assoc. prof. Nikola Vukašinović PhD.

Phone: +386 1 4771 437
E-mail:
Office: 416

Short CV

Nikola Vukašinović graduated in 2004 and received his PhD in 2010 from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ljubljana. He is currently an Associate Professor and is Head of the Laboratory for Engineering Design - LECAD.

At the undergraduate level he teaches the courses “Computer-aided modelling of geometry”, “Technical drawing and computer-aided modelling of geometry”, “Engineering-design methodology” and “Reporting in mechanical engineering”, and at the postgraduate level he teaches the courses “Engineering-design techniques”, and “Research in mechanical engineering”. Since 2009 he has also been continuously co-organizing the faculty course called European Global Product Realization, which has resulted in several Erasmus projects and research publications in the field of engineering-design methods or education. The course represents a new way of teaching at the University of Ljubljana, where students from different European universities in interdisciplinary teams solve complex industrial challenges provided by companies.

His research areas include: (1) Data-driven design and new product development: using data-driven methods to define input requirements and guide the development process. Product integration with services and smart component deployment, I.e., diagnostics, data analysis, etc. Introduction of generative design and topology optimization; (2) Modern CAD tools and methods: focusing on model-based definition and its application during the entire process chain of product development, production, control and use, including their use in mixed and augmented reality. He also combines these topics with other emerging research activities, e.g., use of topology optimization in packaging design or use of 3D printing for highly customizable features of mass products.

Nikola Vukašinović has published 20 scientific articles with an SCI impact factor and published 33 articles in other scientific journals and conferences. He is also the co-author of a book: “Advanced CAD modeling: explicit, parametric, free-form CAD and re-engineering”, 2019, published by Springer.

He is a mentor of 1 completed doctoral dissertation, and mentor or co-mentor to more than sixty BSc and MSc theses. He is the author of several R&D industrial projects as well as 5 patents (2 international patents and 3 national patents), all with full examination.

Between 2019 and 2022 he was part-time employed in the IT company LIT Tranzit d.o.o. where he was responsible for the R&D of new ePaper electronic-paper-based, outdoor, ultra-low-power, digital, cloud-connected signages for real time passenger information at bus and train stations. He contributed to the development of a whole line of products for Papercast displays and set-up a team of mechanical engineers who are independently continuing his work after his return to the faculty while he collaborates with the company as an external advisor. In this period, he recruited and trained all together 7 engineers. Since then, several thousands of these displays have been produced and installed worldwide, fostering green mobility and the use of public transportation (e.g., for FlixBus, L.A. Metro, TFL London, RTA Dubai, Perth, etc.).

In May 2021 he took over the lead of the LECAD Laboratory for engineering design, which is a well-established research unit that has been working in the field of computer-aided design for 40 years. The research group is highly interdisciplinary, with researchers from mechanical engineering, physics, mathematics, computer science and industrial design. Complementary expertise is provided by selected researchers from other institutions and experts from industry. In the first year of his management, the primary objective was to consolidate the staff and maintain its diversity, and then to implement the transition to the new study program, while keeping the balance of educational and research activities for laboratory members. The main research objective at that point was to increase the competence and references of the laboratory in the field of design and CAD technologies assisted by new technologies such as artificial intelligence and data analytics, while at the same time continuing activities of HPC-supported engineering design and fusion engineering. In the area of HPC, he was also involved in the management of the faculty supercomputer.

Functions:

  • Head of the Laboratory for Engineering Design - LECAD (since 2021 to present)
  • Committee for HPC FME member (Since 2021 to present)
  • Master's Degree committee member at the UL FME (since 2021 to present)
  • Member of Erasmus Committee at the UL FME (from 2017 to 2021)
  • Member of Strategic Group SA10 at the UL FME for the internationalization of teaching and research process (from 2018 to 2021)

Membership of societies and participation on committees:

  • ASME – American Society of Mechanical Engineers
  • Design Society

Projects

2022-2027 Decentralized solutions for the digitalization of industry and smart cities and communities
2021-2023 Partnerships for Digital Education Readiness
2021-2024 Tribological characterization of modified gear wheel compounds
2018-2021 E-learning Platform for Innovative Product Development
2017-2020 Capitals of Smart Product Development

