collaboration and teaming; computation for advanced manufacturing; and STEM education. He received dual B.S. degrees in civil and mechanical engineering from California State University-Fresno. He later attended Carnegie Mellon University as a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow, where he obtained his M.S. and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering.

HDR Inc

Presenters:

Matthew Goldsberry & Junling Zhuang

Recorded at CDFAM Computational Design Symposium, NYC, October 29-30, 2025https://cdfam.com/nyc-2025/

Presentation Abstract

While AI is often used for visualization in architecture, its potential to directly generate and shape geometry within the design process is still emerging. This presentation explores how we have been integrating model-aware AI agents into our design process.

We begin with Synthesizer, a custom browser-based modeling tool paired with an Arduino-powered physical controller. Through a simple physical controller, designers trigger higher-order parametric actions, making the act of modeling feel more performative than procedural. Our early beta experiments, focused on building minimal, controller-driven interfaces, explore new possibilities beyond the traditional mouse and keyboard.

We then introduce Form Jamming, a method developed within our RhinoMCP workflow. It treats the initial burst of AI-generated geometry as provisional material—something to be shaped and refined into architecture through intentional, iterative moves. While still experimental, this approach has shown promising results in several recent projects, a few of which we will share.

This work outlines a new model of computational authorship in which designers and AI agents collaborate through structured dialogue. It points toward a future where generative design is not only more contextual and adaptive but also legible, editable, and deeply integrated into the design process through natural language interaction.

Speaker Bio

Matthew GoldsberryMatt oversees the applied research and implementation of advanced computational design workflows. He is the director of Data-Driven Design and is responsible for developing new computational tools and workflows to facilitate design exploration, automated analysis, and advanced data management. Matt is also a Lecturer at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he teaches courses on advanced geometry and building information modeling. Matt holds a Master of Architecture degree from the University of California Los Angeles and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Junling ZhuangJunling is a design technologist bridging research and practice in the AEC industry. As a software engineer at HDR’s Data-Driven Design team, he develops AI-powered 3D tools. Junling holds an M.S. in Computational Design from Columbia and is pursuing an M.S. in Computer Science at Georgia Tech. His work has appeared in ACADIA and CAADRIA, and he reviews for top venues including ACADIA, CAADRIA, TAD, and FoA

In this session, Buehler outlines how AI is becoming an autonomous partner in scientific discovery—capable not only of analysis but of generating new knowledge. Drawing on examples from materials science and bioengineering, he presents multi-agent AI systems designed to reason, hypothesize, and evolve—creating a framework for discovery engines that extend the boundaries of human-led research.

Buehler’s work brings together reinforcement learning, graph-based reasoning, and physics-informed generative models, with case studies showing applications in medicine, food, agriculture, and beyond.

Organization:

MIT

Presenter:

Markus J. Buehler

McAfee Professor of EngineeringMassachusetts Institute of Technology

Presentation Abstract

AI is rapidly transitioning from a passive analytical assistant to an active, self-improving partner in scientific discovery.

In the material world, this shift means developing systems that not only recognize patterns but also reason, hypothesize, and autonomously explore new ideas for design, discovery and manufacturing.

This talk presents emerging approaches toward ‘superintelligent’ discovery engines -integrating reinforcement learning, graph-based reasoning, and physics-informed neural architectures with generative models capable of cross-domain synthesis.

We explore multi-agent systems inspired by collective intelligence in nature, enabling continuous self-evolution as they solve problems.

Case studies from materials science, engineering and biology illustrate how these systems can uncover hidden structure-property relationships, design novel materials, and accelerate innovations in medicine, food, and agriculture.

These advances chart a path toward AI that actively expands the boundaries of human knowledge in engineering.

Speaker Bio

Markus J. Buehler is the McAfee Professor of Engineering at MIT and a pioneer in AI‑driven knowledge discovery. He created powerful graph‑aware, multi‑agent AI platforms that turn heterogeneous data into science-grounded actionable insight, powering breakthroughs in materials science, biology and healthcare. Buehler is among the world’s most‑cited materials scientists and the recipient of numerous honors, including the Feynman Prize, ASME Drucker Medal, J. R. Rice Medal, and the Washington Award. He is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering. For more than a decade he has also taught executive and technical professionals at MIT, shaping the next generation of leaders in engineering, knowledge discovery, and artificial intelligence.

Organization:

Cornell University

Presenter:

Tiffany Cheng

Bioinspired And Biobased 4D-Printing For Adaptive Building Facades

Presentation Abstract

What if our buildings and products could be manufactured and operated the way biological systems grow and adapt? As an alternative to conventional construction and manufacturing, I will present a bioinspired approach to making through material programming and 4D-printing. By integrating material, structure, and function, plants change shape over varying spatial-temporal scales in response to external stimuli. I will introduce how computational fabrication enable the bioinspired interplay of cellulosic materials, mesostructures, and adaptive motions to create hygromorphic systems powered by the environment. The developed methods are transferable across scales and applications – from hobbyist 3D-printers to industrial robot platforms and self-adjusting wearables for the body to weather-responsive shading in buildings. Through integrative technologies and interdisciplinary solutions, we can leverage biobased materials and bioinspired design principles to create a built environment that is transformative and resilient.

Interview: Bioinspired and Biobased 4D-Printing for Adaptive Building Facades – Tiffany Cheng

Tiffany Cheng is a Taiwanese American designer and builder whose work examines the performance potential of natural and biobased materials for smarter and more sustainable forms of making. As Assistant Professor at Cornell University’s Department of Design Tech, Tiffany directs the MULTIMESO Lab to develop computational fabrication processes for creating bioinspired systems across scales, from self-forming furniture to adaptive building components.

Previously, Tiffany was Research Group Leader at the Institute for Computational Design and Construction (ICD) at the University of Stuttgart, where she led the Material Programming research group and earned her Doctorate in Engineering. Tiffany holds a Master in Design Studies (Technology) from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Southern California.

Key Ward

Presenter:

Asparuh Stoyanov

Building Surrogate Models for Physics Simulation using a No-Code Approach

Presentation Abstract

This project demonstrates a no-code methodology for building surrogate models for engineering simulation. Using such methods, physics simulation analysts can tap seamlessly into the potential of surrogate models, transforming traditional simulation workflows to be more efficient and flexible. In this abstract, we present a workflow of how to use simulation result data to build a 3D surrogate model that any analyst can utilize without requiring programming skills—enhancing the usability of AI-driven simulation tools for broader adoption.

Finite Element Method (FEM) simulations are often computationally intensive and challenging to scale, especially for complex structural applications. Our methodology minimizes these resource-heavy processes with a graph-based surrogate model optimized for computational efficiency. To achieve this, we utilized automated extract, transform, and load (ETL) workflows to process the raw simulation data into a shape and format suitable for AI ingestion. We show how, through no-code data processing automation, analysts can focus on deriving insights rather than getting lost in technical details.

The dataset used comprised linear static analysis results of a Press Bench model, performed using SOLIDWORKS Simulation. Parametric variables included back height, feet width, and plate length, and the results predicted were displacement and stress. Using data processing and management tools, we first extracted and converted the surface field and volumetric field data, from the original raw format into an open-source “AI-ready” format (. csv,.vtk). This allowed us to gather all simulation data in one place to better understand the data distributions, patterns, and correlations between variables. In the next step, we cleaned the collected data while maintaining different data versions and keeping track of changes. As a final step, using the cleaned and processed dataset, we trained a Graph Neural Network. The model was trained to predict accurate stress and displacement fields within seconds (>90% accuracy), using the 3D volume mesh data as inputs. The whole process from raw data to a trained model took approximately one workday to develop. The same approach will be tested on large deformation nonlinear structural analysis.

This project demonstrates how structural simulation data can be used to build surrogate models that accelerate the design process. Advances in AI modeling tools now make these models widely accessible, enabling engineers to leverage physics simulation data without coding or deep machine learning expertise—expanding the possibilities in product design optimization.

RECENT INTERVIEWS & ARTICLES

* AI Judges in Design: Kristen Edwards – MIT

* Manufacturing Driven Design with Rhushik Matroja – CDS

* Beyond Surfaces: Applying Intrinsic Geometry Processing in Art and Design: Math Whittaker, New Balance

* Maia Zheliazkova – On LightSpray

* Design for Additive Manufacturing at CDFAM – Part 2: 2024 Berlin

* Design for Additive Manufacturing at CDFAM – Part 1: 2023 NYC

Organization: DTU

Presenter: Luca Breseghello

Stress-Based Design Of Lightweight Horizontal Structures For 3D Concrete Printing Presentation Abstract Concrete is one of the most widely used materials in construction, but it’s also a major contributor to CO₂ emissions. In mid-rise buildings, slabs and beams alone account for over 40% of the concrete used. This raises an important question: how can we build these elements more efficiently while reducing their environmental impact? In this talk, I’ll share how robotic 3D Concrete Printing (3DCP) and structural optimisation can work together to create lighter, more material-efficient beams and slabs. By integrating computational design, Finite Element Analysis (FEA), and stress-based material placement, we developed a workflow that reduces waste while maintaining strength. I’ll introduce 3DLightBeam and 3DLightBeam+, beams with double the strength-to-weight ratio of conventional 3DCP beams, and 3DLightSlab, a ribbed slab designed for efficiency. Structural testing and Life-Cycle Analysis (LCA) confirmed that this approach can lead to more sustainable concrete structures. This presentation will explore the practical potential of 3DCP in structural applications and what it means for the future of concrete construction. Interview: Stress-Based Design Of

Lightweight Horizontal Structures For 3D Concrete Printing – Luca Breseghello – DTU

Join us at CDFAM, October 29–30, to connect with the people defining the future of computational design.

Not just the speakers on stage, but the researchers developing new algorithms, engineers scaling workflows into production, architects rethinking building systems, and designers pushing the boundaries of products and materials. CDFAM is where leaders and practitioners from across industries come together, sharing methods, exchanging ideas, and building collaborations that carry far beyond the event itself.

Organization: University of Bologna

Presenter: Vittoria Laghi

How Topology Optimization And Additive Manufacturing Can Create A New Generation Of Green Steel Construction

Presentation Abstract

The digitalization of the construction sector could potentially produce more efficient structures, reduce material waste and increase work safety. Current strategies for the realization of automated steel constructions see the application of metal 3D printing processes as an opportunity to build a new generation of efficient steel structures with reduced material use. This, though, requires advanced multidisciplinary knowledge in manufacturing, metallurgy, structural engineering and computational design. Recent effort has been made in order to combine computational design with current digital fabrication procedures to realize efficient steel structures for the future. The present work aims at providing insights to current explorations on the combined application of computational design and metal 3D printing process in construction towards a new generation of optimized and resource-efficient structures Interview: How topology optimization and additive manufacturing can create a new generation of green steel construction

Organization: McNeel & cydric.com

Presenter: Mathias Fuchs

Rhino, Grasshopper 2, and TRfem: Computing Heat Flow Inside Solids

Presentation Abstract

While environmental analysis tools in Rhino typically focus on surfaces and 2D domains, optimization workflows in design for additive manufacturing often require analyzing physical properties inside solids. In this talk, we introduce some of the key novelties of Grasshopper 2 for Rhino, we show why its concept of field manipulation is an ideal platform for such tasks, and present TRmesh and TRfem – a pair of finite element plugins for Grasshopper 1 and 2 that compute heat conduction within volumetric/tetrahedral domains, natively in Rhino. We focus on typical applications such as the design of heat exchangers or, conversely, insulation. Covering both geometric modeling and accurate simulation, GH2, TRmesh and TRfem together enable a slick physics-informed topology workflow. Interview: TRfem: Thermal Simulation in Grasshopper II with Mathias Fuchs

Organization: Cognitive Design Systems

Presenter: Rhushik MATROJA

Manufacturing Driven Design

Presentation Abstract Cognitive Design Systems integrates Manufacturing-Driven Design (MDD) and Simulation-Driven Design into its proprietary Cognitive Design software, transforming the way products are conceived. This innovative approach enables engineers to convert concepts into manufacturable, high-performance designs within seconds. With automated Design for Manufacturing (DfM) checks and real-time modifications, the software ensures compatibility with processes like Additive Manufacturing, Machining, Die Casting, Injection Molding, and Forging. Proven through collaborations with Safran, Thales, Valeo, and Mitsubishi Electric, the platform reduces design cycle times by up to 90%.

https://cdfam.com/amsterdam-2025/

Organization: ToffeeX

Presenter: Thomas Rees

Physics-Driven Generative Design for Laser Powder Bed Fusion in Aerospace

Presentation Abstract

Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) has shown transformative potential for the aerospace industry, with substantial investments being directed globally to leverage its benefits. However, broader industrial adoption of L-PBF faces barriers primarily due to limitations in the performance of components manufactured with the technique, productivity of the technique, and scalability of the technology. These limitations currently hinder L-PBF’s competitiveness with traditional manufacturing methods for aerospace, affecting both cost-efficiency and sustainability. In this talk we will present a physics-driven generative design framework tailored for L-PBF, leveraging advanced multi-physics simulations to tackle the complex thermo-fluid-structural design challenges that arise in aerospace applications. The framework integrates computational fluid dynamics, heat transfer, and structural mechanics simulations. By coupling these simulation-driven insights with generative design techniques, our approach offers a robust pathway to create high-performance aerospace components. Results from case studies demonstrate the ability of our framework to reduce costs and design times while achieving superior mechanical properties under aerospace-relevant loading conditions. Read the CDFAM Interview with ToffeeX

Organization: Flexcompute

Presenter: Momchil Minkov + Qiqi Wang

Real-Time Computer-Aided Optimization (CAO): How GPU-Native Simulation

Changes the Industry Presentation Abstract Computer-aided engineering (CAE) has been a foundational tool in aerospace and photonics design, but slow workflows, high costs, and constrained design exploration limit its potential. Traditional methods rely heavily on intuition and a few simulations to validate designs, leaving vast opportunities untapped. However, a paradigm shift is underway: integrating mathematical optimization techniques like adjoint optimization and inverse design into CAE is redefining what’s possible in engineering. This modern approach – Computer-Aided Optimization (CAO) – directly leverages advanced mathematical optimization to automate and enhance the design process. CAO replaces intuition-driven, validation-focused methods with a data-driven, goal-oriented workflow by specifying design goals and using algorithms to refine configurations iteratively. Techniques like inverse design, which uses objective functions and gradient-based optimization, and adjoint methods, which enable efficient sensitivity analysis, are central to this transformation. GPU-native simulations amplify the impact of these methodologies, making it feasible to address industry-scale problems in a fraction of the time previously required. High-performance GPU computing accelerates the iterative optimization process, enabling rapid exploration of vast design spaces with unprecedented fidelity. Applications range from optimizing aerodynamic performance in aerospace to creating innovative photonic devices like metalenses and quantum computing components. This synergy of mathematical optimization and GPU acceleration positions CAO as the future of engineering design. By reducing costs, accelerating development cycles, and enabling robust design exploration, CAO allows engineers to confidently tackle complex challenges. Whether designing aircraft or photonic circuits, these advancements fundamentally reshape how industries approach innovation, driving breakthroughs across disciplines and unlocking new possibilities for high-performance, efficient design.

