We are currently not looking for students. However, we are always interested in hearing from students interested in working towards creating new design tools that support creativity while enabling users to design for functionality and manufacturability. See here for more information on our current projects.

Our work is currently positioned at the interface of several disciplines, namely, computer-aided design (CAD), geometric modeling and processing, machine vision, and human-computer interactions. Having said that, our research thrives on the integration and inclusion of unexplored technologies, methods, and interfaces with a single common goal: enabling and supporting creativity in design. An instance of such an integration might be the application of wearable technologies, data visualization, or audio-visual interfaces to create new kinds of design work-flows. In other words, what you want to do is almost completely up to your imagination!

At the least, the work at MIDL will involve (a) development of new algorithms for geometric modeling or processing, (b) design and implementation of software (or hardware) interfaces that real people can use, (c) evaluation of such interfaces through experimentation, and (d) statistical analysis of experimental data. The experiments will mostly be a combination of human subject studies (i.e. controlled experiments where real people will be invited to test your new cool interface or system) and computational simulations (i.e. experiments to test the efficiency and robustness of your algorithms).

If you are joining as a direct PhD student (i.e. your highest academic qualification is B.S. or equivalent), you are expected to have some general familiarity with with computer programming (C/C++ preferable but not necessary). In case you have a Masters degree already, you are expected to have proficiency in least one fundamental language (e.g. C, C++, C#, Java etc.) and should have the willingness to learn new languages and platforms. If you have familiarity with building mechatronics systems (e.g. using Arduino), you are highly encouraged to get in touch with me for potential research opportunities. Having said this, your primary function as a student is to learn! So, as long as you have a strong inclination to add to your current knowledge and skills, you will always get help if and when necessary. If you are completely averse to computational research (i.e. you do not want to have anything to do with programming what-so-ever), working at MIDL will be challenging.

You will need to build a strong multi-dosciplinary background. Please take a look at the list of recommended courses to get an idea of the knowledge base required to work at MIDL.

The venue of publication depends upon the focus of the body of work in question. The idea is to disseminate your work to the appropriate community (potentially mechanical engineering, computer science, and design research) at the appropriate time. I would strongly recommend you to take a look at the recent issues of journals such as Computer-Aided Design (CAD), Computers and Graphics, Transactions on Graphics (ACM ToG), and Design Studies. Additionally, also browse through the proceedings of conferences such as ACM-SIGGRAPH, ACM-CHI, ACM-CSCW, ACM-UIST, ACM-TEI and ASME-IDETC/CIE.

First, I would recommend that you start by browsing through the list of my publications and try to get an idea about the kind of work I did in the past. Select at least one of the papers and read it thoroughly and critically. In fact, I highly encourage you to write a summary or a critique of the paper in your own words! You are also highly encouraged to look into the references of the paper and get a feel of the general area. Secondly, please take a look at the list of recommended courses to get an idea of the knowledge base required to work at MIDL.

For all other things (e.g. programming resources), most information is available on the internet provided you know what to search for (searching is an art, believe me!). I recommend that you get some general information on openGL, openCV, android programming, JavaScript, geometric data structures (e.g. half-edge, volumetric etc.), user interface design, and usability testing. Note that this information is just to get you started with the way of thinking that will be useful to you. You are not expected to have any in depth knowledge of these topics. Instead, these are going to be things that you will learn during the course of studies!

Great to know that you are interested! The best way to seek a research opportunity is to contact me through email and set up an appointment to discuss future prospects. Please be concise in your email; brevity and clarity will be highly valued! Please give a (very) brief introduction of your past experiences and clearly state your future interests. In order to ensure that I respond back to your email, please let me know that you have read the entirety of this page by adding the phrase "Ge0metry R0x" somewhere in your email.