ABSTRACT

The newer wave of industrial automation is not so much to replace humans with machines but rather to augment their cognitive reasoning and/or ability to perform complex procedural tasks with high precision, safety, and quality. In this talk, I will discuss two interdisciplinary lines of research that explore how new AI and spatial computing technologies can augment the future of work for two specific groups of stakeholders involved in product development process: designers and manufacturing workers. First, I will discuss new design augmentation processes where the unmet needs of users are automatically elicited at scale and translated into new concept recommendations for designers. I will discuss an algorithmic framework that (i) enables large-scale elicitation of user needs from online reviews through natural language processing, and (ii) translates the elicited needs into the visual aspects of new concepts generative modeling with generative adversarial networks. Second, I will discuss ongoing efforts that aim at understanding how extended reality coupled with AI can enhance learning and adaptability of manufacturing workers on the shop floor through intelligent worker-machine interaction. I will present experimental findings on the potentials and limitations of industrial XR and discuss some of our ongoing technological development efforts in this space and directions for future research. I will close by briefly talking about Northeastern’s state-of-the-art Cyber-Physical Manufacturing Lab that will be used as a testbed for design and manufacturing research as well as an Industry 4.0 training facility for undergraduate and graduate students.

BIOGRAPHY

Mohsen Moghaddam is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering and an Affiliated Faculty with Khoury College of Computer Sciences at Northeastern University, Boston. He received his PhD from Purdue University and served the GE-Purdue Partnership in Research and Innovation in Advanced Manufacturing as a Postdoctoral Associate prior to joining Northeastern. Dr. Moghaddam’s focus is on building novel methods, tools, and technologies at the intersection of AI/ML, XR, and human-centered computing to augment the interaction of people with machines in industrial settings. His research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation, Department of Defense, Northeastern University, and industry.