Read the interview Real-Time Computer-Aided Optimization (CAO): How GPU-Native Simulation Changes the Industry

Recorded at CDFAM Computational Design Symposium, Amsterdam , 2025

https://cdfam.com/amsterdam-2025/

Organization: Synera

Presenter: Andrew Sartorelli

From Days to Hours – Accelerating the RFQ process through scalable FEA automations Presentation Abstract Engineering organizations tackling process automation face a persistent challenge: how to effectively share and distribute automation solutions across teams. Critical knowledge often remains siloed, limiting its impact and accessibility, while non-automation experts struggle to utilize tools created by domain specialists. This slows processes and places additional strain on already overburdened expert departments. This presentation examines a real-life example where automating an FEA simulation enables CAD designers to independently evaluate their designs, receiving results within hours rather than waiting days for the FEA department. This shift allowed for more frequent evaluations, faster feedback, reduced dependencies, and, most importantly, a significantly faster RFQ process. We’ll explore practical approaches to implementing similar solutions, highlighting strategies for scaling expert knowledge and unlocking organizational potential.

Organization: ShapeDiver + Orthosolid

Presenter: Edwin Hernandez + Age Van Boxem

Democratising Computational Design via Cloud Based Applications

Presentation Abstract

While computational designers have always created powerful and sophisticated software, the reach of their work often couldn’t exceed that of their modeling tool of choice. We’ll show a novel way to build and deploy web applications, including complex user interfaces and interactions with 3d geometry and data visualization with nothing but Grasshopper. As part of ShapeDiver’s presentation, Age Van Boxem will present Orthosolid, a platform powered by ShapeDiver that enables clinicians to design and order custom 3D-printed orthoses through an intuitive digital interface. He will explore how computational design and UX come together to simplify complex and outdated workflows, making advanced customization accessible within clinical practice and without engineering expertise. Read the CDFAM ShapeDiver interview

Recorded at CDFAM Computational Design Symposium, Amsterdam , 2025 https://cdfam.com/amsterdam-2025/

Organization: Toolkit3D Presenter:

Sarah Clevinger

From 2D to Mass Production: Computational Design at Scale with Toolkit3D

Presentation Abstract

Toolkit3D will showcase how brands have reduced product design timelines from days to minutes by integrating anatomical scan data, performance parameters, and lattice optimization into a repeatable design engine. The result is a scalable pipeline for mass customization that accelerates production without sacrificing precision. This session will walk through how the platform ingests variable input data (such as unique body shapes or pressure maps), generates manufacturable geometry including conformal lattice structures, and automates preparation for production, regardless of manufacturing process. This isn’t conceptual, it’s computational design powering real-world, on-demand manufacturing at industrial scale. Whether you’re working in orthotics, wearables, protective gear, or consumer products, you’ll see how our design engines and modular workflows can radically compress timelines, reduce complexity, and democratize access to custom-fit manufacturing. Toolkit3D is creating a new standard: design once, fit anything, manufacture anywhere.

https://cdfam.com/amsterdam-2025/

Organization: MIT

Presenter: Kristen Edwards

Presentation Abstract

The subjective evaluation of early stage engineering designs, such as conceptual sketches, traditionally relies on human experts. However, expert evaluations are time-consuming, expensive, and sometimes inconsistent. Recent advances in vision-language models (VLMs) offer the potential to automate design assessments, but it is crucial to ensure that these AI “judges” perform on par with human experts. However, no existing framework assesses expert equivalence. This research introduces a rigorous statistical framework to determine whether an AI judge’s ratings match those of human experts. We propose statistical metrics that broadly cover these assessment areas: interrater reliability, agreement, error metrics, correlation and relative rank assessment, distribution-similarity analysis, and equivalence tests. We apply this framework in a case study evaluating four VLM-based judges on key design metrics (uniqueness, creativity, usefulness, and drawing quality). These AI judges employ various in-context learning (ICL) techniques, including uni- vs. multimodal prompts and inference-time reasoning. The same statistical framework is used to assess three trained novices for expert-equivalence. Results show that the top-performing AI judge, using text- and image-based ICL with reasoning, achieves expert-level agreement for uniqueness and drawing quality and outperforms or matches trained novices across all metrics. This has implications for scaling design evaluation in education and practice, and provides a general statistical framework for validating AI judges in other domains requiring subjective content evaluation.

Brad Rothenberg, CEO of nTop, outlines a shift toward co-intelligent engineering—a framework where human intent is augmented by high-performance modeling and simulation tools to meet the increasing demands of modern engineering timelines.

The talk explores how traditional CAD and simulation workflows fall short under compressed development cycles, particularly in aerospace, and introduces a modular, parametric approach to design that supports rapid iteration, reuse, and performance-driven exploration. Rothenberg highlights how implicit modeling and GPU-native solvers can be combined to eliminate bottlenecks in geometry creation and simulation, enabling faster, more informed decision-making.

The broader message emphasizes a move from digitizing drawings to capturing design intent—using tools that work withengineers to accelerate innovation without compromising performance or rigor.

—

Learn more about the CDFAM Computational Design Symposium series—including past presentations and upcoming events—at

https://cdfam.com

#CDFAM #nTop #ComputationalDesign #ImplicitModeling #EngineeringWorkflow #CoIntelligentEngineering #Simulation #DesignAutomation #AerospaceDesign #CFD #GenerativeDesign

Organization SimScale

Presenter: David Heiny CEO & Co-Founder

In this presentation from CDFAM Amsterdam 2025, David Heiny, co-founder and CEO of SimScale, outlines a pragmatic approach to integrating AI into engineering workflows. Drawing from conversations with engineering leaders and data collected from a recent industry survey, he shares key insights into why widespread adoption of AI in core engineering remains limited—despite significant advances in generative design, simulation acceleration, and surrogate modeling.

The talk explores:

* The structural complexity of modern engineering organizations

* Why conventional AI success in image generation or code translation hasn't translated to simulation workflows

* A layered view of how AI tools are beginning to augment specific stages of the product development cycle

Heiny introduces SimScale’s approach to cloud-native simulation, including the use of frontier models for automating setup and interpretation, and the deployment of physics-based AI surrogates for fast, scalable parametric optimization. A live demonstration showcases how AI agents can assist in simulation setup and design evaluation directly within SimScale's platform.

Additional topics include:

* AI adoption trends from a 300-leader survey

* The role of data structuring and cloud infrastructure in enabling automation

* Use cases from industry and academia, including work on snap-fit prediction, pump optimization, and native integration of implicit geometry via nTop

This presentation highlights the emerging convergence of simulation, design data, and AI, and presents a compelling case for how engineering teams can begin implementing these capabilities today.

—

To learn more about the CDFAM Computational Design Symposium series, including previous presentations and future events visit https://cdfam.com

#CDFAM #ComputationalDesign #AIinEngineering #Simulation #CAE #DesignAutomation #SimScale #nTop #PhysicsAI #EngineeringWorkflow #GenerativeDesign #SurrogateModeling

Organization: Altair

Presenter: Wesley Essink

Flexible Geometric Modeling and Atypical Simulation Solvers to Streamline Design Optimization

Presentation Abstract

Simulation-driven design serves two important purposes: wider exploration of the design space and goal-seeking optimization. Regardless of the regime, the workflow spanning geometry creation, simulation setup, results interrogation and geometry redesign needs to be as seamless as possible to make this approach viable. However, there is often a significant overhead associated with manual, non-value-adding tasks. Examples include converting all geometry into a common representation prior to simulation, meshing for simulation, (re)applying simulation boundary conditions and, finally, making meaningful geometry updates based on simulation results. In this talk, we will showcase some of the approaches and methods we use in Altair Inspire to: Concurrently model with up to four different geometry representations Prepare simulation boundary conditions that remain fixed, irrespective of geometry changes Run simulations on components and assemblies without having to harmonise all geometry into a single representation Prepare a design exploration or optimization to close the loop between design and simulation Automatically update geometry based on the simulation findings These workflows take place entirely within Altair Inspire, which also reduces the need for lossy conversions or file transfers between different software products.

Presenter: Vanessa Cool

From Structure To Sound: Unlocking The Potential Of Vibroacoustic Design

Presentation Abstract

Noise pollution is one of the leading global environmental pollutants, resulting in the loss of one million life years annually. This has prompted the introduction of stringent regulations on the acoustic performance of structures, without compromising their structural integrity. Topology optimization offers a promising approach to developing innovative structures that meet these conflicting requirements. However, in many applications, considering vibroacoustic coupling from the early design stages is essential, as it directly impacts the accuracy of the acoustic performance and structural stability, ensuring that both functional and regulatory requirements are met. This added complexity to the optimization process largely influences the resulting structures and is crucial for achieving optimal performance. This presentation will provide a comprehensive overview of an intricate vibroacoustic topology optimization framework and focusses on its potential applications. It will showcase optimization results across various scales, from unit cell and metamaterial design to supercell and finite component levels. Novel, intricately engineered structures that balance lightweight design, structural stiffness, and acoustic performance will be presented, demonstrating the potential of vibroacoustic design in meeting modern performance standards. Interview: Vanessa Cool – From Structure To Sound: Unlocking The Potential Of Vibroacoustic Design

https://www.datameister.ai

The presentation explores the transformative potential of AI in automotive design, emphasizing the need for tools that embrace constrained creativity within the industry’s unique challenges. Current generic 2D and 3D generative tools often fall short in addressing the intricate constraints of automotive design, such as manufacturability, stakeholder needs, and engineering requirements. By collaborating with a world-renowned design studio, we have mapped out a novel inside-out design process that integrates custom AI tooling directly into designers’ workflows. Rather than replacing designers, this approach empowers them by eliminating non-creative, time-consuming tasks and reducing design iterations between stakeholders. The result is a faster, more effective path to optimal designs that balance creativity, feasibility, and client requirements. During the talk, we will share insights from this collaboration and showcase in-house results that highlight how AI can redefine workflows in automotive design.

Interview: Datameister – Constrained creativity in AI-accelerated automotive design https://cdfam.com/datameister-constrained-creativity-in-ai-accelerated-automotive-design/ https://www.datameister.ai

This presentation delves into our collaboration with Coperni to develop and release the Ariel Swipe Bag for Paris Fashion Week 2024, a project exemplifying the principles of Design for Advanced Manufacturing. By leveraging our novel production methods, we navigated design creativity and manufacturing constraints to realize an innovative outcome. Key topics include the design development process, technical advancements, and the synergy between aesthetics and functionality enabled by our unique capabilities. The presentation further highlights our portfolio of past projects, including BMW and Hyundai concept seats, Black Imagination lamps, and luxury handbags, showcasing the breadth and versatility of our approach to advanced manufacturing in design.

Recorded at CDFAM Computational Design Symposium, Amsterdam , 2025

https://cdfam.com/amsterdam-2025/

Read the CDFAM interview with RLP

https://www.food4rhino.com/en/app/crystallon In this deeply personal and wide-ranging talk, industrial designer Aaron Porterfield reflects on his path from early explorations with BASIC and Blender to founding F=F (Form Equals Function). Aaron shares how a childhood without video games led to a lifelong fascination with design tools, parametric modeling, and open-source collaboration. From early contributions to the Blender Foundation and experiments with lattice hinges and origami tessellations to impactful work on custom 3D-printed medical devices, this talk traces the evolution of his design thinking. Aaron walks through highlights including: Founding the Crystallon plugin for Grasshopper Collaborating on patient-specific helmets and orthotics Volunteering at Burning Man with Arthur Mamou-Mani Building a DIY compression testing rig for lattice experiments Rediscovering and reviving open-source projects with community help He concludes with a discussion on creative commons, the value of attribution, and how open-source culture helps people like him—self-proclaimed “severely ADD” designers—get their projects finished… by others. This presentation captures the spirit of CDFAM: openness, experimentation, and the computational rethinking of design at every scale. 📍 To learn more about the CDFAM Computational Design Symposium, visit cdfam.com #computationaldesign #additivemanufacturing #opensource #grasshopper3d #blender3d #latticestructures #parametricdesign #medicaldevices #burningman #crystallon

Recorded at CDFAM Computational Design Symposium, Amsterdam , 2025 https://cdfam.com/amsterdam-2025/

Organization: Politecnico di Torino

Presenter: Dario Carbonaro

Presentation Abstract

Self-expandable cardiovascular devices, such as vascular stents, stent-grafts, and transcatheter aortic valves (TAVs), are medical devices implanted into diseased anatomies through minimally invasive procedures. Specifically, these devices are crimped into small catheters, where they are subjected to high strains, allowing them to pass through and be placed within the anatomy. Additionally, self-expandable cardiovascular devices are commonly fabricated from nickel-titanium (NiTi) and are capable of elastically recovering their initial shape when extracted from the catheter, even after being subjected to high strains. This capability is related to the super-elastic property of NiTi, which refers to the material’s ability to elastically sustain high strains. The effectiveness of the treatment depends on the interaction between the devices and the anatomy in which they are implanted. Furthermore, the forces exerted by the devices on the anatomy depend on their design, including geometric and material characteristics. In this context, the computational design and optimization of vascular stents represents an efficient tool for improving their mechanical characteristics and consequently enhancing outcomes and safety of the treatments. In this presentation, an overview is provided on the design optimization of self-expandable cardiovascular devices, with a focus on both geometric features and material properties. Firstly, a computational framework is presented for the multi-objective shape and cross-sectional size optimization of self-expandable TAV frames, based on finite element simulations of the implantation procedure in different diseased anatomies. Secondly, a computational framework for the design of innovative self-expandable femoral stents is introduced, in which inverse homogenization topology optimization is adopted to generate 2D unit cells with prescribed mechanical characteristics of clinical relevance, incorporating geometric constraints to ensure manufacturability. Finally, a study is presented that combines experimental tests on NiTi samples with finite element analysis of stent-graft mechanical testing, highlighting the potential for designing and optimizing the mechanical properties of self-expandable cardiovascular devices by finely tuning the temperature and processing time of the material heat treatment.

