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Abstract

With growing demands for efficiency, safety, and innovation, traditional simulation methods are struggling to keep pace. In sectors like aerospace, automotive, and manufacturing, explicit dynamic simulations are vital for analyzing high-impact scenarios. However, they are computationally expensive and operationally complex.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are now transforming simulation methodologies . Geometric Deep Learning  (GDL), a subset of these technologies, offers the ability to predict key structural responses such as stress and deformation, without requiring time-intensive simulations. This approach facilitates faster design iterations, cost optimization, and earlier design exploration.

In this whitepaper, we demonstrate the use of PhysicsAI to streamline explicit dynamic simulations,  reducing manual effort and computational time significantly. By training models on high-quality simulation data, the framework enables accurate predictions for new geometries within a defined design space. While initial investment in data generation is significant, the long-term gains include accelerated workflows, increased efficiency, and a scalable foundation for intelligent engineering.

Introduction

Explicit dynamic simulations are essential for analyzing highly nonlinear, transient events involving large deformations, material failure, and complex contact interactions. These simulations are crucial in domains like aerospace and automotive for tasks such as assessing vehicle crashworthiness, space debris impacts, and  high-speed metal forming. By directly integrating the equations of motion using small time increments, these simulations capture the intricate dynamic behavior of systems subjected to extreme conditions.

In aerospace, they help validate component integrity during high-speed impacts and optimize safety-critical systems. In automotive, they are used for crash analysis, protective structure design, and regulatory compliance.

Despite their effectiveness, these simulations require extremely small-time steps for numerical stability, leading to high computational costs. The processing time for complex models can extend from several hours to weeks and often requires high-performance computing clusters. This computational burden limits the extent of design exploration and restricts real-time or interactive use cases. To address these challenges, AI-driven approaches are being explored to enhance speed, accuracy, and flexibility in simulation workflows. 

AI and ML

AI and ML are redefining computational paradigms. AI mimics cognitive functions such as learning, problem-solving, and decision-making, while ML specifically focuses on developing algorithms that are capable of learning patterns from data without explicit programming. The principles of machine learning involve training models on large datasets, validating their accuracy, and continuously refining them to enhance their predictive capabilities.

 

Geometric Deep Learning

Geometric Deep Learning (GDL) is an emerging domain within AI that extends traditional deep learning methods to handle non-Euclidean data structures such as graphs, manifolds, and point clouds. Unlike conventional deep learning, which operates on grid-like data like images or sequences, GDL incorporates geometric principles to interpret complex and irregular structures. It leverages symmetries, invariances, and geometric priors to develop models capable of analyzing data with rich geometric and topological features. GDL has broad applications across computer vision, natural language processing, drug discovery, and social network analysis. By generalizing neural network architectures to non-Euclidean domains, GDL enables more nuanced and accurate modeling of real-world phenomena.

AI and ML significantly enhance the efficiency and accuracy of Finite Element Analysis (FEA) simulations across various fields. By integrating AI techniques, simulations can be executed faster and more effectively, reducing both computational time and cost. ML models trained on extensive datasets can predict simulation outcomes and optimize parameters, delivering more precise and reliable results. In Explicit dynamics, for example, machine learning algorithms can analyze data from crash, blast, metal forming; etc, traditionally time- and resource-intensive processes, and accelerate them through automated learnin.. Additionally, AI-powered reduced-order modeling (ROM) simplifies complex models, allowing engineers to assess system behavior with minimal computational overhead. This synergy between AI and simulation drives innovation by supporting rapid prototyping, more effective design cycles, and improved engineering decision-making.

 

Objectives and Scope of the Work

 

altair-whitepaper-objectives

 

altair-whitepaper-scope-of-work

Key Terminologies

  • Geometric Deep Learning (GDL): The core technology behind PhysicsAI. Unlike traditional machine learning which often relies on predefined parameters, , GDL directly operates on the geometric data (3D meshes and CAD models) from CAE simulations. It learns relationships between the geometric shape and full contour results.
  • Dataset: A collection of historical CAE simulation results used for training or testing a ML models. Typically includes  input geometries and corresponding physics outputs (e.g., stress, strain, temperature, pressure fields).
  • Data Source: PhysicsAI supports various CAE file formats  (including .h3d and others compatible with HyperView), enabling organizations to leverage legacy simulation data.
  • Inputs: Model features used for predictions, such as cae.coord (spatial coordinates), cae.part_label (part names).
  • Outputs: Physical quantities that model is trained to predict, such as pressure, stress, displacement, etc.
  • Training Loss Curves: Diagnostic tool that chart the value of the loss function over training epochs. They help detect underfitting or overfitting by comparing:
  • Training Loss: Error on the training dataset.
  • Validation Loss: Error on unseen validation data. Ideally, both curves should converge Persistent gaps may indicate underfitting  or overfitting.
  • Error Percentage Calculation: Used to quantify prediction accuracy:
error-percentage-calculations


Where:

MaxTrue is the maximum fringe value from the ground truth simulation.

