CDFAM 23 Speakers and Schedule
Schedule & Speakers for the Computational Design (+DfAM) Symposium
We are excited to announce the speakers and schedule for CDFAM 23 NYC, the first symposium of its kind bringing together leading researchers and practitioners in Computational Design (+DfAM) to discuss the latest research, developments and practices in the field.
The symposium provides a forum to discuss and share new ideas around design, engineering and software in the context of computational design and advanced manufacturing. With the rapid pace of technological advancements in this field, it is essential to have a dedicated event to bring together experts and thought leaders to share their experiences, best practices, and the latest research findings.
Along with a stellar schedule of speakers, We are pleased to announce that Neil Gershenfeld, Director of the MIT Center for Bits and Atoms, and Ron Rael, Architect and Co-Founder of Emerging Objects and Rael San Fratello, will be featured keynote speakers at CDFAM 23 NYC.
Prof. Neil Gershenfeld as Director of MIT’s Center for Bits and Atoms, leads a groundbreaking laboratory that is at the forefront of the convergence of the digital and physical worlds. The lab’s research spans a range of cutting-edge fields, including quantum computing, digital fabrication, and the Internet of Things.
Prof. Gershenfeld’s innovative technology has been used in a variety of settings, from the Museum of Modern Art in New York to rural Indian villages, the White House, and the World Economic Forum. It has also been utilized in diverse applications such as automobile safety systems, Las Vegas shows, and inner-city community centers.
He is the author of numerous technical publications, patents, and books including Designing Reality, Fab, When Things Start To Think, The Nature of Mathematical Modeling, and The Physics of Information Technology, and has been featured in media such as The New York Times, The Economist, NPR, CNN, and PBS.
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, and his new initiative is, 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.
His work is part of the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art and the San Francisco, the Cooper Hewitt, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum Renwick Gallery has acquired their series, Bad Ombres v.2. Rael has authored several books, including Printing Architecture: Innovative Recipes for 3D Printing and Earth Architecture.
He has also presented a TED talk on ‘Borderwall as Architecture’ and has been the subject of several documentary films including those produced by The Museum of Modern Art, KQED, The New Yorker, and Mud Frontier: Architecture at the Borderlands bythe Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum.
Day 1 will commence with a series of presentations covering Variations on a Theme, a topic that explores designing systems for mass customization and product variations. Speakers from industry leaders such as New Balance, HP, Twikit, Mayo Clinic, and Mode Lab will share their expertise and insights on this subject. The second morning session, Mass in Space, will include presentations on lightweight and optimized designs using generative design, metamaterials, and more will be delivered by representatives from NASA, Siemens, and JHAPL.
The afternoon session will include a software showcase from a mix of established companies and emerging startups in the space, which will provide an opportunity to explore cutting-edge tools for simulation-driven topology optimization, generative design and methods for authoring and applying complex lattice structures and metamaterials for tuned performance and material response.
Software presentations will include representatives from:
The day will conclude with a keynote from Ron Rael on Muddy Robots, where he will draw from his experience at the intersection computational design, the history of adobe fabrication, and punishing robots in the exposed outdoors.
Ron’s practice of hacking industrial 3D printers to use organic matter and the direct design of objects at every scale using tool paths and machine control rather than discretizing and slicing a pre-existing geometry is sure to inspire further discussion as we close out the first day.
Day 2 will kick off with ‘Educating the Human in the Loop,’ a series of presentations that explore how to train the next generation of engineers and professionals to adopt computational tools and design for advanced manufacturing. The session will feature speakers from MIT, Penn State, Harvard Graduate School of Design, and The Barnes Global Advisors.
The day will continue with presentations on ‘Matter Made with Math,’ exploring the use of mathematical algorithms to create new, innovative geometries and engineering solutions. Speakers from Marle Tangible, Leap71, and NYU will share their insights, approach and practical applications in this area.
In the afternoon, the symposium will delve into the theme of ‘Digital in a Material World,’ exploring how the integration of digital tools and processes is transforming the way we design, simulate, and synthesize materials for advanced manufacturing.
Speakers from industry leaders such as Citrine Informatics, Sentient Science, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory will share their insights on the use of AI to discover, simulation to predict, and machine control to transform material properties.
The afternoon sessions will continue with ‘AI, Data + Design,’ which will explore the intersection of artificial intelligence, synthesized data, and solving complex engineering problems.
Speakers from Carnegie Mellon University, Lexset AI, Cognitive Design Systems, Altair and Autodesk will offer their perspectives on this rapidly evolving and often misunderstood area, discussing their approach to AI from the data acquisition and training side, to the human, team and software interactions along with how they are being applied to real-world projects.
The closing keynote, Roadmap to Replicators by Neil Gershenfeld will take us on a journey from the first computer and CNC developed at MIT through to the democratization of tools of fabrication with the exponential spread of Fab Labs around the globe, to the future of fully autonomous self-replicating robot assembly systems and beyond.
Visit the CDFAM website for the full roster of speakers and a detailed schedule. Please note that the schedule is subject to change, check the website for latest schedule.
Purchase your tickets now at early bird prices before March 15th and secure your spot at the forefront of innovation and creativity in computational design and advanced manufacturing.
We would like to extend a special thanks to our generous sponsors, whose support has made this event possible. Our sponsors play a crucial role in advancing the fields of computational design and advanced manufacturing and we are grateful for their contribution to this important discussion.