While computational tools have revolutionized design, many approaches focus on explicit modeling of form. This presentation delves deeper, exploring the creative application of intrinsic geometry processing properties – characteristics inherent to a surface regardless of its embedding in space. These techniques are typically confined to mathematics or specialized engineering domains, however looking this presentation will look at their practical use in art and design.

Key concepts such as the generation and application of smooth vector fields on complex meshes (illustrated through a personal jewelry design project), the use of the cotan Laplacian for simulating surface phenomena or achieving specific smoothing effects, and the deployment of reaction-diffusion systems to generate intricate, organic patterns directly on geometry will be examined.

This talk aims to illustrate these powerful methods and demonstrate how leveraging the inherent mathematical structure of shapes can unlock novel aesthetic possibilities, sophisticated surface treatments, and approaches for design expression beyond conventional digital craft. Attendees will gain insight into applying these advanced computational techniques to enhance their own creative explorations.

Recorded CDFAM Amsterdam 2025

René Medel - Molding the Future: Computational Design in Footwear Tooling - Frames

Alessandro Zomparelli - AiBuild

Multi-axis 3D printing has become a widely adopted technology across a range of industries. In recent years, computational designers and engineers have increasingly explored non-planar slicing strategies for large-format and robotic 3D printing in order to produce support-free parts with better strength and surface quality. While many solutions remain tailored to specific applications, the development of more generalised and automated toolpath generation workflows is essential to broaden the accessibility and scalability of these technologies.

Geodesic fields offer a highly adaptable approach to 3D volumetric slicing, enabling optimised toolpath generation for complex geometries. This presentation introduces the geodesic slicing framework implemented within Aibuild, showcasing its integration with the platform’s comprehensive suite of design and fabrication tools. The method supports a general-purpose workflow that minimises the need for complex input parameters, making it suitable for a wide range of use cases.

We will demonstrate the current implementation and available controls, and present a variety of outputs generated using this method, including freeform surfaces, multi-directional features, and branching structures, highlighting the potential of geodesic slicing to streamline fabrication in both experimental and production environments.

Developed by ON’s Innovation Team, LightSpray fuses computational design, robotics, and thermoplastic materials to create ultra-light, seamless uppers in a single automated step—directly onto the shoe’s midsole.

Zheliazkova explains how the process eliminates traditional multi-part assembly, reduces waste and emissions, and enables unprecedented control over fit and function. The result is the Cloudboom Strike LS, a 30-gram running shoe produced with 75% less CO₂ compared to standard ON shoes.

From robotic toolpaths to programmable material behavior, this talk highlights how integrated design and fabrication can unlock new performance frontiers, not just in footwear, but across industries.

Subscribe to the CDFAM podcast for more conversations and talks on computational design, and visit cdfam.com to learn about future events around the world.

This season will feature presentations from across the event, with new episodes released weekly. We begin with the closing keynote by Mathew Vola, Director and Computational Design Fellow at Arup.

Mathew shares his perspective on the evolving role of computational design in the built environment, offering a unique framework for interdisciplinary collaboration based on the Ikigai concept: finding alignment between what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for.

He walks through two in-depth case studies, demonstrating how data-driven design processes, parametric modeling, and early-stage machine learning can help reconcile diverse stakeholder needs, reduce risk, and improve project outcomes.

Topics Discussed:

* The evolution of computational design at Arup

* Parametric and AI-powered workflows in architecture and engineering

* Applying Ikigai to stakeholder alignment and design process

* Designing for outcomes across sustainability, performance, and constructibility

* Lessons from complex, high-stakes urban development projects

To learn more about CDFAM events and upcoming talks, visit cdfam.com

The presentation with visuals can also be found on YouTube:

This episode is part of the CDFAM symposium series, where designers, engineers, researchers, and software developers come together to explore the future of computational design across scales—from materials to buildings, components to systems.

CDFAM events are held in cities around the world and focus on applied innovation at the intersection of computation, performance, and fabrication.

To learn more, access recordings, or find out about upcoming events, visit cdfam.com.

Recorded at CDFAM Computational Design Symposium, Berlin, 2024

Presenter: Onur Yüce Gün

Organization: New Balance

This presentation speaks of computation and design, exploring the depths of machine intelligence and the philosophy of being.

The aim is to empower the audience with tools so they can navigate the effects of computational design thinking across the disciplines of Architecture Engineering and Construction, product design, and visual arts, and develop strategies to take insightful steps amid fast-developing AI technologies.

The CDFAM Computational Design Symposium Series brings together leading experts from design, engineering, architecture, academia and software development for a series of knowledge sharing and networking events focusing on computational design at all scales.

Presenter: Kristen M. Edwards

Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s DeCoDE Lab

Engineering Design is undergoing a transformative shift with the advent of AI, marking a new era in how we approach product, system, and service planning. Large language models have demonstrated impressive capabilities in enabling this shift. Yet, with text as their only input modality, they cannot leverage the large body of visual artifacts that engineers have used for centuries and are accustomed to. This gap is addressed with the release of multimodal vision language models, such as GPT-4 with vision, enabling AI to impact many more types of tasks. In light of these advancements, this work presents a comprehensive evaluation of GPT-4 with vision across a wide spectrum of engineering design tasks, categorized into four main areas: Conceptual Design, System-Level and Detailed Design, Manufacturing and Inspection, and Engineering Education Tasks.

The CDFAM Computational Design Symposium Series brings together leading experts from design, engineering, architecture, academia and software development for a series of knowledge sharing and networking events focusing on computational design at all scales.

Recorded at CDFAM Computational Design Symposium, Berlin, 2024

Presenter: Prof. Ole Sigmund

Organization: TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF DENMARK

Ole Sigmund is a Danish Professor in Mechanical Engineering who has made fundamental contributions to the field of topology optimization, including microstructure design, nano optics, photonic crystals, Matlab code, acoustics, and fluids.

Read an Interview with Prof. Ole Sigmund from 2022 and his thoughts on AI for Topology Optimisation in 2024

The CDFAM Computational Design Symposium Series brings together leading experts from design, engineering, architecture, academia and software development for a series of knowledge sharing and networking events focusing on computational design at all scales.

Recorded at CDFAM Computational Design Symposium, Berlin, 2024

Presenter: André Wilmes

Organization: Rafinex

André Wilmes has co-founded Rafinex to solve customers’ most challenging engineering design and optimization challenges with the most advanced mathematics. Rafinex creates novel algorithms which go beyond current market CAE tools by accounting for real-life variability using uncertainty quantification methods and by considering manufacturability; allowing safe and profitable usage by everyone in engineering design. André has researched numerical methods for simulating composite nano-materials at Imperial College London and has given guest seminars at leading research centers including NASA and TU Munich. He has experience as an R&D project manager in the ceramics and manufacturing industries, where he developed new simulation methods and experimental prototype processes in a variety of material topics ranging from fracture mechanics to optics.

Recorded at CDFAM Computational Design Symposium, Berlin, 2024

Presenter:

Peter Clausen & Pascal Hebrard

Organization:

Dassault Systemes

Dassault Systèmes (3DS) and the 3DEXPERIENCE® Platform provides the principal platform for MODSIM integrating modeling, simulation and optimization. In 2016, 3DS uniquely released CATIA Function Driven Generative Designapplication, which integrates topology optimization and CAD-reconstruction of the new geometry in a single application. Since then, multiple applications have been released with focus on generative design using other non-parametric optimization methods like shape, bead and sizing. Additive manufacturing (AM) was the initial driver of these developments, but the later years also have focused more on classic manufacturing methods like casting, milling and stamping. The common denominator for all these End-To-End workflows is that they start from a CAD-model and the result is a new CAD-model. We will present state-of-the-art End-to-End workflow with focus on conventional manufacturing, which for most industries is still far more important than additive manufacturing.

CDFAM computational design symposium provides a unique opportunity to learn about cutting-edge technologies and techniques, and to network with leading academics and industry professionals in design, engineering and architecture at in person, two day events held around the world.

Presenters: Bradley Rothenberg and Markus Lempke

Organizations: nTop + Siemens Energy

The demand for energy worldwide is ever growing. At the same time the need to reach Carbon Net Zero requires technology shifts as well as drastic efficiency increases in existing infrastructure. In this talk we want to show some examples how Siemens Energy utilizes implicit modeling and computational design to help address these challenges. Furthermore we will give a glimpse into nTop computational models and how other customers are using implicit modeling to solve advanced design challenges. We’ll also present the new features that will further accelerate the adoption of computational design in energy applications and beyond.

The CDFAM Computational Design Symposium Series brings together leading experts from design, engineering, architecture, academia and software development for a series of knowledge sharing and networking events focusing on computational design at all scales.

Presenter:

Thomas Rees

Organization:

ToffeeX

Physics-driven design tools such as topology optimization, while transformative at the conceptual level in engineering, have yet to significantly impact production components due to limited adoption in industry workflows. Through a series of case studies and technical analyses, this presentation examines the barriers to the integration of these tools into industry workflows, and in particular those preventing the mass production of topology optimized parts (such as cost and manufacturing constraints). We will demonstrate technical solutions which allow engineers to harness these tools across various sectors, enhancing value creation and efficiency for generalist engineers.

The CDFAM Computational Design Symposium Series brings together leading experts from design, engineering, architecture, academia and software development for a series of knowledge sharing and networking events focusing on computational design at all scales.

Presenter: Moritz Valentino Huber

Organization: Hyperganic

Moritz Valentino Huber is the Director of Engineering at Hyperganic, a company at the vanguard of the advanced manufacturing sector, especially in 3D printing, with operations in Munich and Singapore. With an extensive professional background spanning over eight years in additive manufacturing, Moritz Valentino’s contributions began at the Fraunhofer Institute IGCV, focusing on multi-material Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (LBPF) printing. His career highlights include pioneering work at ArianeGroup on the Space4.0 initiative, integrating Metal LBPF printers with Ethernet for enhanced manufacturing digitalization, and developing predictive maintenance models for Metal LBPF machines using machine learning. At Hyperganic, he leads engineering efforts to address key challenges in sustainability and efficiency in the fields of thermal management, lightweighting and next gen consumer goods through the combination of innovative software solutions and addtive manufacturing.

Interview with Moritz Valentino Huber

The CDFAM Computational Design Symposium Series brings together leading experts from design, engineering, architecture, academia and software development for a series of knowledge sharing and networking events focusing on computational design at all scales.

Presenter: Ruiqi Chen, Software Engineer, & Andrew Sink, Senior Application Engineer

Organization: Carbon

This presentation delves into the use of computational design and additive manufacturing in producing customized, high-performance applications at scale. We’re not talking hundreds or even thousands–Carbon is on a mission to produce one million custom parts per month. Highlighting a collaboration between software developers and engineers at Carbon, this presentation showcases the unique scientific and technical challenges with a mission of this scale and complexity, and the solutions developed along the way. As a leader in bringing additive manufactured, high-performance products to market, we’ll focus on the methodology behind developing an automated workflow for custom parts, including computational design techniques, dual cure material science, and the adoption of additive manufacturing processes. The discussion will cover critical aspects such as design optimization, performance simulation, and the challenges of production scalability. Attendees will gain insights into the precise application of computational tools in enhancing product customization and performance, reflecting on the potential for future advancements in manufacturing technology.

The CDFAM Computational Design Symposium Series brings together leading experts from design, engineering, architecture, academia and software development for a series of knowledge sharing and networking events focusing on computational design at all scales.

Recorded at CDFAM Berlin, 2024

Presenter: Joseph Flynn

Organization: Altair

Joseph Flynn is a Software Development Architect at Altair, working on the algorithmic design and user experiences for Implicit Modeling within Altair Inspire. Prior to working at Altair, Joseph was an Associate Professor at the University of Bath, and one of the Co-Founders of Gen3D Ltd., which was acquired by Altair in 2022. His major focus is the R&D strategy for future features within Inspire Implicit Modeling, and the wider integration of this technology across Altair products. He has recently been working on the trade-offs and interplay between automated computational design and traditional computer-aided design. In the former, geometry emerges and, in the latter, geometry is constructed/sculpted. The balance between these two approaches will be the subject matter for Joseph’s presentation.

The CDFAM Computational Design Symposium Series brings together leading experts from design, engineering, architecture, academia and software development for a series of knowledge sharing and networking events focusing on computational design at all scales.

Recorded at CDFAM Computational Design Symposium, Berlin, 2024

Presenter: Dr. Nick Simpson

Organization: UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL

The electrification of transport, in pursuit of Carbon Net Zero, is driving demand for a step change in the power-density of electrical machines. A viable route is to exploit the geometric freedom of metal additive manufacturing to realise next-generation electrical windings enabling targeted electromagnetic loss mitigation, integrated thermal management, and high-temperature insulation coatings. This talk will present some of the latest advances in the field of Additive Manufacturing in Electrical Machines and discuss some of the ongoing computational design challenges that the CDFAM community may be able to help with.

The CDFAM Computational Design Symposium Series brings together leading experts from design, engineering, architecture, academia and software development for a series of knowledge sharing and networking events focusing on computational design at all scales.

Recorded at CDFAM Computational Design Symposium, Berlin, 2024

Presenter: David Heiny

CEO & Co-Founder

Organization: SimScale

The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) in engineering simulation begins a transformative era in product development processes. This presentation outlines the substantial impact of AI adoption in engineering simulation, focusing on how AI models, trained using real and simulated engineering data , can significantly accelerate or even automate future engineering workflows.

SimScale is developing a pioneering platform in this domain, offering a solution that amalgamates AI with traditional CAE methods. This platform provides accessible tools for both designers and simulation experts, capturing the entire spectrum of AI-enhanced simulation processes and ensures AI future readiness. We present a case study of deploying AI through a cloud-native engineering simulation platform with global engineering teams in the automotive, manufacturing and AEC industries.

The CDFAM Computational Design Symposium Series brings together leading experts from design, engineering, architecture, academia and software development for a series of knowledge sharing and networking events focusing on computational design at all scales.

The events are organized around two foundational frameworks: ‘Scales of Design’ and ‘Dimensions of Execution.’

