Interactive Evolutionary Computation technology developed in the School has been used to inspire the design of unique consumer electronics, elegant super-yachts, eye-catching packaging, refined medical devices, award-winning sculpture, and beautiful household and lighting products. Encouraged by these achievements, we are confident that the design approach can be further improved, and better employed within Engineering Design.

The project aim is therefore to incorporate intelligent geometric optimisation capabilities within Interactive Evolutionary Design, thereby creating smarter, co-operative, efficient human-machine systems. We want to enable users to guide the evolution of 3D form using simple, pre-set fuzzy-constraints. A potential technique is to create simple bounding geometry and internal voids (representing external proportional constraints and spaces within the product for components). Objectives will be developed by the successful candidate but could include establishing Human-Computer Interaction strategies that gain the most benefit from human partnership; or R&D of 3D form-comparison algorithms and the associated orientation, alignment, and scaling of evolving shapes.

More generally, the research will support a departure from highly-specialised, automated optimisation software, and the heavily front-loaded ‘design-then-optimise’ approach. This may involve generic, simplified seed geometry, and then incorporate users’ expertise and tacit knowledge by keeping a ‘human in the loop’ during iterative evolutionary design cycles. GEOPED will feed into the movement to democratise design optimisation, and apply it earlier in design processes, by ‘non-experts’, during conceptual design; boosting creative solutions and generating efficiencies in subsequent design steps. Highly-intuitive design software enables real stakeholder engagement, e.g. interdisciplinary collaboration, or customer co-design in mass personalisation. The latter will accelerate adoption of distributed and additive manufacturing, and closed-loop life-cycle business models.

Industrial links with CAD software developers (Siemens, SolidWorks, SpaceClaim, Onshape) and UK Design Consultancies (Kinneir Dufort, TheAlloy, Smallfry) will enable support and validation beyond academia. The project fits within the Design and Visualisation theme of the University’s Enabling Technologies research challenge, while the wider research programme to which this project contributes also relates to High Value Manufacturing and Intelligent Systems. Engineering Design and Artificial Intelligence (where WMME currently hold grants of £8m), are prioritised within EPSRC’s Manufacturing the Future theme, currently representing the largest area of investment by the EPSRC in the University (£38m), and for which we are a strategic university.

Applicants must be expecting, or have obtained a first degree (1^st class or high 2:1 honours or equivalent) in design engineering, computer or mathematical science, or other relevant field. They will have software development experience via APIs/SDKs and be confident in 3D. Good communication skills and interests in human-computer interaction and/or product design are highly desirable.

The studentship will start in October 2015 or January 2016, is for three years, and valued at £14,057 p.a. plus tuition fees at the UK/EU rate. Non UK applicants must meet minimum English language requirements.

Please apply at: http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/mechman/pg-research/howtoapply/. Applicants are invited to contact Dr Ian Graham ( i.j.graham<στο>lboro.ac.uk ) directly to discuss project details. The application deadline is the 22^nd June 2015 but earlier applications are encouraged. Interviews are planned for late June. Please quote the referenceIJG170415 on correspondence and especially on the application form.