Autodesk Life
Artificial intelligence and machine learning are popular topics these days, but they’re not new to us at Autodesk! For many years, we have applied and developed AI technology, including commercial AI tools that Autodeskers use for our business, as well as the development of new AI capabilities for our customers.
AI is an active and growing pursuit at Autodesk. In this article, get to know a few Autodeskers from the many teams we have working with AI technology to deliver powerful insights and outcomes through our products:
Name: Arianna Rampini, Research Scientist, Italy
Role: Working in the AI Lab as a research scientist, my role centers on exploring machine learning applications to improve the way designers and engineers interact with 3D data. My ultimate goal is to assist them in their tasks by minimizing repetitive work and proposing solutions through generative AI.
Recent work: Autodesk uses AI to improve various aspects of design and engineering processes. Here’s a glimpse of the projects I’ve been a part of:
- Imagine drawing a rough sketch and having a detailed 3D design pop up in front of you! We’ve been working on a method using AI to turn sketches into 3D shapes. Such a tool would help designers explore their ideas quickly, thus offering a more efficient route to prototyping.
- Among our various research areas, we are interested in the application of machine learning to animation. One key aspect of achieving lifelike digital content is the ability to manipulate and deform characters with precision and efficiency. We’re investigating methodologies that leverage ML to bring life into characters at a much faster pace.
Name: Dagmara Szkurlat, Senior Manager, Research, London
Role: I lead project teams in Autodesk Research who explore how new technologies could change the way our customers work – and, therefore, how our products best serve them in the future. AI has been one such technology on our radar for a while.
Recent work: The research I’ve worked on has focused on automating tedious tasks and providing ways for designers to make better predictions about matters they could in the past only fully understand much further down the line. For the last three years, this has revolved primarily around an engine capable of generating a whole building structure just from a floorplan. This project has a huge potential for impact by giving designers a better sense of the building’s embodied carbon at a stage of development, in which they can still make major reductions.
Name: Evan Atherton, Principal Research Scientist, San Francisco
Role: I’ve been at Autodesk for a little over 10 years, and I’ve had the opportunity to research a wide range of topics, from digital fabrication techniques and robotics to visual effects and animation. I began experimenting with machine learning around 2017 when we attempted to turn an industrial robot arm into a film camera operator by teaching it different cinematography styles. That one had limited success at the time, but over the next few years, I continued to look for opportunities to augment visual effects artists’ workflows with machine learning for effects simulation, character rigging, and animation.
Recent work: A common example is to automate tasks that are difficult or time-consuming – like identifying safety risks on a construction site with Bim360 Construction IQ, or helping film compositors relight a face or segment an image in Flame. Another way we like to use AI is to give artists, designers, and engineers tools to design and make in ways they never could before, like generating thousands of design variations with Generative Design in Fusion 360, or giving robots the ability to learn how to make complex assemblies from CAD data.
Name: Jiwon Jun, Senior UX Designer, San Francisco
Role: Bringing a user’s perspective to research projects and creating a more user-friendly experience with emerging technologies. In order to achieve this, I conduct user research through interviews and surveys and design user interfaces for prototypes in collaboration with other researchers. My goal is to ensure our research remains deeply customer-oriented and aligned with their needs.
Recent work: Autodesk has been actively integrating emerging technologies into its products. One example is the automation of redundant tasks using machine learning algorithms, which has been applied to products such as Inventor as well as Autodesk Platform Services. The project I’ve been involved with explores advanced approaches to designing parts for assembly in the manufacturing industry. Most machines and devices consist of multiple parts, requiring the creation and assembly of numerous components and sub-assemblies. If you were to disassemble a bike or printer, you would see that they include many individual parts. The process of designing these single parts and assembling them is time-consuming, requiring multiple iterations and collaboration. I’m currently researching how to enable a more efficient assembly design process within the research team.
Name: Nastaran Shahmansouri, Principal Research Scientist, Toronto
Role: My work at Autodesk has focused on employing optimization techniques and design automation to find optimal human-centered solutions using mathematical models and data-driven approaches of AI. Currently, my role involves working on AI and ML-related projects in both the Architecture, Engineering & Construction and Design & Make fields. I am excited about the future of the technology in these domains and look forward to contributing to innovative projects.