SCALES OF DESIGN:

* Micro: Focus on material-level design considerations

* Meso: Exploration of metamaterials and structures

* Macro: Discussion on topology optimization, surface and parts

* Mega: Exploration of architectural scale system design methodologies

DIMENSIONS OF EXECUTION:

* Academic: Cutting-edge research in design science

* Algorithm: Software tools and algorithms enabling advanced design

* Application: Real-world engineering challenges addressed

* Automation: Scaling design to production for volume and mass customization

Through these frameworks, attendees will gain insights into how computational design principles and methodologies traverse across different scales and various execution contexts.

Recorded at CDFAM Computational Design Symposium, Berlin, 2024

Presenter: Alexander Pluke

Organization: Additive Flow

Alexander Pluke is CEO and founder of Additive Flow, a Nano Dimension Division. The company builds software for the simultaneous optimisation of the entire AM workflow, which has worked with companies including Saint-Gobain, Royal Haskoning, Tata Steel and Zeiss to maximise their AM value.

The CDFAM Computational Design Symposium Series brings together leading experts from design, engineering, architecture, academia and software development for a series of knowledge sharing and networking events focusing on computational design at all scales.

The events are organized around two foundational frameworks: ‘Scales of Design’ and ‘Dimensions of Execution.’

SCALES OF DESIGN:

* Micro: Focus on material-level design considerations

* Meso: Exploration of metamaterials and structures

* Macro: Discussion on topology optimization, surface and parts

* Mega: Exploration of architectural scale system design methodologies

DIMENSIONS OF EXECUTION:

* Academic: Cutting-edge research in design science

* Algorithm: Software tools and algorithms enabling advanced design

* Application: Real-world engineering challenges addressed

* Automation: Scaling design to production for volume and mass customization

Through these frameworks, attendees will gain insights into how computational design principles and methodologies traverse across different scales and various execution contexts.

Presenter: Rick Titulaer

Organization: ARUP

The renovation of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid has recently been completed. The stadium’s extensive history and renovation posed unique design challenges, particularly in addressing and analysing reflections caused by the new metallic façade. In response to this challenge, a computational design approach was employed to analyse over 682,000 different configurations, facilitating an informed data-driven decision-making process.

The case study details the methodology, workflow, and analysis process. It describes the generation of a parametric model of the façade elements and the use of sun path data and architectural context to assess glare. To manage the computational complexity, parallel computing was applied, and a custom script was utilized for the analysis. The outcomes of this data-driven approach revealed key areas of interest on the stadium’s façade and identified the most optimal angles to minimize glare. The study also highlights the rationalization process, including the use of Gaussian equations and number smoothening to create a smooth, glare-reducing surface. The final façade geometry was generated through iterative exploration, rationalization, and collaboration. This case study underscores the significance of data-driven computational design in overcoming complex design challenges, as demonstrated in the transformation of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium’s façade.

The CDFAM Computational Design Symposium Series brings together leading experts from design, engineering, architecture, academia and software development for a series of knowledge sharing and networking events focusing on computational design at all scales.

The events are organized around two foundational frameworks: ‘Scales of Design’ and ‘Dimensions of Execution.’

SCALES OF DESIGN:

* Micro: Focus on material-level design considerations

* Meso: Exploration of metamaterials and structures

* Macro: Discussion on topology optimization, surface and parts

* Mega: Exploration of architectural scale system design methodologies

DIMENSIONS OF EXECUTION:

* Academic: Cutting-edge research in design science

* Algorithm: Software tools and algorithms enabling advanced design

* Application: Real-world engineering challenges addressed

* Automation: Scaling design to production for volume and mass customization

Through these frameworks, attendees will gain insights into how computational design principles and methodologies traverse across different scales and various execution contexts.

The traditional way of making shoes is evolving together with technology. The fabrication is turning more into digital processes like Additive Manufacturing and Automation. However, the ideation and design stages are also powered by Extended Reality (XR) and the adoption of Artificial Intelligence.

In this presentation will be covered the importance and influence of algorithmic design in applied cases in footwear, not just for prototyping or visualization, but also for development and industrial production, like foaming and injection molding.

The CDFAM Computational Design Symposium Series brings together leading experts from design, engineering, architecture, academia and software development for a series of knowledge sharing and networking events focusing on computational design at all scales.

Omar Fergani is CEO and co founder of 1000 Kelvin , he is a holder of Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering and an expert in digital manufacturing. Omar held various executive positions at Siemens and MKS Instruments including director of strategic business, Senior Director of Digital platforms and product management lead. His expertise and contributions to the industry were recognized when he was honored as the SME Outstanding Young Engineer in 2019.

The CDFAM Computational Design Symposium Series brings together leading experts from design, engineering, architecture, academia and software development for a series of knowledge sharing and networking events focusing on computational design at all scales.

CDFAM computational design symposium provides a unique opportunity to learn about cutting-edge technologies and techniques, and to network with leading academics and industry professionals in design, engineering and architecture at in person, two day events held around the world.

Recorded at CDFAM Computational Design Symposium, Berlin, 2024

Elissa Ross, CEO of Metafold

Infrastructure consists of the basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a system. 3D printing has highlighted cracks in the foundations of the geometric infrastructure for digital manufacturing, illustrated by time-consuming workflows, bloated file sizes, and projects that can’t get off the ground or never see commercialization.

Geometric infrastructure for additive manufacturing must be optimized for ease of integration to deliver the key benefits of additive manufacturing, namely optimized designs and automated customization.

We illustrate the impact of an API-first approach to software tooling for additive manufacturing through several case studies.

Preety Anand is an architect & computational designer with experience on working on large scale and complex projects set in diverse contexts. Her noteworthy experiences include parametrically modelling façade systems, rationalizing complex geometry and investigating on the aspect of interoperability. Her goal is to develop holistic computational design tools and workflows which continuously adjust responding to the specific needs of the phase. She is currently working as an architect and computational designer on the geometrically complex and space defining timber structure of the Zurich Airport.

The CDFAM Computational Design Symposium Series brings together leading experts from design, engineering, architecture, academia and software development for a series of knowledge sharing and networking events focusing on computational design at all scales.

Recorded at CDFAM Computational Design Symposium, Berlin, 2024

Manolis Papastavrou is the co-founder and Computational Design Lead at Metamorphic, a UK based design engineering consultancy that helps organisations innovate with Additive Manufacturing (AM). His presentation will demonstrate how the team at Metamorphic harness computational design to exploit untapped possibilities for AM in a range of technology sectors. This will be illustrated through one of their latest collaborative projects in the field of Quantum Sensing, Project QTEAM (Quantum Technologies Enabled by Additive Manufacturing). QTEAM seeks to revolutionise the design and manufacturing of ultra-high vacuum (UHV) components to enable a new “ultra-portable” phase of quantum technologies for space applications. Manolis will provide insights into Metamorphic’s design-to-manufacturing workflows and how these have been automated through purpose-built computational design scripts. We will delve into the intricacies of their design process, the challenges they’ve overcome, and the innovative solutions they’ve employed in their quest to produce a lightweight and power-efficient quantum space gravimeter prototype.

Design in real-time, optimize your product, and reduce costs with unlimited iterations.

Cognitive Design is a new generation software bridging CAD and Factory floor through manufacturing-driven design. It accelerates the design cycle of engineers through automation and makes sure all designs are manufacturable.

The CDFAM Amsterdam 2025 program brings together leading experts in computational design from industry, academia and software development across all scales of application, from micro to mega.

This year’s keynotes will be delivered by Federico Casalegno, Executive Vice President of Design at Samsung Electronics, and Mathew Vola, Arup Fellow of Computational Design.

Using computational design and machine learning to optimize large-scale building designs, drawing parallels between building structures and the human body. It emphasizes the essential role of Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) systems, akin to a building’s vital organs. The focus is on enhancing MEP installations’ efficiency, thereby reducing energy demands and carbon footprint, crucial in sustainable architecture. The presentation will cover three key areas: optimizing ventilation ductwork to reduce spatial volume, employing 3D pathfinding for efficient data cable network layouts, and achieving optimal Wi-Fi coverage with minimal hardware. These strategies aim not only for sustainability but also for reduced construction and maintenance costs, marking a step towards more environmentally responsible architectural practices.

The CDFAM Amsterdam Computational Design Symposium, 2025 program brings together leading experts in computational design from industry, academia and software development across all scales of application, from micro to mega.

This year’s keynotes will be delivered by Federico Casalegno, Executive Vice President of Design at Samsung Electronics, and Mathew Vola, Arup Fellow of Computational Design.

Recorded at CDFAM Computational Design Symposium, Berlin, 2024

3D printing is dead. Like a once shiny child star, the hype has tapered and it’s time to grow up. Thankfully, it is officially out of its awkward teenage years and has graduated into adulthood as AM. 3D printing established a microeconomy built on venture capitalism, but now that the sensationalism wanes, how does the industry achieve the returns it has promised? Understanding AM’s fit in the manufacturing ecosystem is key, and it has always revolved around the same thing. Parts. 3D printing made shapes, it’s time to additively manufacture parts; and that starts with design.

The CDFAM Amsterdam 2025 program brings together leading experts in computational design from industry, academia and software development across all scales of application, from micro to mega.

This year’s keynotes will be delivered by Federico Casalegno, Executive Vice President of Design at Samsung Electronics, and Mathew Vola, Arup Fellow of Computational Design.

The world of additive manufacturing is constantly evolving, and we are fortunate to witness its growth with new machines, faster processes, and an abundance of new materials. Design practitioners are now enabled to unleash the full potential of AM using Generative Design and Lattice structures.

Lattice structures are topologically ordered, three-dimensional, open-celled structures used by nature. Lattice structures are observed in insects, birds, bones, and plants. Lattice structures are very effective for lightweight structural panels, energy absorption devices, thermal insulation, high-performance heat exchangers, ballistic protection, and porous implants.

Simulating lattice structures is not trivial. There are many challenges in the simulation of both the beam and surface lattices. The complexity of beam lattices makes it necessary to use multiple tetrahedron finite elements to describe a single-unit lattice cell. This creates a significant challenge in simulating components with large amounts of beam lattice structures. Minimal surfaces like Gyroids, Schwarz, Lidinoid, Diamond, SplitP, and Neovius have exceptional strength, heat transfer, and manufacturability properties. However, the simulation process is challenging because these minimal surface geometries are not typical B-Rep geometry. Instead, they are generated using implicit or voxel-based modelers. This presentation will demonstrate methods to overcome the beam and surface Lattice Structures’ simulation challenges.

In modern CAD tools, it is easy to generate Lattice Structures. Typically, in the past, the designer enters the cell type (Gyroid, Diamond, Stochastic, Star beam, etc.), the cell dimension (dx, dy, dz or number of unit cells), and the component size (beam diameter, gyroid thickness, etc.). The generated Lattice geometry can be simulated, and the performance requirements are evaluated.

This presentation aims to showcase the process of simulation-driven lattices that are utilized for designing and optimizing structures based on specific performance requirements. To begin with, a Generative Design is performed using homogenized material properties. Afterward, a simulation is executed on the Generative Design geometry, and the stress field is captured. Finally, the geometry is infilled with lattices, which come with variable cell and component sizes driven by the stress field. For instance, at high-stress regions, more stochastic cells are generated, or the gyroids are thicker.

These techniques offer a cost-effective and efficient way to explore a wide range of design possibilities and ensure that lattice structures meet desired criteria during the design stage.

Presentation Abstract

Join Nervous System for an exploration of their collaborations with scientists in the realm of 3D-printed organs.  They will show how science inspires their art and design work which then feeds back into their scientific practice. The cycle continues as their work on organs contributes to their recent large scale public artworks and vise-versa. 

Inspired by natural patterns, Nervous System creates computational systems that can create a myriad of unique designs. They translate these digital designs into physical products using a mix of digital and traditional manufacturing methods including 3d-printing, casting, and laser cutting. At the heart of these systems are mathematical models of pattern formation. 

In this talk, we’ll dive into the fascinating intersection of art, science, and technology, and how Nervous System’s innovative practices are shaping the future of design and biological research.

Nervous System is a generative design studio that works at the intersection of science, art, and technology.

CDFAM Computational Design Symposium series brings together leading experts in computational design from industry, academia and software development for two days of knowledge sharing and networking.

Visit CDFAM.COM to learn about upcoming events around the world.

Presentation Abstract

The 3MF volumetric extension allows for the communication of additive manufacturing data at the voxel, and/or pure implicit level unlocking complex, multi-parameter, and multi-material applications in a lightweight, open source data format.

The presentation will give an overview of the newly released specification along with example case studies for software and hardware developers, along with the value proposition for designers and engineers.

Dr.-Ing. Jan Orend is a mechanical engineer with a focus on mechatronics. He received his Ph.D. in the field of metallurgy at TU Clausthal. Since 2015, he has been working at EOS GmbH, developing software for print preparation and process control for metal and polymer 3D printing. In his free time, he also enjoys using FDM 3D printing for hobby projects.

CDFAM Computational Design Symposium series brings together leading experts in computational design from industry, academia and software development for two days of knowledge sharing and networking.

Visit CDFAM.COM to learn about upcoming events around the world.

Presentation Abstract

The talk is about the on-going research efforts at ForMat (Form and Matter) Lab at Penn State University, directed by Benay Gürsoy. Benay and her team explore the relationship between matter and form, fabrication and performance mediated through the use of digital technologies. Current research in the lab includes work on adaptive robotic fabrication, and the design and sustainable production of mycelium-based building parts and structures.

Benay Gürsoy is an Assistant Professor of Architecture and the founder and director of ForMat (Form and Matter) Lab at Penn State. Her research and teaching focus is on computational making, digital fabrication, biofabrication, and shape studies. Benay completed her PhD studies in Architectural Design Computing Program at Istanbul Technical University in 2016 and was awarded the Best Ph.D. Dissertation Award by The Graduate School of Science, Engineering, and Technology. She has published and presented her research internationally and received awards, including the 2010 Young CAADRIA Award, and 2015 CAAD Futures Best Paper Award, 2021 and 2022 AIA UpJohn Research Initiatives and 2022 SOM Foundation Research Prize.

CDFAM Computational Design Symposium series brings together leading experts in computational design from industry, academia and software development for two days of knowledge sharing and networking.

Visit CDFAM.COM to learn about upcoming events around the world.