MaxPred is the maximum fringe value from the AI-predicted result.


car-crash-simulation-deep-learning

 

Case Study

Automotive Bumper Crash Simulation

In the automotive industry, bumper crash tests are crucial for assessing vehicle safety and durability. These tests simulate real-world impacts to assess how effectively bumpers can absorb energy and protect occupants. 

Methodology

A bumper impact analysis model was developed to study the influence of design parameters on performance. The following parameters were varied:

Automotive-Bumper-Crash-Methodology

 

bumper-parametric-model

Fig: Picture showing the Parametric Model Used.

These variations resulted in 45 distinct models, forming the dataset used for ML training through a Design of Experiments (DOE) approach.

Model Development

Altair PhysicsAI, powered by GDL, was used to train machine learning models on the collected dataset. Separate models were developed to predict three mechanical outputs: displacement, stress, and strain. The dataset was split 80/20 for training and testing to ensure robust evaluation.

Loss curves for each output type were monitored during training to assess model performance and convergence. The resulting curves confirmed that the models generalize well to unseen geometries.

displacement-training

Validation and Testing

Model testing:

The trained ML models were then tested using test dataset. This step involved comparing the true results with the predicted results from the AI models to evaluate their accuracy and reliability.

Testing-displacement

The Error Percentage is 0.163415278%

Testing-Strain-model-with-Testing-dataset

The Error Percentage is 2.1958%

Testing-Stress-model-with-Testing-dataset

The Error Percentage is 1.1%

Model Prediction:

For the final step, predict results for a new geometry with the relevant ML models. Using the developed models, successfully predicted displacement, stress, and strain for the new geometry.

New-Geometry

displacement-prediction

The Error Percentage is 1.006%

 

Strain-Prediction

The Error Percentage is 6.6%

Stress-Prediction

The Error Percentage is 3.76%

The Confidence score signifies that the new design approaches closer to the trained models. This will vary from 0-1.

Effectiveness of AI and ML

The case study illustrates how PhysicsAI drastically reduces simulation costs and time using geometric deep learning. Unlike conventional simulation methods that require extensive computational resources, PhysicsAI learns from previous simulations and directly applies insights to new designs. Predictions are generated within seconds or minutes, even for complex geometries.

  • Manual effort is significantly reduced. Traditional workflows often require extensive preprocessing, geometry cleanup, meshing, and setup. With PhysicsAI, much of this is automated, enabling engineers to focus on high-value tasks such as analysis and design optimization.
  • Rapid design exploration becomes possible with the platform’s cloud-connected burst compute capabilities, which allow hundreds of simulations to run simultaneously across GPUs. This is particularly impactful in crash scenarios, where multiple variants must be evaluated for compliance and safety. Engineers can quickly iterate and optimize designs, resulting in safer, higher-performing components.

Limitations of AI and ML

Despite their advantages, AI and ML present several limitations:

  • Training Data Quality: The accuracy of ML models heavily depends on the quality and diversity of training data. Biased or insufficient datasets can lead to unreliable predictions.
  • Generalization to Unseen Geometries: Models may not perform well when applied to geometries outside the scope of the training data, especially if there are significant topological changes.
  • Initial Investment: Building comprehensive datasets and developing robust models requires significant time, expertise, and resources, which may pose a challenge for smaller organizations.
  • Tool Limitations: In the case of PhysicsAI, predictions are reliable only within the dimensional variations of the training dataset. Major changes to topology may fall outside the model’s predictive capability.

These constraints highlight the importance of ongoing research, data quality management, and thoughtful model development to fully leverage AI in simulation-driven design.

Conclusion

A machine learning model was successfully developed and validated using Altair PhysicsAI, leading to significant reduction in the time and resource requirements for explicit dynamic bumper impact analysis. This case study demonstrates the transformative potential of AI and ML in engineering simulations, enabling faster design exploration, reducing computational costs. And improving workflow efficiency in traditionally simulation environments.

