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Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ARCADES (Algebraic Representations in Computer-Aided Design for complEx Shapes)

Teaser

Summary

ARCADES aims at disrupting the traditional paradigm in Computer-Aided Design (CAD) by exploiting cutting-edge research in mathematics and algorithm design. Geometry is now a critical tool in a large number of key applications; somewhat surprisingly, however, several approaches of the CAD industry are outdated, and 3D geometry processing is becoming increasingly the weak link. This is alarming in sectors where CAD faces new challenges arising from fast point acquisition and big data, to robotics, simulation, and animation, up to fabrication and manufacturing, where CAD strives to address crucial societal and market needs.

The challenge taken up by ARCADES is to invert the trend of CAD industry lagging behind mathematical breakthroughs and to build the next generation of CAD software based on strong foundations from mathematics, scientific computing, and computer science. Our game-changing methods lead to specific real-time modelers for architectural geometry and visualisation, to design-through-analysis software for shape optimisation, and for marine design and hydrodynamics, and to tools for motion design, and robotics. One of the Network SMEs estimates that the innovative impact of ARCADES may enable them to get ahead of competition for up to two years.

The participants span a multidisciplinary and multisectoral spectrum, all being international leaders at various stages of the pipeline. They form an outstanding ecosystem for training the next generation of applied mathematicians, computer scientists and engineers for achieving our scientific breakthroughs, and who are equipped with a double career advantage: excellent research training, and exposure to industrial research environments through a nexus of secondments among Universities, Research & Innovation Centers, and industrial teams. Our fellows are also endowed with an international culture and are developing a strong network among themselves and with the other stakeholders of the project, thanks to the regular Network-wide events. Last but not least, we thus expect to address future needs of the European industry for specialised personnel with such qualifications.

Work performed

A considerable amount of effort has been devoted in organising the managerial structure, concluding the Consortium and Partnership Agreements, the various committees, and the details of the implementation of our work plan. We have set up a mechanism that will efficiently design, implement and monitor all activities within the project aiming at providing the best possible training to our fellows. This is complemented by a strong network, including industrial stakeholders as well. With this in mind, we have created an external Advisory Committee comprised of international academic and industrial leaders in the field who are external to ARCADES. Another relevant aspect for enhancing the independence of fellows and the synergies among them has been the institution of an ESR representative who is non-voting member of the Supervisory Board.

The first year of the project was dedicated on the recruitment procedure. Advertisement of open positions used every possible means at hand, including our web portal as well as our Kickoff and Recruitment Event in Vienna where candidates were invited to present their work and meet with Project members. The recruitment was very successful: all 13 positions have been filled in with high quality candidates.

The majority of the ARCADES fellows was recruited in Fall 2016. They familiarized themselves to the new living and working environment, to the general scientific framework of their projects, and started producing research results. Most students have attended courses and seminars in their host institutions or in local universities. All students presented their research plan, research progress and results, in posters at the 1st Doctoral School in Oslo, November 2016, and at the 1st Software and Industrial workshop in Athens, November 2017. In April 2016 they participated the 1st Learning Week, which focused on complementary training. Many students have also disseminated their results in conferences and in scientific journals. These results include:
-new algorithms for changing the representation of curves and surfaces,
-new studies of piecewise curves (splines) that are fundamental in modelling,
-new method that combines clustering and approximate implicitisation to determine primitive shapes and extract their features,
-new results on functions which can be used to model 3D shapes, and solve differential equations.
-new results on the representation of a shape by a much simpler skeleton,
-interactive form-finding tools in architectural design meant to integrate constraints arising from function and fabrication , including those induced by materials, already during design.
-an architectural application of geometric optimization, and a new approach to the geometric modelling of surfaces for the design and manufacturing of freeform facades,
-developing a specific modeller for bulk carriers, utilisation of High Performance Computers to solve the wave resistance problem, and new formulations of the flow around a ship propeller,
-studying graphs that represent rigid mechanisms for understanding their realisations in 2D and 3D space.

Final results

ARCADES students within the first year of their PhD studies have devoted themselves to bibliographic update and adapting their topics to the state of the art. However, many students have made steps beyond the state of the art by formulating new directions in finding solutions to their problems.

One of the main impacts so far has been to attract dynamic and scientifically strong students. They are exposed to multi-disciplinary, multisectoral and versatile research environments, which will be a strong asset when seeking a job. During the recruitment process, we interacted with many young scientists: Although not selected as ESRs, they were exposed to our problems and methodology, interacted with our senior scientists by presenting posters at the Vienna Recruitment event, and experienced an interesting interviewing procedure.

More generally, ARCADES is becoming well known in the scientific community thanks to the organisation of Open Network events, our web portal, and our publications. Societal impact is achieved throughout a series of public lectures and outreach activities.

Industrial impact is one of our primary goals. Our research and training program was designed by taking into account specific problems posed by our 5 industrial partners. They are actively participating in Network events by giving lectures and/or contributing their problems, and leading problem solving sessions. The research of the students, through their industrial secondments, can be directly applied or tested on the field, and eventually lead to innovative solutions or products, or enhance commercial tools developed by the industrial partners. To this direction, it is notable that one PhD is hosted by an SME.

Some of our research is leading towards the development of specific innovations:

-Fabrication-aware smart geometric design.

-Big data approximation using locally refined splines.

-Approximate implicitization using locally refined splines.

-Bridging the CAD-CAE gap for maritime industries.

Other research could lead to innovations, e.g. the representation of a shape by a 1-dimensional skeleton with the accuracy and precision required in an industrial context.