Presentation Abstract

Slicelab merges advanced computational design with innovative fabrication techniques to create groundbreaking design solutions. Our foundation in architectural craftsmanship—from hand drawing and model making to woodshop, 3D modeling, and 3D printing—has cultivated a deep understanding of materiality and form. This expertise enables us to optimize problem-solving through a balanced approach to physical and digital design.As designers, we test and master a diverse array of software tools, integrating the best features to meet the unique needs of each project. This ensures our designs are both functionally superior and aesthetically compelling.In this presentation, we will showcase how our strategic use of various design tools and techniques has led to innovative results across different scales and applications. Join us to explore how Slicelab is redefining design through the seamless integration of advanced manufacturing and computational craftsmanship.

About Slicelab

Slicelab is a multi-disciplinary experimental design studio specializing in digital design and complex fabrication consulting. Their projects range across various scales and strive to balance simplicity and complexity. Founded in 2012 by Arthur Azoulai and Diego Taccioli, Slicelab has quickly established itself in the design world.

In 2015, the studio took part in the Autodesk residency at Pier 9 in San Francisco, focusing on additive manufacturing R&D. Their team brings diverse experience from international firms like Jakob + Macfarlane, Asymptote, WRNS Studio, Francis Bitonti Studio, KMD Architects, Rockwell Group, Mindesk VR, and OPT Industries.

Arthur and Diego are also involved in academia, teaching integrated product design at JWU, 3D printed wearables at AAU, and advanced 3D visualization at NYIT. They serve as visiting architecture critics at Cornell, UPenn, and RPI further showcasing their expertise in computational design for additive manufacturing.

CDFAM Computational Design Symposium series brings together leading experts in computational design from industry, academia and software development for two days of knowledge sharing and networking.

Visit CDFAM.COM to learn about upcoming events around the world.

Presentation Abstract

In a rapidly evolving technological landscape, integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies into design processes is revolutionizing client experiences across various industries. This presentation explores how IDEO leverages its human-centered design approach to incorporate AI and other cutting-edge technologies into client-facing projects, enhancing innovation and driving impactful results. We’ll share stories about designing for inclusivity in XR, defining new kinds of AI-native products, bringing personality and emotion to the IoT, imagining the future of healthcare and more. We’ll also highlight our practice of building and sharing provocative, low-fidelity prototypes to explore our edges, build skills, and start conversations with the industry.

Speaker Bios

Jenna Fizel is inspired by translating abstract information into tangible experiences. Jenna helps clients explore design questions through building with emerging tools like AI, XR, and digital fabrication. They believe these tools can provide new perspectives during the design process. Jenna leads an 80+ person internal group focused on making technical skills more accessible to IDEO’s diverse community. Previously, they were a partner at an agency designing physical/digital spaces for clients. Jenna also co-founded a fashion tech startup and served as CTO of an intimate apparel firm. With an academic background in computational geometry from MIT, they see software as a mode of thinking that solves problems through exploration.

Ziyuan ‘Zoey’ Zhu is a creative technologist working at the intersection of design and emerging technology. At IDEO, a global design company committed to fostering social impact with human-centric design, she helps teams tangibly explore the future of product experience with emerging technologies, including generative AI, data visualization, and XR. She was invited to give speeches at SXSW, SF Design Week, MIT Museum, International Design Conference(IDC), Design Museum Week, NY Climate Week, etc.  Ziyuan is also an affiliate researcher at MIT, leading research on integrating technology into climate education. Ziyuan holds a dual master’s degree in design study and computer science from MIT

CDFAM Computational Design Symposium series brings together leading experts in computational design from industry, academia and software development for two days of knowledge sharing and networking.

Visit CDFAM.COM to learn about upcoming events around the world.

Recorded at CDFAM Computational Design Symposium, NYC 2024

Presentation Abstract

Traditional 3D modeling often captures only the outcomes of design processes, and not the underlying decisions and logic. Procedural BIM is an approach that addresses this by representing an architectural project as a network of interconnected, metadata-enhanced models. This network not only stores the outcomes but also embodies the design thinking, enabling scripts to dynamically establish relationships, generate new objects, and propagate information across the network while adhering to the principles of the design.

The presentation will detail the application of this innovative framework in the design, fabrication, and installation of over 23,000 unique curtain wall panels for a large-scale project, featuring 8.5 million individual fabricated components. The panels feature extreme cold-bent glass, with complex three-dimensional frames that are prefabricated to unlock rapid installation. Metadata also enabled the development of a machine-learning model derived from 3,500 material simulations to reverse engineer the flat shape of twisted panels.

By leveraging a data-centric approach, the system acts as both a record and a map of the design’s relationships, dependencies, and logic. It allows for simultaneous representations at various levels of detail, and a continuous flow of information from the building’s overall massing down to the holes on a fabricated component.

Speaker Bio

Keyan combines his dual education in architecture and structural engineering with a deep expertise in computational design. He spent 10 years at Front, Inc. developing facade systems for high profile projects around the world and working with many of the premier global design firms. He then went on to lead the Computational Design team for Grimshaw’s New York Studio, and now runs an independent consultancy focused on automation and digital processes for designers and makers. His career has been especially focused on parametric design, complex simulations, DfMA, and anything related to the process of transforming data into real, physical constructions

CDFAM Computational Design Symposium series brings together leading experts in computational design from industry, academia and software development for two days of knowledge sharing and networking.

Visit CDFAM.COM to learn about upcoming events around the world.

Presentation Abstract

This presentation explores how we use computational tools to optimize occupant comfort and well-being in indoor spaces. We emphasize the importance of occupant-centric design, prioritizing occupants’ needs and well-being in the building design process. Through case studies in residential dwellings and hospital environments, we demonstrate the application of machine learning algorithms and advanced simulation tools to predict and optimize comfort across various indoor environmental conditions, ultimately designing spaces tailored to unique user needs

Speaker Bios

Noresh is a mechanical engineer with computational design expertise at Stantec. As part of the Digital Practice team, he plays a core role in identifying opportunities for design process automations and providing custom solutions for workflow efficiency. He works across multidisciplinary teams guiding the integration of computational design in building performance simulations and parametric analysis. He is also pursuing a PhD in Engineering at Drexel University at the Building Science and Engineering group, where his research centers on Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ), occupant comfort, and occupant-centric control

Agustín Salas is a Senior Associate and Lead Senior Architectural Designer at Stantec, with over 22 years of experience. He specializes in bioclimatic architecture and computational design, holding a postgraduate degree from the Polytechnic University of Cataluña (UPC) and a master’s degree from the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC). Agustín is dedicated to creating architecture that enhances human well-being and minimizes ecological impact.

Leading multidisciplinary teams across Stantec’s offices in the USA, Canada, and Europe, Agustín has delivered innovative solutions for complex architectural challenges. His projects include public and private spaces, mixed-use developments, high-end residences, and institutional buildings, with a focus on sustainability and design excellence.

Agustín’s international portfolio spans regions such as the U.S., Israel, Russia, Mexico, and the Caribbean. His work integrates advanced computational tools, artificial intelligence, and bioclimatic strategies, all aimed at crafting functional, elegant solutions that inspire and uplift users. Passionate about transforming the future of architecture, Agustín combines creativity and technology to drive innovation in the field.

CDFAM Computational Design Symposium series brings together leading experts in computational design from industry, academia and software development for two days of knowledge sharing and networking.

Visit CDFAM.COM to learn about upcoming events around the world.

Presentation Abstract

At CDFAM NYC 2024, nTop and Siemens Energy explored how computational design can streamline complex workflows, improve engineering outcomes, and accelerate innovation in additive manufacturing.

nTop’s presentation highlighted how their computational design tools are reshaping product development across industries by shifting from manual CAD processes to parametric models driven by implicit modeling and field-driven design. They emphasized that computational design removes bottlenecks by allowing engineers to explore countless iterations quickly, enhancing the performance of parts such as heat exchangers, air filters, and turbine blades.

Siemens Energy shared insights into their use of additive manufacturing for serial production, focusing on applications in gas turbines, wind turbines, and electric generators. They demonstrated how implicit modeling and collaboration with nTop enabled them to develop more efficient heat exchangers and optimize support structures using topology optimization. Siemens’ engineers showcased how their partnership with nTop helps overcome challenges like handling complex geometries and reducing file sizes from several gigabytes to just a few megabytes.

With over 100 additive-manufactured parts in serial production, Siemens Energy stressed the importance of computational tools in real-world applications, emphasizing that implicit modeling is no longer confined to research but is being used in production at scale. The talk underscored that innovations in additive manufacturing are not just limited to prototyping but are enabling large-scale manufacturing solutions for critical infrastructure.

CDFAM Computational Design Symposium series brings together leading experts in computational design from industry, academia and software development for two days of knowledge sharing and networking.

Visit CDFAM.COM to learn about upcoming events around the world.

Presentation Abstract

DfAM (Design for Additive Manufacturing) has often focused on product characteristics (performance and aesthetics) and printing optimization (support and nesting strategies). However, this drastically overlooks all the steps between the 3D printing process and final use of the product.

Nearly all additive my manufactured parts/products undergo a series of steps once printed: post-processing, assembly, finishing, and QC. DfAM philosophies can leverage additive as a technology and design efficiencies at each step of this process to improve lead times and streamline workflows.

Speaker Bio

Ankush Venkatesh is the Intrapreneur, Additive Manufacturing at Glidewell Dental Laboratories. In addition to writing for publications such as Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Ankush has also been speaker at the largest 3D printing events in the world including Formnext, Rapid+ TCT, and Additive Manufacturing Strategies (AMS).At Glidewell, Ankush is heavily involved in new product development, streamline additive manufacturing workflows, business strategy, and commercialization of digital manufacturing technologies

CDFAM Computational Design Symposium series brings together leading experts in computational design from industry, academia and software development for two days of knowledge sharing and networking.

Visit CDFAM.COM to learn about upcoming events around the world.

Presentation Abstract

If we can increase the efficiency and success rate of engineering by improving the process of designing physical products, reducing the cost and timelines of doing so, and making our engineering workforce more productive, it will create huge benefits to society. Currently, skilled labour shortages, cost overruns and long development timelines frequently result in the failure of once promising technologies, products, and businesses. These difficulties destroy invested capital and hamper our efforts to address climate change.

We must produce new solutions faster that will have more complex use cases and dependencies. This is happening elsewhere, yet the rapid advances in AI capabilities that are currently supercharging other industries, are limited within engineering and high-value manufacturing, why is this? There is a gap to overcome, but what is this gap, and can we all work together to bridge it?

We must produce new solutions faster that will have more complex use cases and dependencies. This is happening elsewhere, yet the rapid advances in AI capabilities that are currently supercharging other industries are limited within engineering and high-value manufacturing. Can we enable true AI and ML impact beyond surrogate simulations? There is a gap to overcome, but what is this gap, and can we all work together to bridge it?

Speaker Bios

Joe Griston is a Software Engineer turned Chief People Officer turned startup Founder. Alongside others, Joe built the world’s largest labour marketplace enabling 70 million people to work together, then built the once-promising Arrival to its $13.6 billion public listing, and is now leading EQT-backed Generative Engineering to market.

Laurence Cook holds a PhD from Cambridge and was a Postdoc Computational Engineer at Stanford, Cambridge, and within MIT’s ACDL (Aerospace Computational Design Lab). Built applications including hypersonic space planes, passenger jet aircraft, and Formula 1 tech and is now a Co-Founder of Generative Engineering

CDFAM Computational Design Symposium series brings together leading experts in computational design from industry, academia and software development for two days of knowledge sharing and networking.

Visit CDFAM.COM to learn about upcoming events around the world.

Recorded at CDFAM Computational Design Symposium, NYC 2024

Presentation Abstract

Machine intelligence continues to rise in popularity as an aid to the design and discovery of novel lattice structures. Until recently, the design process has relied on a combination of trial-and-error and physics-based methods for optimization. These processes can be time-consuming and challenging, especially when the design space is being explored thoroughly. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can be used to overcome challenges like these as pre-processed massive lattice, TPMS, foam and metamaterial datasets can be used to accurately train appropriate models. The models can be broad, describing properties, structure, and function at numerous levels of hierarchy, using relevant inputted knowledge. 

In this talk, I will present a comprehensive overview of how state-of-the-art machine intelligence techniques can be used for the computational design, discovery and development of lattices and other cellular solids. I will show individual approaches categorizing them based on methodology and application and will further discuss machine intelligence trends for a wide range of computational design problems. Most importantly, I will critique AI and ML and will look into where it does work and where it does not, hopefully providing a better understanding of possible AI applications in the computational design context.

Speaker Bio.

I am a researcher in the field of computational design and mechanical metamaterials working at the University of Edinburgh. My research area includes artificially engineered metamaterials (to enhance a specific mechanical characteristic such as stiffness and strength), lattices, self-assembling 4D printed materials and bio-inspired materials and structures. My background in mechanical engineering allows me to map the characteristics of these innovations to applications in industry including transport, space and energy sectors. For instance, one of my latest projects included weight shaving from wind turbines using large-scale lattice structures in order to tackle the fatigue loading problems, using state-of-the-art computational design approaches.Most recently, I have been developing new design and optimization frameworks based on AI and ML models, focussing on the benefits that these approaches can bring to old-fashioned optimization

CDFAM Computational Design Symposium series brings together leading experts in computational design from industry, academia and software development for two days of knowledge sharing and networking.

Visit CDFAM.COM to learn about upcoming events around the world.

Presentation Abstract

Synera is a process automation platform specifically designed for engineers. Thanks to the user-friendly UI and shareable templates anyone from your team can easily use and modify them to level up their work. The Moldflow connector allows integrating Moldflow in complex, multidisciplinary development workflows. In this presentation, examples will be presented solving typical injection molding design challenges.

Speaker Bio

At Synera, Andrew Sartorelli is the Product Manager for Integrations, as well as Software Partnership Lead where helps brings to market solutions for customer pains using internally developed solutions, as well as leveraging partner solutions. He’s spent the past 10 years working for a variety of engineering software companies including Autodesk, nTopology, Hexagon, and now Synera. At these companies, he’s always been focused on helping bringing the voice of the customer in companies through positions ranging from Technical Support Specialist, Application Engineer, Product Owner, and Product Manager. He holds a BSc. Mechanical Engineering from the University of New Hampshire.

CDFAM Computational Design Symposium series brings together leading experts in computational design from industry, academia and software development for two days of knowledge sharing and networking.