Future Work

Future efforts will focus on expanding the dataset to encompass a broader range of impact scenarios and bumper geometries, thereby enhancing the model's generalization capabilities. The applicability of this  methodology will also explored across other explicit dynamic analysis domain. Additional work will aim to improve model accuracy and robustness, ensuring reliable performance under increasingly complex and varied conditions.

References

  1. AI Meets Physics: A Comprehensive Survey Springer, Artificial Intelligence Review, 2024
    https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10462-024-10874-4

  2. Geometric Deep Learning: Grids, Groups, Graphs, Geodesics, and Gauges Bronstein et al., 2021
    https://arxiv.org/abs/2104.13478

  3. Learning Mesh-Based Simulation with Graph Networks Sanchez-Gonzalez et al., 2020
    https://arxiv.org/abs/2010.03409

  4. Accelerating Finite Element Analysis with Machine Learning Bhatnagar et al., 2019
    https://arxiv.org/abs/1905.11617

  5. Deep Learning for Physical Processes: Incorporating Prior Scientific Knowledge Karniadakis et al., 2021
    https://www.nature.com/articles/s42256-021-00338-8

  6. Reduced Order Modeling Using Machine Learning Hesthaven et al., 2018
    https://epubs.siam.org/doi/abs/10.1137/16M1084245

  7. Physics-Informed Machine Learning for Structural Health Monitoring
    https://www.mdpi.com/2504-3900/2/23/1434

  8. Machine Learning for Computational Mechanics

About the Authors

Ayyappa-Gadhi

Ayyappa Gadhi
Cyient

Ayyappa Gadhi received his Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham and has hands-on experience in the Finite Element Analysis (FEA) domain, in both static and dynamic analysis. He is proficient in leveraging AI tools in Computer Aided Engineering (CAE), notably utilizing PhysicsAI to simulate FEA analyses from the early stages of design. Currently working at Cyient, he supports Pratt & Whitney in advanced engineering initiatives. Prior to this, he played a pivotal role in developing machine learning models using PhysicsAI frameworks, contributing to their successful presentation at prominent industry events such as the GCC (Nov 2024) and Altair ATC (Apr 2025). His interests lie in integrating AI & ML with traditional engineering workflows to enhance simulation accuracy and efficiency across CAE applications.


Raviraj-Shrivastava

Raviraj Shrivastava
Cyient

Raviraj Shrivastava is a Mechanical Engineer with a Master’s degree from BITS Pilani and has hands-on experience in the FEA domain, specializing in structural and modal analysis. He is currently working as a CAE Engineer at Cyient, where he supports John Deere and previously contributed to SME Automation for Pratt & Whitney engines. His expertise includes parametric modeling, DOE setup, fatigue analysis, and design automation using tools like ANSYS, HyperMesh. Raviraj is passionate about applying simulation-driven design approaches to enhance structural reliability in the automotive and aerospace sectors.


Sathish-Kumar-Garala

Sathish Kumar Garala
Cyient

Sathish Kumar Garala received Master of Technology in Design Engineering from IIT Hyderabad and has over 10+ years of experience across IT & Engineering industries. He predominantly works in Crash/Impact Analysis using CAE tools to support the customers of Aero and Automotive domains. He carried out and led projects on functional evaluations of aero engine structures like bird strikes on Spinner cones, Fan blade-off events, blade out containments in compressor/turbine sections etc. On Automotive discipline, he extensively worked on sub-system and full vehicle crash evaluations for frontal and side impact load cases for passenger cars and vans. He also takes responsibility as one of the SMEs in LS-Dyna for crash studies at Cyient. His interest lies in exploring new designs, materials and technologies that can help in building much safer aero structures and automobiles.


Leela-Kishore-Haresamudra

Leela Kishore Haresamudra
Cyient

Leela Kishore Haresamudra holds an M.Tech degree from Bangalore University and brings over 19 years of experience in the Aerospace and Defense sector. He has extensive expertise in the design, analysis, and simulation of complex engineering systems. His core areas of specialization include Stress Analysis and Engineering Vibrations, with advanced proficiency in Low-Cycle Fatigue (LCF), High-Cycle Fatigue (HCF), and multidisciplinary optimization techniques. Leela Kishore began his career at ADA-DRDO, where he contributed to the LCA Tejas project, supporting both military and naval variants. At Cyient, he has played a key role in supporting major aero engine programs for clients such as PWA, PWC, and IHI. As a Subject Matter Expert (SME) within the Service Area, he collaborates across teams at Cyient to explore automation opportunities and develop innovative digital platforms. Currently, he performs multiple roles including Delivery Management, SME, and Innovation Champion for both the Service Line and Business Units.


