Ph.D. candidate Tina Olfatbakhsh is training artificial intelligence to analyze the future of fabrics.
Olfatbakhsh is a Ph.D. student at UBCO’s School of Engineering, in the Materials and Manufacturing Research Institute, and is pushing the boundaries of composite fabrics.
Composite fabrics are a weave of multiple materials, making the fabric stronger and more durable than single material weaves. Composite fabrics are used in aerospace, construction, automotive, medical and sports industries.
Olfatbakhsh is teaching the artificial intelligence machine how to analyze a composite fabric made of glass and polymer fibres. The machine is learning to predict the material properties including the strength, rigidity and durability of the state-of-the-art fabrics.
Olfatbakhsh says that eventually, after more research, artificial intelligence will be able to do its job in reverse.
In the future, Olfatbakhsh intends the program to be able to design a composite fabric after the parameters are input.
She uses the explanation of building an aeroplane wing that needed to be rigid in flight, yet flexible enough to not snap, and durable enough to withstand the elements and constant UV radiation, an engineer could input those parameters and then be told by the machine what type of composite and weave they need to use to make the specific product.
Olfatbakhsh explained that one day her artificial intelligence program could help engineers discover new materials.
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Jacqueline.Gelineau@kelownacapnews.com
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