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About

Mehdi Tarkian is a prominent researcher specializing in design automation, computer-aided design (CAD) modeling, and multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO), with a particular focus on industrial robotics. His work has fundamentally advanced how engineers automate and optimize complex mechanical systems, bridging the gap between geometric modeling and physics-based simulation. Tarkian's most influential contribution — "Flexible and Robust CAD Models for Design Automation" (2012, 151 citations) — established foundational principles for creating adaptable CAD frameworks capable of driving automated engineering workflows. Complementing this, his extensive research into robot gripper finger design automation, including a widely cited 2016 review paper (96 citations) and subsequent fast-design methods, has provided the robotics industry with systematic tools to replace time-consuming manual design processes. A recurring theme across his career is the integration of high-level CAD templates with dynamic simulation and structural analysis to enable seamless MDO of modular industrial robots — work he began exploring as early as 2008. More recently, Tarkian has extended his expertise toward flexible automation in unstructured production environments, incorporating modern simulation platforms. Collectively, his research has garnered over 350 citations, reflecting substantial influence on both academic and industrial approaches to intelligent, automated engineering design.