Recent work: Autodesk leverages AI and ML in various ways across different products and domains. For instance, Autodesk Forma extensively utilizes ML to provide rapid solutions for early design stages in the Architecture Engineering and Construction industry. This can significantly benefit designers and stakeholders, as meaningful changes in the early design stages have the greatest impact on projects, resulting in a significant reduction in project cost and planning overhead.
My personal interests involve advancing technology using AI, ML, and generative methods to help designers quickly generate optimal design scenarios in the early design stages. Additionally, I believe that human-centered design should be a top priority. The challenges associated with such technological developments are related to limited access to data and information in the early design stages of product design, as well as the complexity of human behavior, needs, and psychology.
Name: Rodger Luo, Principal AI Research Scientist, San Francisco
Role: I joined the AI Lab in 2020 and have been working with AI since then. Currently, I’ve been working on investigating various machine learning techniques for robotic assembly, architectural generation and reconstruction, and game world generation. The deliverables often include publications and patents.
Recent work: We did a collaboration with Obayashi, one of the largest construction companies in Japan, to develop an AI-driven tool for rapid conceptual design. In the architectural domain, it usually takes several weeks — or even months — for firms to exchange and confirm ideas with their clients. Our AI-driven tool can generate dozens of solutions at once to meet the requirements, which largely reduces the communication time with the customers. According to the General Manager of Obayashi’s Architectural Design & Engineering Division: “The current prototype can reduce our design time by 50%. With future developments and improvements, we can reduce the design time even further to 80% or 90%.”
Why should someone who is interested in AI/ML want to come work at Autodesk?
Arianna: Beyond the privilege of collaborating with leading experts in the field and diving into state-of-the-art technologies, I appreciate Autodesk’s inclusive culture. Also, as a scientist, you are given a lot of trust to pursue your research goal. However, what stands out the most to me is the potential for genuine impact. The realm of design and make is vast and touches nearly every industry. Knowing that our research can influence such a wide range of professions – and, by extension, people’s lives – is truly inspiring.
Dagmara: When it comes to AI specifically, we have programs internally that support experimentation and making big bets. We are pursuing some very cool research in this space with the full support of our product and development teams. The business of our customers is a goldmine of gnarly problems AI/ML could be creatively applied to! Better yet, that business literally builds our world. If you want to challenge yourself and see your skills make a real difference, join us.
Evan: Autodesk is in a unique position because we serve many different industries. Our customers make everything from sports stadiums and Formula 1 cars to blockbuster movies. The breadth and diversity of the challenges our customers face make Autodesk a really dynamic place to work on AI. If we can give our customers AI-driven tools to help solve those challenges, I believe we could have a really profound impact on the world.
Jiwon: Autodesk would be an excellent workplace, particularly for individuals who are passionate about emerging technologies like AI/ML and have an interest in design and make industries. The company deeply respects the creativity of those individuals, and our products aim to serve the community. Therefore, those who are enthusiastic about technology and design would find themselves a perfect fit.
Nastaran: The culture at Autodesk is positive, and there is ample room for professional development. You will have the opportunity to propose your ideas, possibly create small teams, implement your ideas, and learn and grow while contributing to the company’s mission. These aspects make Autodesk a unique workplace for me. Additionally, you can make many friends here!
Rodger: Someone passionate about AI/ML should consider joining Autodesk because of the unique opportunities and culture we offer. Here, I’ve found the freedom to dive deep into topics that genuinely intrigue me, constantly pushing the boundaries of my knowledge. Every day, I’m surrounded by supportive and friendly colleagues, making the collaborative environment truly enriching. And beyond work, Autodesk respects our need for a balanced life. It’s not just about clocking hours here; it’s about ensuring that we’re rested, recharged, and ready to innovate. This personal touch and understanding of individual needs is what makes my journey at Autodesk truly special.
Ready to join the AI revolution? Explore your future with Autodesk!