Lakshman-Kasina

Lakshman Kasina
Cyient

Lakshman Kasina, an M.Tech graduate from IIT Madras, brings over 22 years of extensive experience in design, analysis, and simulation across various engineering domains. His expertise spans Stress Analysis, Impact Dynamics, Engineering Vibrations, and Composite Modeling. He is proficient in Low-Cycle Fatigue (LCF) and High-Cycle Fatigue (HCF), as well as advanced simulation techniques like multidisciplinary optimization. Lakshman has published over 10 papers in national and international conferences, demonstrating his significant contributions to the field.

About Cyient

Cyient (Estd: 1991, NSE: CYIENT) delivers intelligent engineering solutions across products, plants, and networks for over 300 global customers, including 30% of the top 100 global innovators. As a company, Cyient is committed to designing a culturally inclusive, socially responsible, and environmentally sustainable tomorrow together with our stakeholders.

For more information, please visit www.cyient.com

EU AI Act Implementation Timeline

The implementation of the EU AI Act follows a phased timeline to ensure stakeholders have sufficient time to adapt and comply. Below is a general overview based on the regulation’s staged rollout:

EU AI Act Implementation Timelin

Use of AI in Healthcare

AI is rapidly transforming the healthcare industry by enhancing diagnostic accuracy, optimizing treatment plans, streamlining workflows, and improving patient outcomes. Here are some of the major use cases of AI in healthcare, categorized by domain:

Use of AI in Healthcare

Possible Challenges that Deployers/Manufacturers/Providers of AI for Medical Purpose Might Face

Integrating AI into medical devices presents complex compliance challenges, particularly due to the dual regulatory landscape governed by the EU AI Act-2024/1689, and the EU MDR-2017/745 or EU IVDR-2017/746. The intersection of AI functionality and medical safety introduces both technical and procedural hurdles.

Dual Regulatory Burden
  • Manufacturers must comply with both the EU MDR/IVDR and EU AI Act.
  • Requires harmonization of conformity assessments technical documentation and quality system across two frameworks.
  • Potential for duplicated or conflicting requirements.
High Risk AI classification

AIMD classified as High Risk as per EU AI Act shall comply stringent requirements such as human oversight, transparency, robustness and post-market monitoring

Data Governance & Quality
  • Ensuring training and test data are: Relevant, representative, free of bias, Statistically appropriate, Collected lawfully under GDPR
  • Challenge: Medical AI often uses retrospective, non-standardized, or anonymized datasets with quality or bias issues.
Transparency & Explainability
  • AI outputs must be understandable to the intended user (e.g., physicians).
  • Difficult for complex models like deep learning or black-box AI to meet these criteria.
  • Manufacturers may need to redesign interfaces or limit the use of opaque algorithms.
Human Oversight
  • Manufacturers must ensure that human operators can understand, intervene, or override the AI system.
  • Manufacturer must have explicit design features, documentation, and training materials to enable human oversight.
Robustness, Accuracy & Cybersecurity
  • AI systems must maintain accuracy and performance throughout their lifecycle.
  • Real-world data often differs from training environments, impacting performance.
  • Cybersecurity risks increase with connected AI-enabled medical devices (e.g., remote updates, API access).
Continuous Learning & Software Updates
  • Many AI systems are adaptive or continuously learning, which conflicts with the static certification model under EU MDR and the EU AI Act.
  • Challenge: Validation & monitoring of that changes postdeployment.
Technical Documentation & Traceability
  • Manufacturers must produce detailed documentation about:
  • Model architecture
  • Training/testing data
  • Risk management
  • Logging and traceability mechanisms
  • These are not always readily available for third-party or opensource AI components.
Post-Market Monitoring
  • Requires active surveillance of AI model performance, bias, and safety over time.
  • Need for data pipelines, feedback loops, and incident reporting mechanisms tailored to AI.
Notified Body Expertise Gaps
  • Many Notified Bodies lack AI-specific expertise.
  • Manufacturers may face delays or inconsistencies in conformity assessment procedures.
  • Ongoing need for capacity building among conformity assessment entities.
Ethical and Fundamental Rights Compliance
  • AI must respect human dignity, privacy, non-discrimination, and autonomy (restricted from AI prohibited practices as per EU AI Act). In case of High-Risk AI model/ system it becomes complicated to demonstrate the above features for the AI involved in life-and-death decisions, triage, or behavior prediction.
Cost & Time of Compliance
  • Compliance adds substantial regulatory, engineering, and legal costs.
  • Small or medium manufacturers may find this particularly resource-intensive.

