Dat Quok Ha

Dat Quok Ha is a PhD candidate in civil and environmental engineering whose research focuses on topology optimization and increasing access to generative design tools through frameworks that actively involve humans. Dat uses a combination of computational mechanics, optimization, and AI tools in his work and has exclusively relied on MATLAB. Supported by his second MathWorks Fellowship, Dat will continue his research with extensions to his Human-Informed Topology Optimization (HiTop) framework. Users reveal their preferences on a final structural design as they interact with HiTop. This information can be surveyed, collected, and studied via machine learning to recommend the most optimal design strategy. Topology optimization offers an exciting opportunity to design structures with complex geometries that can be created with rapidly advancing digital manufacturing technologies. In addition, topology optimization could contribute significantly to sustainability by reducing waste in construction materials while achieving superior mechanical performance and aiding the discovery and manufacturing of new materials. Dat’s research has strong potential to leverage topology optimization in novel ways to create powerful design tools for diverse users and applications.