Visit CDFAM.COM to learn about upcoming events around the world.

Recorded at CDFAM Computational Design Symposium, NYC 2024

Presentation Abstract

This presentation explores our innovative approach to converting traditional design tools and workflows into comprehensive computational systems that enable automation, optimisation, and efficient data handling. Focusing on a complex but outdated tool for designing refrigeration systems, we established robust standards and methodologies for this transformation. By analysing existing tools, spreadsheets, and workflows in collaboration with discipline experts, we derived logical frameworks and mapped every operation and data variable into a graph database. This process ensures modular function reuse and comprehensive tracking of variable usage throughout the tools. The presentation will highlight our methodologies, the resulting standards, and the significant advancements in design automation and optimisation

Speaker Bio

Sean Turner, P.E., serves as the Director of Innovation at Henderson Engineers. In this role, Sean spearheads innovation initiatives, representing cutting-edge advancements to clients and partners while overseeing internal innovation projects. He devises novel approaches to building systems design aimed at delivering high-performance, data-driven, optimised projects. His efforts are focused on enhancing efficiency and engagement for project teams, ensuring a streamlined and effective design process.

Dauphin Flores is a Lead Computational Engineer within the Innovation Department at Henderson Engineers and the director of this project. Dauphin has played a pivotal role in the development of various computational tools at Henderson. His expertise in computational engineering drives the advancement of design automation and optimisation, significantly contributing to the firm’s innovative capabilities and technical excellence

CDFAM Computational Design Symposium series brings together leading experts in computational design from industry, academia and software development for two days of knowledge sharing and networking.

Visit CDFAM.COM to learn about upcoming events around the world.

Presentation Abstract

We showcase the latest advancements in physics-driven engineering design software, especially new multi-physics modelling tools for net-zero applications such as carbon capture, as well as the integration of new design tools which remove the ‘black-box’ feeling engineers often experience while using design tools such as topology optimization. We demonstrate how these new features are incorporated into ToffeeX, allowing fast iterations and integration into whole new workflows

Speaker Bio

As a mathematician and aerospace engineer with a PhD in fluid dynamics from Imperial College, Marco is deeply passionate about modeling natural phenomena. His core value lies in enabling progress and movement, both intellectually and practically. Having founded ToffeeX, he leads the company in his role as CEO, leveraging his expertise to drive innovation and positive change.

CDFAM Computational Design Symposium series brings together leading experts in computational design from industry, academia and software development for two days of knowledge sharing and networking.

Visit CDFAM.COM to learn about upcoming events around the world.

Presentation Abstract

A digital model undergoes multiple transformations throughout the product lifecycle and relies on various mathematical models and computer representations. These include CAD or implicit representations during design, slices, and G-code during process planning, and CT scans during manufacturing inspection. The current simulation tools’ inability to directly work with these native representations, instead insisting on conversion to meshes, makes performance prediction cycles extremely slow, manual, and fragile. This severely limits the parameter space at each stage and hinders the computational design and engineering of innovative, high-performance products. Furthermore, it fragments the already siloed product lifecycle management (PLM) as different data formats cannot be easily integrated for holistic decision-making.

Our solution to these challenges lies in continuous engineering through simulation on native representations. By employing immersed methods of moments and mesh-free simulation techniques, we ensure continuity across heterogeneous geometry and material models, throughout the design-to-manufacture process, and across arbitrary resolutions, solvers, and platforms. We have successfully demonstrated components of the continuous engineering platform by enabling, for example, performance simulation of as-planned and as-manufactured models, path-level additive process simulation, and virtual additive manufacturing (AM) part qualification. Additionally, we are developing *Generative.AM*, software technology for the generative design of pre-qualified AM components through a DARPA grant. Our commercial solutions today allow rapid exploration of large design spaces with extremely complex designs. By integrating with leading platforms like Synera, nTop, and Rhino Grasshopper as well as custom workflows such as those in Houdini, we empower users to seamlessly incorporate advanced simulations into their computational design processes, driving unprecedented innovation and efficiency.

Speaker Bio

Dr. Neel Goldy Kumar is a Product Manager and Engineer at Intact Solutions, Inc., where he leads the development of cutting-edge commercial simulation technologies. With a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, he has extensive expertise in modeling and simulation, particularly in high-complexity areas such as additive manufacturing and composites. Over his seven years at Intact, Dr. Kumar has helped pioneer the Immersed Method of Moments technology and has been a key contributor to multiple SBIR-funded projects. He has also served as Principal Investigator for a NIST SBIR on the virtual validation of complex heterogeneous components made using metal additive manufacturing. Currently, Dr. Kumar is spearheading the launch of Intact.Simulation software across various computational design platforms.

CDFAM Computational Design Symposium series brings together leading experts in computational design from industry, academia and software development for two days of knowledge sharing and networking.

Visit CDFAM.COM to learn about upcoming events around the world.

Presentation Abstract

Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) has revolutionized the manufacturing industry over the past century by enabling the use of software tools to generate machine programs. However, a significant limitation remains: these tools still require substantial input from highly skilled human operators. As production technologies have advanced — from multi-degree-of-freedom (multi-DOF) robots to 3D printers and complex milling machines — the complexity of programming these machines has also increased. This growing complexity has made CAM a bottleneck in the adoption of advanced production techniques, particularly as batch sizes shrink and CAM-associated labor costs per part rise.

At two companies I am involved with: ArcNC, where we focus on CAM for robotic welding, and Oqcam, which specializes in dental CAM; we have explored various deep learning techniques to automate different aspects of the CAM process. In this talk, I will provide a high-level overview of our approaches, share key learnings from our journey, and discuss potential future directions for integrating modern deep learning approaches into CAM and design.

Speaker Bio.

Ben Schrauwen is an investor and entrepreneur, currently the Co-Founder of ArcNC, Oqcam, and Raidyn. He previously co-founded and served as CEO of Oqton, which was acquired by 3D Systems. Before that, he was a Senior Director in Autodesk’s manufacturing division. Ben also served as a Professor at Ghent University, where he founded a pioneering machine learning research group. He holds a PhD in Computer Engineering from Ghent University and was a visiting researcher at Harvard

CDFAM Computational Design Symposium series brings together leading experts in computational design from industry, academia and software development for two days of knowledge sharing and networking.

Visit CDFAM.COM to learn about upcoming events around the world.

Presentation Abstract

This presentation is a review on the developments of complex ceramic structures at the SUPSI’s Hybrid Materials Laboratory. From the first attempts to use CAD to explain the thermo-mechanical behaviour of ceramic foams by finite element modelling (FEM), this practice is now a fundamental step fully integrated in the ceramic additive manufacturing (AM). Demanding end users’ requirements can be satisfied thanks to the combination of CD, simulation, and AM to solve multi-physics tasks. This presentation will show several examples of ceramic components working in high temperature, harsh conditions such as: re-entry thermal protection, porous burners, volumetric solar receivers, high temperature waste heat recovery systems, power to X components and periodic open cellular structures for catalysis.

Speaker Bio.

Graduated in naval and mechanical engineering at the University of Naples in 1989, in 1992 specialized in composite materials at the Center for Composite Materials at the University of Delaware in USA. After ten years in the industry he is now professor at SUPSI, responsible of the Hybrid Materials laboratory at SUPSI and faculty member at the Doctoral School of Industrial Engineering of the University of Padova (I) . His research fields are: process engineering of polymer and ceramic matrix composites, oxide and carbide ceramics, design and additive manufacturing of complex ceramics. He has been project manager in national (Innosuisse, SNF), European (FP5, FP6, FP7 and H2020 ) projects. Nowadays his group is focusing on net shape processing of complex ceramics (oxides, carbides and composites) by additive manufacturing. Prof. Ortona has published about 100 peer-reviewed papers and 6 patents. He is member of the evaluation body of the “Practice to Science” founding scheme at SNF and editor of The journal of American Ceramic Society, Materials and Hybrid Advances.

CDFAM Computational Design Symposium series brings together leading experts in computational design from industry, academia and software development for two days of knowledge sharing and networking.

Visit CDFAM.COM to learn about upcoming events around the world.

Presentation Abstract

Kiera will discuss Ocado Technology’s additive-first approach to robotics hardware development. This design process, with additive at its centre, unlocks the benefits of agile software development for the world of hardware, allowing the team to create the world’s lightest and most efficient grocery fulfilment bot.

Agile practices allowed the team to experiment, learn, and iterate at speed with many of the product concepts being designed in just a few weeks. Achieving these results with traditional manufacturing approaches would have taken many times longer due to the design, tooling and procurement lead times associated with testing multiple concepts.

Speaker Bio

Kiera is a Software Engineer on the Industrial DevOps team at automation and robotics platform company Ocado Technology. She joined Ocado Technology in 2021 in the Supply Chain Simulation team in London, working on a site and network digital twin for Ocado’s automated warehouses. In 2023 she moved to Ocado’s Stockholm development centre to join the team developing the next generation of Ocado’s fulfilment robot, the 600 series. Her role in Industrial DevOps is to develop tools that can be used to apply the software concepts of DevOps to the world of hardware development. When she is not writing or reviewing code, she can be found planning her next TTRPG session

CDFAM Computational Design Symposium series brings together leading experts in computational design from industry, academia and software development for two days of knowledge sharing and networking.

Visit CDFAM.COM to learn about upcoming events around the world.

Recorded at CDFAM Computational Design Symposium, NYC 2024

Presentation Abstract

Despite the enormous potential of leveraging the rich information embedded in biological form, and the rising interest in bio-inspired design, there is no generalized, accessible computational design tool that enables it. In this presentation I will identify what I believe are the reasons for this gap and propose a framework to address it in the context of nine distinct types of architected materials, introduced here as “Bio-Motifs”. This framework consists of three pillars: (i) knowledge graphs, (ii) mathematical models, and (iii) data and information. I will elucidate aspects of this framework with examples from ongoing work spanning diverse organisms and structural elements such as sea sponge networks, honeybee hair, honeycomb, scales and branching structures. I will also demonstrate how we use computational design, simulation and additive manufacturing to both understand the functional basis for biological form, and leverage that understanding to engineer novel application solutions.

Speaker Bio

Christian Waldvogel is the founder of spherene, a Zurich-based company developing autonomous design software. He holds a Master’s degree in architecture from ETHZ, made his first 3D print in 1999, and spent most part of the 21st century as a conceptual artist. His work, which aims to reflect humanity as a species, on a planet and in the universe, was published and exhibited worldwide, and has directly led to the discovery of the spherene geometry in 2012

CDFAM Computational Design Symposium series brings together leading experts in computational design from industry, academia and software development for two days of knowledge sharing and networking.

Visit CDFAM.COM to learn about upcoming events around the world.

Presentation Abstract

In today’s competitive landscape, organizations are increasingly commercializing meaningful additive manufacturing (AM) applications while striving to optimize costs and improve their bottom line. We will address the pressing need to eliminate repetitive activities by simplifying AM workflows through DfAM partnerships and developing design automation processes.   

Gain insights into how to automate design workflows for mass customization, streamline repetitive data and build preparation tasks, and debug build processing workflows using visualization tools powered by Magics SDKs.   

We will discuss how the industry must embrace collaboration and openness to enable innovation at scale with AM. By the end of this talk, you will have a clearer understanding of how to enhance your AM capabilities through partnership integrations, automation, and innovative solutions.

CDFAM Computational Design Symposium series brings together leading experts in computational design from industry, academia and software development for two days of knowledge sharing and networking.

Visit CDFAM.COM to learn about upcoming events around the world.

Presentation Abstract

Additive manufacturing (AM) technology has afforded greater degree of geometrical design freedoms not otherwise available through traditional manufacturing. Multi-material laser powder bed fusion (MM-LPBF) combines the great geometric and surface roughness resolution associated with LPBF with selective powder deposition (SPD), allowing for the special tailoring of material based on functional design requirements. For instance, advanced heat exchanger design can now include copper fins for efficient heat dissipation combined with nickel alloys for structural strength, and stainless steel for corrosion resistance. The ability to selectively engineer the design and material assignment of multiple metals in true 3D voxel approach into a single component can produce extreme design advantages for both part consolidation and unnecessary material reduction. In most engineering applications (e.g. aerospace, automotive, space) weight is considered a critical design factor. Part and assembly consolidation, as well as light weighting associated with new AM technology, can now be extended beyond traditional single material design and on many length scales. To facilitate this aspiration, we have developed a framework utilizing topology optimization capable of simultaneous multi-material design, inspired by the newfound design freedoms enabled by MM-LPBF. Our motivation exists to investigate and develop new design methods which incorporate manufacturing process considerations (e.g. build orientation, minimum feature size) to produce multi-material metallic designs which meet clear objective functions, such as maximizing stiffness or thermally fluidic heat dissipation.

Speaker Bio

Dr. Guha Manogharan is the Emmert H. Bashore Faculty Development Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at The Pennsylvania State University – University Park. He is the Co-Director of CIMP-3D (Center for Innovative Materials Processing through Direct Digital Deposition (CIMP-3D) and also heads the Systems for Hybrid – Additive Processing Engineering – The SHAPE Lab which focuses on additive and hybrid manufacturing with an emphasis on biomedical, defense and aerospace applications. Dr. Manogharan received his Ph.D. (2014) and M.S. (2009) from North Carolina State University. He has received the 2022 ASME Early Career Leadership (ECLIPSE) award, and several young investigator awards (2021 ASTM, 2020 NSF CAREER, 2018 FAME Jr., 2017 SME Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award and 2016 IISE Outstanding Young Investigator by Manufacturing and Design Division). His current work is supported by NSF, DoE, ONR, AFRL, IACMI, and Manufacturing PA. 

CDFAM Computational Design Symposium series brings together leading experts in computational design from industry, academia and software development for two days of knowledge sharing and networking.

Visit CDFAM.COM to learn about upcoming events around the world.

Presentation Abstract

Boundary representation (B-rep) 3D models are the standard 3D representation used in the manufacturing industry. However, only recently has machine learning research begun to make progress on generative models capable of producing B-rep models. This talk will give a summary of the current state of the art for generating B-rep models. In particular it will cover, BrepGen, our recent work using diffusion models, that have proved extremely successful in the image domain, to the problem of B-rep generation.

