PicoGK — a compact and robust open-source geometry kernel for Computational Engineering

LEAP 71 is committed to Free and Open-Source Software (FOSS). We believe, that foundational technologies, like many computer algorithms, programming languages, and increasingly AI models, should be free for everyone and available in source code form. The computational geometry kernel that lies at the basis of Computational Engineering, is such a technology.

PicoGK (“peacock”) is a compact geometry kernel tailor-made for Computational Engineering. All of LEAP 71’s Computational Engineering Models and the resulting objects are based on PicoGK. PicoGK incorporates other Free and Open-Source projects, notably OpenVDB. The PicoGK viewer is based on GLFW, an open-source 3D user interface toolkit.

PicoGK stands for Pico (tiny) Geometry Kernel and provides an intentionally reduced but robust instruction set that can be used by Computational Engineering Models. LEAP 71 is committed to providing more open-source code in the future, to enable wide-spread adoption of this new paradigm, which, we think, is going to change the profession of engineering forever.

The first module that we are releasing in addition to PicoGK, is the LEAP 71 ShapeKernel, an abstraction layer for computational geometry, that makes it easier to build sophisticated parts.

The fundamental PicoGK Runtime module is written in C++. The higher level PicoGK code and the LEAP 71 ShapeKernel are written in C#, an elegant, high-performance, strongly-typed language, which gives us the power and confidence to create sophisticated algorithms that generate advanced technical objects.

PicoGK is actively developed and maintained by LEAP 71, and available for free under the permissive Apache 2.0 open-source license, which allows both commercial and non-commercial use.

By making PicoGK and other parts of our technology stack widely available, we hope to contribute to the adoption of this new paradigm and start building an active community of Computational Engineers.

To explore the PicoGK source code and get started, please head over to the LEAP 71 GitHub.

Explore

Energy use of #datacenters will continue to rise in the coming years, as #ai models are trained. Water cooling of electronics, directly at the component level, can dramatically reduce the energy required for cooling.

Lots of connectors and instrumentation ports on this 5kN thruster. Designed with our #ComputationalEngineering Model for space propulsion, RP/CEM.

Getting ready to move rocket thruster development to a new level, using our #ComputationalEngineering Model for space propulsion RP/CEM.

Let’s build some #turbomachinery

That satisfying feeling when the parts emerge from the #3dprinter - thanks @mimotechnik for another great print of a large #heatexchanger created through our #ComputationalEngineering Model.

With the #cherryblossoms in full bloom while we are visiting Japan, we couldn’t resist posting a #quasicrystal #sakura edition.

Industrial #3dprinting enables us to build electric motors that are significantly more capable than conventional ones. Our #ComputationalEngineering Model for electric actuation EA/CEM can generate highly sophisticated motor geometries flexibly and automatically.

We #opensourced the #ComputationalEngineering Model for this heat exchanger a while ago. Check it out on our GitHub.

#eidmubarak to all our friends in the #uae. Islamic scholars created the patterns that led to the discovery of #quasicrystals - let’s harness the power of these structures for #ComputationalEngineering.

Want to use aperiodic tiling and quasi-crystalline structures for engineering? We just released an #opensource library for this on our #github

Big thank you to @mimotechnik for this beautiful #fdm #multimaterial print (@bambulab_official) of our spherical electric motor prototype. Built through #computationalengineering.

Let’s harness the interesting properties of #quasicrystals for engineering structures.

Extended RP/CEM family picture. The tiny 3.5kN engine is the newest output of our algorithm. Looking forward to a hot fire soon. #ComputationalEngineering

#ComputationalEngineering Models easily create complex piping systems and manifolds and can reroute and reconfigure them in seconds when inputs change.

We like to explore new #spacepropulsion systems such as #aerospike and #rde - many of these designs require a #ComputationalEngineering approach to be feasible

Heat exchangers are critical components in many industries. We are building a very broad #ComputationalEngineering Model for many different types and applications.

Our #computationalengineering model for space propulsion in action.

We are very excited to announce our collaboration with @solideonusa on the production of large-scale space systems and infrastructure. @big_seun_

Let’s print some #aluminum #heatexchangers

A touch of color.

Excited to announce our collaboration with @mimotechnik and Astro Test Labs to produce fully qualified metal aerospace parts in the US.

Here is a cut through a small #coaxialswirl injector head, optimized for liquid oxygen and isopropanol - designed by our #ComputationalEngineering Model for space #propulsion, RP/CEM.

One of the outputs of our #ComputationalEngineering Model for #turbomachinery components.

#heatexchanger with a twist generated by our #ComputationalEngineering model (CEM)