Conformity Assessment Strategy for AI-enabled Medical Device (AIMD)

When an AI system is integrated into a medical device or constitutes a standalone AI-enabled medical device, the conformity assessment process is not handled separately under the EU AI Act. Instead, it is embedded within the existing regulatory pathway defined by the EU Medical Device Regulation (MDR 2017/745) or In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation (IVDR 2017/746).

Conformity Assessment Strategy for AI-enabled

Compliance Checklist for Deployers, Manufacturers, and Providers of General-Purpose, and High-Risk AI systems

Compliance Checklist for Deployers, Manufacturers, and Providers (1)

Conclusion

The EU AI Act (2024/1689) marks a transformative step in establishing a robust and harmonized robust regulatory framework for artificial intelligence across the European Union. For the healthcare sector particularly medical device manufacturers integrating AI, this regulation introduces not only new compliance obligations but also opportunities to drive innovation within a well-defined legal and ethical structure.

By adopting a risk-based approach, the Act ensures that AI systems, especially those used in critical sectors like healthcare, are subject to appropriate oversight and accountability. It mandates transparent, safe, and human-centric AI while promoting public trust and technological progress.

To meet these evolving expectations, manufacturers, developers, and deployers of AI systems must align their internal processes with both existing medical device regulations (e.g., EU MDR/IVDR) and AI-specific obligations under this new law.

Proactive compliance will involve:

  • Integrating regulatory requirements early in the design and development phase
  • Investing in technical documentation and risk governance
  • Leveraging recognized standards to establish traceability and conformity
  • Promoting AI literacy and human oversight across all operational levels

Ultimately, the EU AI Act not only safeguards individuals but also lays the foundation for sustainable and responsible digital health innovation, supporting the ethical use of AI while enabling Europe to lead in the global AI landscape.

About the Authors

Sathish Kumar

Sathish Kumar Thiagarajan is a seasoned Controls & Automation Engineer with over 18 years of global experience in managing large-scale industrial automation projects involving PLCs, SCADA, and Drives. He specializes in optimizing technical workflows, ensuring regulatory compliance, and leading cross-functional teams to deliver seamless IT/OT integration solutions. Known for enhancing operational efficiency and driving cost-effective innovations, his expertise helps shape transformative strategies in industrial automation.


Srinivasu Parupalli

Srinivasu Parupalli is an experienced Systems Engineer with expertise in program management and delivery across multiple domains, including Industry 4.0, Manufacturing, Embedded Systems, IoT, Software Applications Development, and Cloud Integrations. He has extensive experience in end-to-end product development and has been instrumental in building and training teams on emerging technologies such as Ignition, Solumina, Aveva, and SCADA systems for deployment in diverse customer projects. With a strong background in industrial automation, he has worked across various industries, including Manufacturing, Energy, Utilities, Healthcare, and Process Automation, developing MES, SCADA, and HMI solutions integrated with other applications. His expertise lies in customer engagement, requirements analysis, and risk management, ensuring the successful execution of complex automation projects.


shutterstock_2486517429

About the Author

Abhishek Kumar-2

Abhishek Kumar
Subject Matter Expert in Medical Device Regulatory and Quality Assurance

Abhishek Kumar is a Subject Matter Expert in Medical Device Regulatory and Quality Assurance with over 14 years of experience. He has led the EU MDR 2017/745 sustenance program, managed multiple global engagements for top medical device companies, and supported the gap assessment, remediation, and submission of 70+ technical documents across EU MDR, ASEAN MDD, NMPA (China), Taiwan, and 10+ 510(k) submissions. He has authored 40+ Clinical Evaluation Reports (CERs) for Class I–III devices in line with MEDDEV 2.7.1 Rev-4 and developed proposals for market access in the U.S., Europe, and APAC (including ASEAN, China, Taiwan, and Japan). He also prepared and implemented regulatory plans for new product development across 90+ countries through feasibility analysis and cross-functional coordination.

About Cyient

Cyient (Estd: 1991, NSE: CYIENT) delivers intelligent engineering solutions across products, plants, and networks for over 300 global customers, including 30% of the top 100 global innovators. As a company, Cyient is committed to designing a culturally inclusive, socially responsible, and environmentally sustainable tomorrow together with our stakeholders.

For more information, please visit www.cyient.com