Speaker Bio

Karl is a Senior Research Manager at Autodesk Research focused on data-driven design software for manufacturing. He holds a Ph.D. in Computational Design from Carnegie Mellon University and has presented his research internationally at conferences such as ICML, CVPR, ACM SIGGRAPH, ACM UIST, and ACM CHI. His work at Autodesk has won numerous awards including Fast Company Innovation By Design Honoree and Core77 Design Awards Research and Strategy Honoree.

CDFAM Computational Design Symposium series brings together leading experts in computational design from industry, academia and software development for two days of knowledge sharing and networking.

Visit CDFAM.COM to learn about upcoming events around the world.

Presentation Abstract

This presentation explores how brands like CCM are partnering with software platforms like Toolkit3D, and using additive manufacturing tools from Carbon to offer customization to consumers with groundbreaking products like the AXIS XF Goalie Mask and the SUPER TACKS X Total Custom helmet. 

While designers at CCM used Carbon’s Design Engine Pro to create superior lattice pads that increase breathability in the AXIS XF Goalie Mask and the SUPER TACKS X Total Custom helmet, developers at Toolkit3D integrated the Scan-to-Fit Design Engine with Carbon Custom Production Software to build an automated workflow for custom parts, including computational design techniques and automated production preparation. 

In summary, CCM with Toolkit3D built an automated pipeline for products with Carbon’s dual-cure materials and advanced additive manufacturing processes that yield custom fit products automatically and at scale for all athletes– elite to amateur.

Speaker Bio

Puneet Jhaveri is a Senior Applications Engineer at Carbon 3D where he leverages his expertise and training in mechanical engineering and physiology to develop custom products. Originally on a medical track, Puneet’s interests shifted after being exposed to architecture and industrial design, sparking a passion for blending technical skills, aesthetics, and creative problem-solving. Puneet now focuses on pushing the boundaries of product design through innovative, cross-disciplinary approaches.

CDFAM Computational Design Symposium series brings together leading experts in computational design from industry, academia and software development for two days of knowledge sharing and networking.

Visit CDFAM.COM to learn about upcoming events around the world.

Presentation Abstract

Engineering creativity and innovation are too often stifled by the tedious process of building simulation models. The process adds no value, can take weeks or months to complete, and far too often results in a model that has gotten out of sync with the design model.

Coreform’s new Flex product accelerates engineering design by reducing the meshing burden through easier and more powerful FEA. Coreform Flex leverages cutting-edge techniques from FEA and computational geometry to streamline the process of setting up FEA models. At the same time, Flex provides simulation results that are more accurate and robust than traditional low-order FEA across linear, nonlinear, static and dynamic simulation regimes. In most cases, users report that simulation models that usually take several weeks to build can now be built in less than a day.

In this presentation, Matthew Sederberg will give a concrete and accessible overview of the technical underpinnings of the Flex approach to FEA. He will also outline a few of the ways the Flex approach can accelerate engineering design and unleash the creativity of engineers.

Speaker Bio

Mr. Matt Sederberg is a pioneer in introducing new technologies to the CAD/CAE industry and has successfully started and sold a company in this space. Mr. Sederberg introduced T-Splines to the CAD market as its CEO in 2005, bootstrapping that company on SBIR funding to create plugins and integrated components used by over 2000 customers, sold through a channel with over 50 resellers. He created the premier brand in the industry, leading to a successful acquisition by market leader Autodesk in 2011, then led Autodesk’s \$40M automotive design product line. In 2016 Mr. Sederberg left Autodesk to join Coreform, where he now serves as Chief Strategy Officer.

CDFAM Computational Design Symposium series brings together leading experts in computational design from industry, academia and software development for two days of knowledge sharing and networking.

Visit CDFAM.COM to learn about upcoming events around the world.

Presentation Abstract

In the context of traditional and advanced industrial settings, the adoption of Scientific Machine Learning (SciML) requires operating in digital-physical environments governed by large-scale, three-dimensional, multi-modal data streams that are confounded with noise, sparsity, irregularities and other complexities that are common with machines and sensors interacting with the real, physical world. Digital engineering domains—that is CAD, CAM, CFD, and so on—and advanced manufacturing settings provide exemplary environments to separate tried & tested SciML from unreliable “AI” and game engines. This talk elaborates on such digital-physical environments and the non-trivial needs from computational design and engineering tools. Special attention is given to differentiable programming in multi-physics settings, which done well is the catalyst for bringing autonomous, data-driven, machine-learnable techniques to advanced manufacturing and digital engineering worlds.

Speaker Bio

Alexander Lavin is a leading expert in AI-for-science and probabilistic computing. He’s Founder & CEO of Pasteur Labs (and non-profit “sister” Institute for Simulation Intelligence), reshaping R&D with a new class of AI-native simulators, commercializing in energy security, aerospace, materials & manufacturing sectors. For the last dozen years, Lavin has focused on artificial general intelligence (AGI) research with top startups in neuroscience and robotics (Vicarious, Numenta), and sold his prior ML-simulation startup Latent Sciences to undisclosed pharmaco in neurodegeneration R&D.

Lavin also serves as AI Advisor for NASA, overseeing physics-ML efforts for the NASA-ESA “Digital Twin Earth” projects. Previously, Lavin was a spacecraft engineer with NASA and Blue Origin, and won several international awards for work in rocket science and space robotics (including Google Lunar XPrize during graduate studies at Carnegie Mellon). Lavin was named Forbes 30 Under 30 in Science, and a Patrick J. McGovern Tech for Humanity Changemaker.

CDFAM Computational Design Symposium series brings together leading experts in computational design from industry, academia and software development for two days of knowledge sharing and networking.

Visit CDFAM.COM to learn about upcoming events around the world.

Recorded at CDFAM Computational Design Symposium, NYC 2024

Presentation Abstract

Sandia National Labs is a systems integrator and design agency with additional production responsibility for critical components. As such, advanced and additive manufacturing offer significant potential value to our mission responsibilities. Novel functionality and efficiencies can be achieved through complex part geometries, design of new or functionally graded composites or nano-structured materials, and the leveraging of data via a “network of things” and machine-learned models for integrated AI controls and process optimization. Taken together, if fully realized, these developments hold out promise for a new era of digitally integrated product realization that is precise, responsive, and “smart”. However, shortcomings in establishing the technical basis for determining reliable performance margins persist due to the complex, coupled physical processes that create the final material as the part itself is being built. Developing sufficient scientific understanding of these processes to achieve the levels of control required for rapid realization and qualification of processes or parts is itself a challenge. A true design for AM methodology must further invert this scientific understanding to achieve targeted performance margins. This presentation details a number of ongoing efforts to develop a physics-based modeling framework for advanced and additive manufacturing that is predictive of process outcomes based on settings and can be used to provide optimized design workflows. Examples are shown for DIW stress pads and cushions and metal laser powder bed fusion.

This work was supported by the LDRD program at SNL, managed and operated by NTESS under DOE NNSA contract DE-NA0003525.

Speaker Bio

Jeremy Lechman is manager of the Energetics, Multiphase and Soft Matter Sciences Department, Engineering Sciences Center, Sandia National Laboratories

CDFAM Computational Design Symposium series brings together leading experts in computational design from industry, academia and software development for two days of knowledge sharing and networking.

Visit CDFAM.COM to learn about upcoming events around the world.

Presentation Abstract

Presentation Abstract

LifEnabled makes custom-fit prosthetic devices for the developing world that are simple, durable and new. Partner with LifEnabled to impact the world.

Speaker Bio

Brent Wright, CP, BOCO,  is a Partner and Designer at Advanced 3D, and a clinician for patients on the ground at Eastpoint Prosthetics and Orthotics in Raleigh, NC.  While he has a background with Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), Brent has been utilizing new methods using MultiJet Fusion and Selective Laser Sintering lately, looking to create prostheses that are not only functional but light and flexible.

CDFAM Computational Design Symposium series brings together leading experts in computational design from industry, academia and software development for two days of knowledge sharing and networking.

Visit CDFAM.COM to learn about upcoming events around the world.

Recorded at CDFAM Computational Design Symposium, NYC 2024

Presentation Abstract

For the additive manufacturing industry to grow, unlocking production applications is critical. Building web applications targeting the AM industry is needed to make 3D printing easier to use in production settings. However, developing cloud-based applications that deal with complex geometries and CAD-like capabilities typically requires specialized expertise and a lengthy development process.

This talk describes how two AM startups worked together to bring a web application for additive manufacturing to market in a compressed timeframe. We will present General Lattice’s Frontier web application for digital materials and describe their use of the Metafold implicit geometry kernel API.

This collaboration allowed General Lattice to focus on their differentiated IP: offering validated materials and geometries from partner vendors to facilitate expedited path to commercialization.

Speaker Bios

Daniel is an entrepreneur and mathematician with extensive experience in geometric computing for the Additive Manufacturing industry. Before co-founding Metafold, Daniel held numerous roles in engineering firms working on complex geometric challenges in large-scale commercial construction. He is passionate about solving problems arising in industry with geometry and computation.

Marek Moffett, co-founder General Lattice, leading General Lattice’s computational design and additive manufacturing team, focusing on the generation of lattice architectures and DFAM techniques. 

Leveraging years of research across several aspects of latticing, my goal is to deliver advanced material solutions to the industry, ultimately driving a wide spread adoption of superior performing products.

CDFAM Computational Design Symposium series brings together leading experts in computational design from industry, academia and software development for two days of knowledge sharing and networking.

Visit CDFAM.COM to learn about upcoming events around the world.

Presentation Abstract

KPF’s computational geometry processes, whether generating complex building components, documenting, optimizing, rationalizing, or form-finding, consistently rely on a set of core common methods.

Across geometrically and computationally diverse projects, we have identified a repeated pattern and codified 5 distinct methods that form the logical underpinning of almost every bespoke computational task. These methods—data branching, point sorting, plane-based calculation, cross-referencing, and surface rebuilding—form the foundation of our architectural geometric computation process, much like the unseen bulk of an iceberg beneath the water’s surface.

The majority of the work in each computational project involves a combination of these five methods; only after establishing these foundational logics can we implement the bespoke computational logic that handles the specific geometric tasks.

Despite their apparent simplicity, these core functions can become extraordinarily complex in large projects due to the vast number of conditions and edge cases which require our core methods to be standardize and scalable. As project complexity increases, these elemental functions become much more important than bespoke computational logics to ensure that all geometric conditions are accounted for. In this presentation, we will define the main foundational methods of computational geometry and then use several geometrically and logically diverse megaprojects to illustrate how these foundational methods form the majority of the computational logic in each.

Through classification and case studies, we will codify the core geometric computational methods required to develop any large architectural project at scale

Speaker Bio

Madeleine Metawati Eggers is a computational design specialist at KPF who specializes in parametric modeling and computational problem solving on large-scale and complex buildings. As a core member of the KPF computational design team, she has worked with leadership to guide the computational design team’s role in the office as collaborators in the design process, particularly in representing qualitative design problems such that they can be solved computationally.

CDFAM Computational Design Symposium series brings together leading experts in computational design from industry, academia and software development for two days of knowledge sharing and networking.

Visit CDFAM.COM to learn about upcoming events around the world.

Presentation Abstract

Prosthetic sockets for people with amputation are traditionally provided using a manual, plaster-based process where the clinician captures the shape of the limb using a plaster cast, makes modifications to this surface to load and off-load particular biomechanical regions, before this modified shape is used as the base to fabricate the final device.  

While digital processes have been around for several decades, which use 3D scanning and surface-based sculpting tools to replicate the traditional processes, using this digital record to learn from and support the socket design processes has been limited. With increasing adoption of 3D printing in the industry, the need for data to support in device design and fitting is increasing. 

Radii Devices are a UK-based startup using machine learning techniques to learn from historical records and support fitting of these devices within a clinical setting. By providing clinicians access to this technology at the point-of-care, their aim is to provide an improved fitting process for both clinicians and prosthetic users. 

Speaker Bios

Nathan Shirley, Lead Computational & Industrial Designer, HP Computational Design

Nathan helps lead a tactical Design, Engineering, UX and SW team that implements mass customization design engines for HP’s 3D printing customers. We operate as a highly specialized consultancy to help them navigate the complex design and integration path to customizable production at scale in Multi-Jet Fusion, HP’s industrial 3D printing Technology. We focus mainly on Medical & Consumer Body Fitment use cases like orthotics, prosthetics, eyewear, footwear and performance sporting gear, as well as on engineered lattice meta-material behaviors.

Joshua Steer, PhD is the Founder and CEO of Radii Devices Ltd.

He completed his PhD in the Bioengineering department of the University of Southampton, UK in 2019, where he continues as a Visiting Research Follow. His prior academic research and subsequent work at Radii focuses on using software and data, such as 3D scans, to support the fitting of Prosthetics and Orthotics, and has contributed to 17 peer-reviewed journal articles. He collaborates on projects with multiple partners including the Department of Veteran Affairs Office of Advanced Manufacturing and National Health Service in the UK.

Full Presentation on Youtube

CDFAM Computational Design Symposium brings together leading experts in computational design from industry, academia and software development for two days of knowledge sharing and networking.

Specific attention is given to AI-driven computational design of systems, illustrating how these technologies can improve design agility and performance. By deploying AI to accelerate the translation of scientific goals into tangible mission outputs, we aim to revolutionize spacecraft design and development, unlocking new capabilities and propelling the aerospace industry into a new era of technical innovation and expanded mission capacities.

CDFAM Computational Design Symposium series brings together leading experts in computational design from industry, academia and software development for two days of knowledge sharing and networking.

Visit CDFAM.COM to learn about upcoming events around the world.

This recording of the presentation at the CDFAM Computational Design (+DfAM) Symposium, held in New York City in 2023. The speaker is Adam Wentworth, a notable figure in the healthcare and additive manufacturing field, associated with the Mayo Clinic.

Abstract: Adam Wentworth, a key contributor to the advancements in patient-specific design at the Mayo Clinic, provides an insightful presentation that explores the challenges and solutions associated with scaling and standardizing patient-specific design in healthcare. In his presentation, Wentworth discusses the criticality of personalized healthcare solutions and the role of computational design and additive manufacturing in delivering highly specific and effective treatment options. Drawing from his extensive experience at the Mayo Clinic, Wentworth presents case studies that exemplify the transformative potential of these technologies in healthcare. He explores both the technical and practical aspects of standardizing patient-specific design, offering insights into regulatory considerations, manufacturing processes, and the impact on patient outcomes.

