New AI “copilot” helps engineers design better structures

MIT researchers developed a human-in-the-loop topology optimization system that presents regions of an algorithmic design to a human designer for feedback as it is generated, using machine learning trained on synthetic human-feedback data to identify likely regions of interest. In demonstrations, the approach improved manufacturability and linear buckling load by 39 percent while adding only 15 seconds to total design time compared to all-algorithmic approaches. The system currently only lets users make structures within identified regions thicker or thinner, and the researchers hope to add other modification options in future versions.