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Events

  • Feb
    6

    CS Seminar: Inverse Design of Material-Robot Systems (Amira Abdel-Rahman)

    Department of Computer Science (CS)

    3:00 PM ITW, Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center

    EVENT DETAILS

    Thursday / CS/ME Seminar
    February 6th / 3:00 PM
    Hybrid / Ford ITW

    Speaker
    Amira Abdel-Rahman, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

    Talk Title
    Inverse Design of Material-Robot Systems

    Abstract
    "In human history, no innovation has progressed as rapidly as digital technologies. Yet, it wasn't until the 2000s that we began to feel this impact on the physical world. With the rise of the Internet of Things, our built environment is becoming smarter, more dynamic, and more complex. Each year, the line between physical and digital blurs further. However, examining the history of computer-aided design (CAD), engineering (CAE), and manufacturing (CAM) tools reveals few radical advancements since the invention of "Sketchpad" in 1963—the first interactive CAD system. We urgently need these radical advances to faithfully model and respond to our complex environment, and to enable us to imagine and design a new world where the physical and digital are indistinguishable.
    To achieve that, we need novel physical and digital tools that can handle complexity and grow reliability. Just as digitizing analog signals revolutionized and scaled communication and computing, applying discretization and error correction principles to the physical world unlocks the ability of the precise placement of functional materials with embedded electrical and mechanical properties. These “Digital Material” structures introduce digital programmability to the physical realm, mirroring the transformative impact seen in digital technologies.
    In my talk, I will introduce fully declarative and inverse workflows to design and build scalable Digital Material systems. Using these workflows the user can model and design systems that span scales (micro, meso, macro) and disciplines (electrical, mechanical, aerospace, architectural engineering) without being an expert in all — or any — of these fields.
    Using principles of discretization, distributed computing, hierarchy, and error correction; the introduced workflows use domain knowledge as priors and universal design representations across all stages—simulation, optimization, fabrication, and control. These tools have been used to design a plethora of static and dynamic structures, ranging from bridges and shelters to aerospace structures, robots, and electronics."

    Biography
    Amira Abdel-Rahman is a PhD student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Center for Bits and Atoms, where she develops inverse design workflows, empowered by physics-informed AI, to advance the design and fabrication of large-scale material-robot systems. She earned her Master in Design Studies (MDes) in Technology from Harvard Graduate School of Design and her Bachelor’s degree from the American University in Cairo. Her professional experiences include NVIDIA as part of the Simulation Technology Team, and Autodesk as part of the Generative Design Group, where she contributed to cutting-edge research at the intersection of computational design, AI, and simulation technologies.

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    Zoom: https://northwestern.zoom.us/j/99856023678?pwd=IWSX91NYBlQ6VEwRtnVMr5FlDY5nxl.1
    Panopto: https://northwestern.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=bd8a3dec-e2d0-4ae8-b5c4-b27401679ad9

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    TIME Thursday, February 6, 2025 at 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

    LOCATION ITW, Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center    map it

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    CONTACT Wynante R Charles    wynante.charles@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR Department of Computer Science (CS)

  • Aug
    20

    Alumni Education Webinar: McCormick School of Engineering's Strategic Vision

    McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

    12:00 PM

    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Wednesday, August 20, 2025 at 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

    ADD TO CALENDAR

    CONTACT Andi Joppie    andi.joppie@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

  • Sep
    8

    Welcome & Breakfast for New McCormick PhD Students

    McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

    9:00 AM LR2 & Tech East Plaza, Technological Institute

    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Monday, September 8, 2025 at 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM

    LOCATION LR2 & Tech East Plaza, Technological Institute    map it

    ADD TO CALENDAR

    CONTACT Andi Joppie    andi.joppie@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

  • Sep
    12

    New Undergraduate Fall 2025 Registration

    University Academic Calendar

    All Day

    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Friday, September 12, 2025

    ADD TO CALENDAR

    CONTACT Office of the Registrar    nu-registrar@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR University Academic Calendar

  • Sep
    15

    Welcome & Luncheon for New Full-time Graduate Students

    McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

    11:00 AM Ryan Auditorium & Tech East Plaza, Technological Institute

    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Monday, September 15, 2025 at 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM

    LOCATION Ryan Auditorium & Tech East Plaza, Technological Institute    map it

    ADD TO CALENDAR

    CONTACT Andi Joppie    andi.joppie@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

  • Sep
    16

    Fall Classes Begin. Change of Registration (Drop/Add) Late registration for returning students begins

    University Academic Calendar

    All Day

    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Tuesday, September 16, 2025

    ADD TO CALENDAR

    CONTACT Office of the Registrar    nu-registrar@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR University Academic Calendar

  • Sep
    25

    Bagel Thursday

    Department of Computer Science (CS)

    9:00 AM

    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Thursday, September 25, 2025 at 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

    ADD TO CALENDAR

    CONTACT Wynante R Charles    wynante.charles@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR Department of Computer Science (CS)