Audience: This presentation is designed for professionals, researchers, and academics in the fields of computational design, additive manufacturing, and healthcare, particularly those with an interest in patient-specific design and personalized healthcare. Individuals seeking a deep understanding of the intersection between healthcare and advanced manufacturing technologies will find this presentation extremely valuable.

Please note: The CDFAM Symposium serves as a renowned platform for the exchange of knowledge among experts in computational design and additive manufacturing. This recording is intended for educational and professional development purposes.

Alex shares his insights on the challenges of materials and processes in additive manufacturing, as well as the potential applications and technology transfer of this process.

Read the full interview with Alex.

Chelsea Cummings is a Senior Additive Manufacturing Engineer and Digital Applications ADDvisor with The Barnes Global Advisors. Drawing on years of experience at Honeywell Aerospace and Arconic, Chelsea leads projects supporting the design process, advising clients on the effective use of digital tools to augment their additive manufacturing (AM) strategies.

With a career that includes qualifying the first of its kind Inconel 718 L-PBF flight hardware with the FAA in 2015 at Honeywell, flight hardware part family into AM production for Airbus A320neo upgrade in 2018 and first Army-developed, metal AM, flight safety component flown on a U.S. Army rotorcraft in 2022, Chelsea has a wealth of experience in the DfAM, but also the essential qualification process required to validate critical.

But not every design can start with a clean sheet, as Chelsea and her colleagues often help their clients how to adopt MfAM (Modify for Additive Manufacturing), so they can learn and gain experience and confidence before fully embracing DfAM (Design for Additive Manufacturing).

Presentation Title: Geometry Streaming: Hardware First Software for Digital Manufacturing

Abstract: Daniel Hambleton, CTO and co-founder of Metafold, presents his groundbreaking work on 'Geometry Streaming', a hardware first approach to software for digital manufacturing. Hambleton delves into the intricacies of this pioneering concept, exploring its implications and transformative potential in the digital manufacturing landscape. Drawing upon his extensive experience at Metafold, he provides a comprehensive overview of the capabilities of geometry streaming, demonstrating its real-world applications and the benefits it brings to digital manufacturing.

Audience: This presentation is particularly suited for professionals, researchers, and academics in the fields of computational design, additive manufacturing, hardware design, and digital manufacturing.

Please note: The CDFAM Computational Design (+DfAM) Symposium is a distinguished platform for the dissemination of innovations and insights in computational design and additive manufacturing. This recording is provided for educational and professional development purposes.

Title: Interspecies Forms: Robotic Feedback Systems, Mycelia Growth & Computational Form: Redefining Design through Biological Integration

Abstract: Natalie Alima, a leading innovator at Biolab + Adidas, delivers a thought provoking presentation on 'Interspecies Forms' – a groundbreaking exploration of the integration of robotic feedback systems, mycelia growth, and computational form in design. Alima presents her in-depth research and experiments with mycelia – the root structure of mushrooms – and how its interaction with robotic systems and computational design methods can lead to novel design forms. Through her work, Alima challenges traditional design boundaries and introduces a new realm where biology, robotics, and computational design interplay to create sustainable and adaptive design solutions.

Audience: This presentation is specifically designed for professionals, researchers, and academics in the fields of computational design, additive manufacturing, biological design, and robotics. Individuals intrigued by the intersections of biology, robotics, and computational design will find this presentation particularly enriching.

Please note: The CDFAM Computational Design (+DfAM) Symposium is a prestigious forum for the exchange of knowledge and expertise among specialists in computational design and additive manufacturing. This recording is shared for educational and professional development purposes.

Abstract: Francis Bitonti, CEO and co-founder of Lexset, explores the transformative capabilities of computer vision and synthetic data in the realm of computational design in his presentation titled 'From Simulation to Reality'. Bitonti delves into the practical applications of these technologies, showcasing how the convergence of computer vision and synthetic data can turn digital simulations into tangible realities. Bitonti offers an in-depth view of these technologies' role in advancing computational design, illustrating their potential with real-world examples from his work at Lexset.

His presentation outlines the potential challenges and solutions associated with implementing these technologies, providing a comprehensive overview of this cutting-edge field.

Audience: This presentation is tailored for professionals, researchers, and academics in the fields of computational design, additive manufacturing, computer vision, and synthetic data. Individuals with an interest in understanding the practical applications of computer vision and synthetic data in computational design will find this presentation highly beneficial.

Please note: The CDFAM Computational Design (+DfAM) Symposium is a renowned platform for the exchange of knowledge among specialists in computational design and additive manufacturing. This recording is intended for educational and professional development purposes.

Recorded live at CDFAM June 14-15 2023, NYC.

Title: Digital Materials – Geometry and Data Combined

Abstract: Marek Moffett, co-founder of General Lattice covers Digital Materials, Material Library, Material Integrator, and the Wilson Airless Prototype.

Audience: This presentation is aimed at professionals, researchers, and academics in the fields of computational design, additive manufacturing, material science, and data integration. Those interested in the integration of geometry and data with digital materials will find this presentation immensely beneficial.

Mark Burhop, Research Engineer and 2022 Inventor of the Year at Siemens has been helping to advance techniques to create and communicate geometry in a programatic manner that may actually help to ‘make complexity free’.

With a background in both mechanical and biomedical engineering, Matt Shomper has designed some of the most advanced medical devices produced using 3D printing. Possessing deep expertise in engineering metamaterials through computational design, as well as experience in navigating complex designs through the FDA approval process, Matt has pushed the boundaries of what is possible with computational design and additive manufacturing.

With his newly launched consultancy, ‘Not A Robot,’ Matt offers advanced engineering services in the design of not only products but also the systems necessary to build computational workflows for medical devices and beyond.

Presentation Title: Physics-Driven Generative Design: The Future of Engineering

Abstract: Nina Korshunova, Director of Technology at Hyperganic, unfolds the potential of physics-driven generative design in reshaping the future of engineering. Through her presentation, she delves into the intersections of physics and generative design and its implications for advanced engineering practices. Utilizing her expertise and drawing upon her experiences at Hyperganic, Korshunova provides in-depth insights into the tangible applications and potential of this novel approach, enhancing our understanding of this emerging field.

Audience: This presentation is tailored for professionals, researchers, and academics in the fields of computational design, additive manufacturing, generative design, and physics. Those intrigued by the integration of physics and generative design in the context of modern engineering will find this presentation particularly valuable

Presentation Title: Ten Years Teaching Additive

Abstract: Prof. John Hart, a leading academic figure in additive manufacturing from MIT, presents a reflective examination of his ten-year journey teaching additive manufacturing. In this presentation, Prof. Hart shares his unique pedagogical experiences, challenges, and triumphs in molding the next generation of experts in additive manufacturing. His talk offers valuable insights for educators, students, and professionals in the field of additive manufacturing. Audience: This presentation is specifically tailored for academics, educators, students, and professionals in the fields of computational design, additive manufacturing, and education. Individuals interested in the evolution and future trajectory of additive manufacturing education will find this presentation particularly enlightening. Please note: The CDFAM Computational Design (+DfAM) Symposium is a platform for knowledge sharing among pioneers in computational design and additive manufacturing. This recording is shared for educational and professional enrichment purposes.

Presentation Title: Computational Design Ops

Abstract: Ronnie Parsons, CEO of Mode Lab, shares valuable insights on the topic of 'Computational Design Ops'. In his presentation, Parsons dives into the principles and practices that shape computational design operations, providing a roadmap for integrating computational design strategies to streamline processes and enhance efficiency in various domains. Drawing from his vast experience at Mode Lab, Parsons explores the practical applications of these operations, elucidating how organizations can leverage computational design tools and methodologies for improved operational performance and innovative problem-solving.

Audience: This presentation is primarily targeted at professionals, researchers, and academics in the fields of computational design, additive manufacturing, and operational optimization. Individuals looking to harness the power of computational design in operations management will find this presentation particularly beneficial.

Please note: The CDFAM Computational Design (+DfAM) Symposium serves as a platform for the exchange of knowledge among leaders in computational design and additive manufacturing. This recording is provided for educational and professional development purposes.

This recording features a presentation from the CDFAM Computational Design (+DfAM) Symposium by Ryan Carter from Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.

Presentation Title: Overcoming the Design Dilemma: Balancing the Organic Shapes of Topology Optimization & Precision Tolerances in Additive Manufacturing with Post-Process Machining

Abstract: Ryan Carter, of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, delivers a thought-provoking presentation that addresses a key design dilemma faced in the additive manufacturing field. Carter delves into the challenge of balancing the organic shapes derived from topology optimization with the requirements for precision tolerances in additive manufacturing, coupled with the demands of post-process machining. He presents a thorough analysis of this issue, bringing in insights from his significant experience in the domain. Carter discusses potential solutions to harmonize these seemingly conflicting elements, illuminating strategies to optimize design and manufacturing processes and achieve precision in the final product. Audience: This presentation is ideal for professionals, researchers, and academics in the fields of computational design, additive manufacturing, topology optimization, and precision engineering. Individuals keen on exploring the intricacies of design optimization and precision manufacturing in additive production processes will find this presentation highly relevant.

Please note: The CDFAM Computational Design (+DfAM) Symposium is a distinguished forum for the exchange of expertise among leaders in computational design and additive manufacturing. This recording is offered for educational and professional development purposes.

Presentation Title: Generative Design & Digital Manufacturing at NASA Goddard

Abstract: Ryan McClelland, a leader in the advancements in generative design and digital manufacturing at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, discusses the pivotal role these technologies play in pioneering space technology. McClelland's presentation delves into the specific applications of generative design and digital manufacturing at NASA Goddard, illustrating how these computational methodologies drive innovation in the creation of advanced space technology. Drawing from his comprehensive experience, McClelland provides case studies that highlight the transformative impact of computational design and digital manufacturing in overcoming unique challenges in the space technology domain.

Audience: This presentation is particularly suitable for professionals, researchers, and academics in the fields of computational design, additive manufacturing, generative design, and space technology. Individuals with a vested interest in the applications of computational innovation in space technology development will find this presentation exceptionally informative.

Please note: The CDFAM Computational Design (+DfAM) Symposium is a prominent platform for the exchange of knowledge among experts in computational design and additive manufacturing. This recording is provided for educational and professional development purposes.

At CDFAM, Tim discussed how the evolution of machines, materials, and processes over the last decade, has also seen a corresponding shift from manual to computational design methodologies in both software tools and teaching requirements.

Tim also elaborated on the distinctions between instructing new students and facilitating workforce development and upskilling for seasoned engineers, highlighting the unique characteristics of each group’s learning needs.

While the generation of 3D geometry using AI is a relatively new endeavor, AI and ML for material chemistry has been used in practice at industrial scale for a number of years.

Citrine Informatics is a leading software platform that leverages AI and their data management infrastructure to help some of the biggest materials companies on the planet transform their material development process to produce better performing and more sustainable materials, chemicals and products.

Pushing the boundaries of 3D generative AI research, Willis and his colleagues are not just focusing on how AI can assist in the 3D creation and modeling process, but also on its potential role in the context of full mechanical systems assemblies.

This approach moves beyond much of the current research that explores what a geometry ‘might’ look like, to a more nuanced understanding of how components ‘should’ function or be modeled.

From generating parametric CAD, to using simulation for obtaining performant results beyond the constraints of training data, to envisioning what ‘Clippy’ for engineering might look like, Willis offers his insights into the future of AI in mechanical engineering.

Keynote Title: Roadmap to Replicators

Prof. Neil Gershenfeld, a leader in the integration of digital and physical domains, provides a closing keynote address that delves into the cutting-edge advancements shaping the confluence of the digital and physical worlds. Prof. Gershenfeld’s unique laboratory at MIT’s Center for Bits and Atoms has been at the forefront of innovation, from pioneering quantum computing to digital fabrication and the Internet of Things.

In his keynote, Prof. Gershenfeld outlines a roadmap to the development of replicators that seamlessly combine digital and physical fabrication processes. He offers insights into the trajectory of these technologies and how they are poised to revolutionize manufacturing, material science, and more.

As the founder of a global network of over two thousand fab labs in 125 countries, and as the chair of the Fab Foundation and leader of the Fab Academy, Prof. Gershenfeld brings a wealth of knowledge and a global perspective on the transformative potential of digital fabrication and interconnected technologies.

An archive of all presentations from CDFAM 23 in NYC are now available.

CDFAM is proudly presented by Bits to Atoms with support from the 3MF Consortium.

This recording features a presentation delivered at the CDFAM Computational Design (+DfAM) Symposium held in New York City on June 14-15, 2023. The featured speaker is Nathan Shirley, Experience & Design Lead on a cross-functional team at HP, composed of designers, programmers, and engineers.

Abstract: In this presentation, Nathan Shirley provides an in-depth examination of computational design and its intersection with additive manufacturing. Drawing from his extensive experience at HP, Shirley illuminates the untapped potential of integrating computational design engines with additive manufacturing processes. Through the presentation, attendees gain insights into the complex methodologies and software tools leveraged by HP's cross-functional team to devise innovative solutions for their clients. Moreover, the talk encapsulates case studies and practical applications, demonstrating the efficacy and scalability of these strategies in an engineering context.

Audience: This presentation is aimed at professionals and scholars in the fields of engineering, additive manufacturing, and computational design. It is particularly relevant for those seeking to understand the cutting-edge applications and integration of computational design in an advanced manufacturing landscape.

Full video of CDFAM 23 presentations can be found via Youtube.

An interview with Nathan Shirley can be found on the CDFAM site. https://cdfam.com/computational-design-at-hp-with-nathan-shirley/

An archive of all CDFAM 23 presentations will be available on the CDFAM site

https://cdfam.com/archive/

Professor Ronald Rael is the Eva Li Memorial Chair in Architecture at the University of California Berkeley. He is an architect, author, and thought leader in additive manufacturing, borderwall studies, and earthen architecture. He is the co-founder of Emerging Objects, a creatively-driven design consultancy specializing in innovations in 3D printing architecture, building components, environments, and products; and FORUST, a company focused on 3D printing wood. His new initiative, Muddy Robots, is a new paradigm in building construction, coupling humankind’s oldest building material with advanced additive manufacturing technology to create housing that can save the planet.

Onur Yuce Gun has been exploring computational, generative and AI driven design since the early 2000s, with his role as Director of Computational Design at New Balance as well as his consulting work for a number of companies including Samsung and Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates.

His opening keynote presentation entitled Design Computation Human can also be found in the CDFAM presentations archives and on Youtube, an interview with Onur on his work can be found in the CDFAM Articles.