Summary

This course introduces students to the new and exciting field of computational design and fabrication, which is currently laying the foundations on which the next generation of manufacturing workflows and systems will be built. We will cover the essential computational tools of every stage in the computational fabrication pipeline: from hardware and its abstraction to the high level specification methods of design and their interactions with designers and engineers. Topics include concepts of hardware abstraction languages, geometry processing fundamentals, physics-based simulation, optimization techniques, data-driven design methods, and algorithms for high-performance interactive applications.

Logistics

Time: Monday/Wednesday, 9:30-10:50am
Location: CSE2 G04. Please see Canvas for Zoom link for the first week of classes. We hope to transition to in-person lectures as soon as they are allowed.

Notes on In-Person Activities: Two out of the four labs will require physical presence (fabrication) but students only need to attend 3 out of 4 labs to get 100% Lab credit (worth 10% of the final grade). Due to current COVID concerns, the labs will only be scheduled after the first week of classes.
Students also have the option to complete an extra assignment worth 5% extra credit so students are able to get 100% credit in this course without "ever being in a room with a 3D printer", but we hope that most students will be able (and excited!) to participate in the in-person fabrication activities.

Prelimiary syllabus (subject to change): syllabus.pdf

Staff

Instructor: Adriana Schulz, office hours Wed 11-noon (CSE2-209)
TA: Yuxuan Mei, office hours Tue, Thu 9-10am (see calendar)