Geometry

Given: a triangle with vertices $V_0$, $V_1$, $V_2$ and a point $P$ inside it. Find: three weights $(\alpha, \beta, \gamma)$ — the barycentric coordinates of $P$ — such that: $$P = \alpha V_0 + \beta V_1 + \gamma V_2, \quad \alpha + \beta + \gamma = 1$$ When $\alpha = 1$, $P$ is exactly at $V_0$. When all three are equal ($\frac{1}{3}$), $P$ is at the centroid. They interpolate smoothly in between — which makes them useful for texture mapping, point-in-triangle tests, and meshing algorithms. ...

I’m happy to share that I’m now part of Synopsys Inc as the Ansys team joins Synopsys. I’ll be continuing my work in computational geometry, geometry processing, and meshing, focusing on geometric algorithms for CAD kernels and simulation solvers — and I’m also excited about future opportunities in EDA.

Happy to be featured in the latest episode of the University of Stuttgart’s Made in Science podcast! 🎙️ It was a pleasure discussing the intersection of 3D computational geometry and architecture, and sharing my journey as a designer, engineer, and scientist. I also enjoyed talking about a few of my personal hobbies and how they connect to my work. Dr Gene Ting-Chun Kao, an R&D engineer from Stockholm and ITECH alumnus, discusses 3D computational geometry, architecture, and how engineering is like cooking and art. ...

Finally! After a long journey, I now officially hold the title of Doctor of Sciences (Dr. sc. ETH Zürich). My PhD dissertation, titled “Stability Assessment of Discrete Shell Structures during Assembly,” is now available online and can be freely accessed. Read the dissertation → Thanks to my supervisors and reviewers: Philippe, Stelian, Tom, and Jan for their guidance. My family members Bonnie and Genie for their endless support. More thanks in the acknowledgement section of the thesis.

I am happy to share that I defended my PhD research at ETH Zürich last Thursday, March 9th! Many thanks to all my supervisors and reviewers — Prof. Dr Philippe Block, Prof. Dr Stelian Coros, Dr Tom Van Mele, and Prof. Dr Jan Knippers — for their endless support! Time flies! It has been a wonderful 4.5 years since I joined the Block Research Group, ETH Zurich in September 2018. I gained rich experience, learnt so much knowledge, and overcame several challenges. I enjoyed doing advanced interdisciplinary research in NCCR Digital Fabrication and Institute of Technology in Architecture, ETH Zurich. I was also fascinated by the courses I took during my Computer Science CAS degree at D-INFK, ETH Zürich, parallel to my PhD studies. ...

I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as R&D Engineer II at Ansys! I will be working in the Meshing Development Unit, focusing on 3D Geometry Processing and Computational Geometry topics. I am incredibly excited to be part of a team dedicated to cutting-edge research and development in these fields. After 4.5 wonderful years in Zürich — first at ETH Zürich pursuing my PhD on the stability assessment of discrete shell structures, and then defending it successfully in March 2023 — this move to Stockholm marks an exciting new chapter both professionally and personally. ...

I am excited to open source our latest exciting research in Python — Coupled Rigid-Block Analysis (CRA) for the COMPAS framework. CRA is a new method to measure structural stability statically and can be used to design complex discrete-element assemblies. It can be applied to many research fields like designing architecture, furniture, 3D puzzles, toys, or even robotic assembly planning. You are welcome to use our code, star our repo, cite our work, and contribute! ...

I am thrilled to share our latest exciting research — Coupled Rigid-Block Analysis (CRA) — published in the SCI journal Computer-Aided Design. CRA is a new method to measure structural stability statically and can be used to design complex discrete-element assemblies. It can be applied to many research fields like designing architectures, furniture, 3D puzzles, toys, or even robotic assembly planning. Please see our open-access paper for more details! ...