Expanding the Boundary of Optimisation Algorithms to Micro/Nano Scale Designs: Building New Research Collaborations

纳米器件具有在许多领域引发技术革命的潜力。他们可以制造出可以装在针尖上的计算机，以及比人体细胞还小的医用纳米机器人，能够消除癌症、感染、动脉阻塞和其他疾病。这是一个令人兴奋的研究领域，具有迅速增长的商业重要性，因为纯粹的小可以开辟新的应用。该提案阐明了新的研究合作，这些合作有可能跨越当前微机电系统（MEMS）的复杂性天花板，并促进工程纳米级器件的发展。微机电系统声称是目前由人类设计的最小的功能机器。这些是小型化的机械装置和部件，具有广泛的应用。例如，MEMS设备的出现使得不需要切口的非侵入性外科手术成为可能，从而改善了手术效果和患者的康复。随着时间的推移，MEMS器件的设计和开发知识也在不断提高。现在可以使用定量和定性方法来评估MEMS设计。该项目提出了一揽子以人为本的活动和短期可行性研究，以调查基于进化计算（EC）的算法优化技术是否可以以微纳米精度操作，以探索复杂的MEMS设计空间并发明可以超越MEMS的新颖设计。EC是一种基于自然进化原理的优化和搜索方法，它已经在宏观尺度领域确立了自己作为一种技术的地位，通过探索超越人类设计师所能感知的领域来促进创新。目前的研究组合和首席研究员的网络也集中在基于ec的宏观设计优化。这个项目将为他提供一个很好的机会，将他的进化计算研究和网络扩展到微/纳米设计的新领域。它寻求发展一个多学科的研究社区，涉及进化计算，设计优化和微/纳米级设计。这个社区将合作开发一个新的研究主题，专注于开发一种新的计算能力，用于快速和创新地优化微/纳米级设计。该项目将把电子商务研究的边界扩展到微/纳米级设计优化的新领域。它寻求将EC社区内宏观设计优化的大量知识和应用转移到微/纳米级设计的新领域。通过这种方式，这个项目的跨学科性质将有助于在进化计算、设计优化和微/纳米设计领域之间建立新的合作关系。

Nanoscale devices have the potential of triggering a technological revolution in many fields. They can produce computers that can fit on the head of a pin, and medical nano-robots, smaller than a human cell, able to eliminate cancer, infections, clogged arteries and other ailments. This is an exciting field of research with rapidly growing commercial importance since sheer smallness can open up new applications. This proposal articulates new research collaborations that have the potential of traversing the complexity ceiling of current Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) and facilitating the journey towards engineered nanoscale devices. MEMS claim to be the smallest functional machines that are currently engineered by humans. These are miniaturised mechanical devices and components, with a wide range of applications. For example, the advent of MEMS devices has enabled non-invasive surgical procedures that do not require incisions, hence improving surgical outcomes and patient recovery. Knowledge about the design and development of MEMS devices is improving with time. It is now possible to evaluate a MEMS design using quantitative and qualitative approaches. This project proposes a package of people-based activities and a short-term feasibility study to investigate if Evolutionary Computation (EC) based algorithmic optimisation techniques can operate with micro and nano precision to explore complex MEMS design space and invent novel designs that can go beyond MEMS. EC, which is an optimisation and search method based on the principles of natural evolution, has established itself in the macroscale domain as a technique that promotes innovation by exploring beyond what human designers can perceive. The current research portfolio and network of the Principal Investigator have also focused on EC-based optimisation of macroscale designs. This project will provide him with an excellent opportunity to expand his evolutionary computation research and network to the new domain of micro/nanoscale design. It seeks to develop a multi-disciplinary research community, involving evolutionary computation, design optimisation and micro/nanoscale design. This community will collaborate to develop a new research theme focused on the development of a novel computational capability for rapid and innovative optimisation of micro/nanoscale designs. This project will expand the boundary of EC research to the new domain of micro/nanoscale design optimisation. It seeks to transfer the vast knowledge and applications of macroscale design optimisation within EC community to the new domain of micro/nanoscale design. In this way, the inter-disciplinary nature of this project will contribute to building new collaborations between the areas of evolutionary computation, design optimisation and micro/nanoscale design.