A researcher at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands has created an app aimed at making computational design more accessible to students through the use of augmented reality (AR).
Wearing an AR headset, associate professor Alejandro M Aragón demonstrates how simple and intuitive the app is to use. With a few simple hand gestures, the design of a bridge appears in augmented reality, allowing him to walk around it and examine it from every angle.
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The idea for the app emerged when he attended a conference on optimisation in 2023, during which he learned about the latest AR glasses. ‘I immediately knew I wanted to apply this technology to the field of topology optimisation,’ Aragón explained.
Aragón’s research efforts focus on finding optimised designs for a wide range of (meta)materials and structures. A key method in his work is topology optimisation, which is an iterative algorithm used to optimise the shape or geometry of an object based on a target functionality and specific constraints. This could mean, for instance, minimising material usage or mitigating the likelihood of fracture, depending on the design goals.
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Despite its potential, topology optimisation isn’t yet widely adopted. ‘It’s a complex methodology that demands significant technical expertise and isn’t always supported by commercial software,’ Aragón said. Additional challenges, such as ensuring manufacturability or incorporating subjective elements such as aesthetics, add to the difficulty.
According to Aragón, emerging technologies such as AR and virtual reality offer new possibilities. ‘These technologies enable intuitive, gesture-based interactions and bridge the gap between human intuition and computational models,’ he said.
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In collaboration with one of his former MSc students, Hendrik Jaap Algra, he developed ARCADE: Augmented Reality Computational Analysis and Design Environment. ARCADE is an app for the Apple Vision Pro specifically designed for ‘immersed topology optimisation’. Using hand gestures, users can adjust design criteria such as the dimensions of the computational domain and boundary conditions (loads and supports). While being able to set any type of boundary conditions, the app includes those for designing a cantilever beam and a bridge – both commonly used examples in mechanical engineering. The app then calculates an optimised design in real time, which is instantly displayed in the AR environment.
‘As far as I know, this is the first application to support topology optimisation in an AR environment,’ Aragón said. The end objective is not only to provide an actual design (based on physics), but also to enhance the integration of human creativity into the design process.
ARCADE will initially be used for education. ‘The first task for students learning topology optimisation is to design a structure that minimises deformation under applied forces. This app is ideal for that purpose,’ Aragón explained.
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According to Aragón, the combination of AR and topology optimisation has the potential to transform design processes in the future. ‘By integrating human input early in the process, visualising designs in their intended environment, and enabling real-time adjustments to optimisations, this technology accelerates the path to a final prototype.’
The app will soon be released in the Apple Store for visonOS.