CEE Seminar: Context-driven AI for the Built Environment

Abstract: The last decade has been truly transformational with many technological advancements, such as Internet-of-Things, industry 4.0, artificial intelligence and automation. Given the unique context of the built environment, civil and environmental engineers can lead in developing effective approaches that combine domain models with these technological advancements to address the world’s biggest challenges, such as the ones identified in the U.N.’s sustainability goals, in a more holistic and transformational way. This presentation will provide specific research examples that highlight Carnegie Mellon’s interdisciplinary research approaches in developing context-driven algorithms within which domain models play a significant role. It will highlight the significance of such an approach with a vision toward self-aware autonomous facilities and infrastructure systems.

Bio: Burcu Akinci is the Paul Christiano Professor and department head of civil and environmental engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. She is also a member of the National Academies of Construction and serves on the National Academies Board on Infrastructure and the Constructed Environment. Akinci’s research focuses on generating and maintaining digital twins of the built environment to support proactive and predictive operations and management. She is the recipient of several awards from ASCE and IAARC. She has two patents, one provisional patent, over 75 refereed journal publications and 100 conference publications. She co-founded and is the CIO at LeanFM Technologies.