Bibliography

2024 Fatigue and wear performance of bioepoxy vacuum-infused and autoclave-cured E-glass fiber reinforced polymer composite gears in mesh with a steel pinion
2024 The effect of gear-manufacturing quality on the mechanical and thermal responses of a polymer-gear pair
2023 Agile development of polymer power transmission systems for e-mobility : a novel methodology based on an e-bike drive case study
2023 Raziskava vplivov na rast razpoke v korenu zoba polimernega zobnika
2023 COVID-19 pandemic study : ad-hoc reaction and premeditated transition of project-based product design courses
2023 The effect of center distance error on the service life of polymer gears
2023 The effect of geometrical quality on the stress-state in the plastic gear
2023 Numerical and experimental study on the correlation between wear and transmission error of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer gears cured in autoclave
2023 The effect of gear manufacturing quality on the mechanical and thermal state of a plastic gear
2023 In-situ experimental methods for measuring tooth meshing displacements and wear during polymer gear tests using a high-speed camera with microscopy optics
2022 Comprehensive areal geometric quality characterisation of injection moulded thermoplastic gears
2022 Razvoj orodja za prikaz PMI informacij na izdelku v AR okolju
2022 Data-driven engineering design : a systematic review using scientometric approach
2022 Framework for crisis-resistant engineering product development courses
2022 Exploring the KEER knowledge landscape over the past decade
2022 Storyboards as an engineering tool for extraction of functional requirements
2022 Novel alignment method for optical 3D gear metrology of spur gears with a plain borehole
2022 A new alignment technique for optical 3D gear metrology
2021 Machine learning based nominal root stress calculation model for gears with a progressive curved path of contact
2021 A method for enhanced polymer spur gear inspection based on 3D optical metrology
2021 Machine learning method for predicting the influence of scanning parameters on random measurement error
2021 Augmented reality aided inspection of gears
2021 Enhanced polymer gear inspection based on 3D optical metrology
2020 Evaluation of topology optimization and generative design tools as support for conceptual design
2020 Entrepreneurial mindset development in business and engineering education : an experiment
2020 Model-based geometric inspection of polymer spur gears
2020 Evolution of communication skills in virtual product development process : experience from EGPR
2020 Prehod v celovito opredelitev CAD-modela (MBD)
2019 Displaying product manufacturing information in augmented reality for inspection
2019 Artefakti in vzvratno inženirstvo : predstavitev razvoja 3D-modela na primeru konjenika iz Vaške situle
2019 Analysis of implementation of MBD and STEP AP242 standard into modern CAD tools
2019 Industrial needs for modern engineering knowledge in central european region : survey results
2018 Creative path to practical knowledge : case of a triple helix framework
2018 Application of knowledge management system to injection mold design and manufacturing in small enterprises
2017 Bespoke innovation : filling the gap between the classic and user-centred open innovation
2017 Evaluation of "CODEVE" methodology for teaching NPD to virtual design teams
2017 Correlation between team composition and team performance in virtual student product development teams
2017 Use of virtual mobility to facilitate modern project-based NPD education
2016 A project-based approach to learning : comparative study of two disciplines
2016 The influence of product complexity on team performance within NPD
2016 Introduction of methodology for distributed collaborative industryacademia project based learning
2016 Development of methodology for distributed collaborative design environment
2015 Razvoj in optimizacija vitla za smučanje na vodi
2015 A project-based approach to learning : comparative study of two disciplines
2015 Comparison of Indian and Central European shape contour meaning comprehension
2015 Use of MFF and concurrent engineering to develop a sustainable product : radical redesign of flushing system
2015 Multicultural issues of product development education in virtual teams
2015 Analiza in optimizacija ogrodja vakuumskih pritrdilnih elementov merilne naprave
2015 Razvoj in optimizacija vitla za smučanje na vodi
2015 Razvoj in konstruiranje premikajočega podpornega sistema za merilno napravo z analizo ključnih elementov = Research and development of the moving support system for measuring equipment with the analysis of key elements
2014 The future small home appliances as seen by the university students
2014 A decade of project based design education : is there a future?
2014 Na Fakulteti za strojništvo razvijajo ideje za nove izdelke za slovensko industrijo
2014 A concept of academia-industry collaboration to facilitate the building of technical and professional competencies in new product development
2013 Design2go - how, yes, no?
2012 Correlation between incident angle, measurement distance, object colour and the number of acquired points at CNC laser scanning
2012 A new method for defining the measurement-uncertainty model of CNC laser-triangulation scanner
2011 Student creativity and motivation in educational process - case study
2011 The influence of a company's strategy on creativity and project results in an NPD - case study
2011 Mednarodni študentski projekt - EGPR 2011 v polnem teku
2011 European student development of a global product
2010 Identification and optimization of key process parameters in noncontact laser scanning for reverse engineering
2010 Evropski študentski razvoj globalnega izdelka
2010 The influence of surface topology on the accuracy of laser triangulation scanning results = Vpliv topologije površine na natančnost meritev z laserskim triangulacijskim merilnikom oblike površin
2010 The impact of management on creativity and knowledge transfer in an academic virtual enterprise
2010 The influence of incident angle, object colour and distance on CNC laser scanning
2009 Education of NPD in virtual multi-x environments
2009 Educating future product developers in collaborative product development : lessons learned from the European-Global Product Realization (E-GPR) international course
2008 A software tool for testing algorithms for point cloud manipulation
2008 Accuracy prediction and optimization model in non-contact laser reverse engineering process
2008 Design education in virtual NPD environments
2007 Case study - surface reconstruction from point clouds for prosthesis production
2007 Process modeling of non-contact reverse engineering process
2006 Surface reconstruction from point clouds for prosthesis production
2006 Introduction of reverse engineering for students

Books

2024 Virtualna in razširjena resničnost : virtualna resničnost in Varjo Aero
2024 Skeniranje in rekonstrukcija CAD modelov iz fizičnih kosov : 3D skeniranje
2024 Skeniranje in rekonstrukcija CAD modelov iz fizičnih kosov : rekonstrukcija 3D modelov in obratni inženiring
2024 Virtualna in razširjena resničnost : razširjena resničnost, Unity in HoloLens2
2022 Računalniško modeliranje geometrije : zapiski s predavanj : za predmeta Računalniško modeliranje geometrije –VSŠ 1. Letnik, Tehnično risanje in računalniško modeliranje geometrije–UNI 1. Letnik
2022 Poročanje v strojništvu : gradiva s predavanj
2021 Laboratorijske vaje pri predmetu konstruiranje z nekovinskimi gradivi : delovni učbenik za laboratorijske vaje
2019 Advanced CAD modeling : explicit, parametric, free-form CAD and re-engineering
2013 Gradivo za vaje pri predmetu : Snovanje in razvoj izdelka

Dissertations

2010 Dejavniki za določanje geometrije teles na osnovi laserske triangulacije : doktorsko delo