Dat Quoc Ha

Dat Quoc Ha is a PhD candidate whose research focuses on innovative structural design methods, with the goal of improving access for all users to generative design tools. Specifically, Dat is interested in topology optimization, a process that has been shown to yield new and surprising solutions that typically outperform conventional designs. With the support of a MathWorks Fellowship, Dat will continue his successful work on the framework called “Human-Informed Topology Optimization” (HiTop) in his recently published paper, which combines the automatic nature of optimization algorithms with the ingenuity of the human engineer. Dat has relied on MathWorks tools, like MATLAB’s Global Optimization and Image Processing Toolbox, to move this promising work forward. His research is opening exciting possibilities in emerging fabrication processes such as fused filament and concrete 3D printing and has the potential to make topology optimization more interactive and accessible so that designers across diverse sectors can benefit from this novel design paradigm.