Explore Design and Make with Autodesk Research at AU 2024

AU 2024, Autodesk’s annual Design and Make Conference, kicks off today and is set to be packed with sessions, discussions, and educational and networking opportunities. Autodesk Research will be active in presentations, in the Expo Hall, and throughout all three days of the event. We recently talked with several Autodesk Researchers who will be at AU to get their thoughts on this year’s event, and what they’re most excited about.

Angie Foss, Strategic Development Manager, is gearing up for her first time presenting at AU on the topic of “From Research to Industry: How Autodesk Research’s Residency Program is Accelerating AI in Industry.” She’s looking forward to the questions and engagement with customers, as well as the opportunity for in-person connections.

“Like many folks and teams, I’ve done a lot of Zoom calls the past several years, but nothing can beat the energy from a physical audience. I think I’m looking forward to that the most,” said Angie.

She’s excited to highlight her work and will present a case study featuring residents from the Autodesk Research Residency program leveraging AI across Media & Entertainment, Design & Manufacturing, and Architecture, Engineering, and Construction.

“I’ve intentionally included content that anyone can find informative and hopefully impactful to their work,” said Angie. “I will share how the Autodesk Research Residency is open to academic groups, startups, and big industry players by way of content that helps tell a few different stories of impact and boundary-pushing work.”

Evan Atherton, Senior Principal Research Scientist, is gearing up for his presentation about his team’s Neural Motion Control research project, both during his session and through live demos in the Experience Hall. “It shows how we can use AI in an artist-centric way to make artists’ jobs easier,” he explains. “It’s probably best suited for Media & Entertainment industry professionals, but the talk is general enough that I think it’s still interesting to other professionals who might just be curious about the animation field, practical applications of machine learning, or both.”

Dianne Gault, Senior Manager Experience Design, and Dagmara Szkurlat, Senior Manager Strategic Programs, will host a workshop to brainstorm how generative AI can transform design for human factors across industries. Engaging with customers on these topics is essential for driving future research.

“This is a great opportunity to expand our understanding of the kind of work customers from many different industries do in the space of human-centric design,” said Dagmara. “We always learn something surprising about what would truly be impactful for customers when running workshops at AU that fuels our research for years to come.”

Be sure to register for a free Digital Pass to follow along from home, and to tune into the keynotes at 10 a.m. PT today and tomorrow. And be sure to follow the Autodesk Research Blog and our social media to stay on top of the latest and greatest from AU!