Christopher McComb
Gerard G. Elia Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Director, Human+AI Design Initiative
Christopher McComb is a faculty member in Carnegie Mellon University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering. Previously, he was an assistant professor in the School of Engineering Design, Technology, and Professional Programs at Penn State. He also served as director of Penn State’s Center for Research in Design and Innovation and led its Technology and Human Research in Engineering Design Group.
He received dual B.S. degrees in civil and mechanical engineering from California State University-Fresno. He later attended Carnegie Mellon University as a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow, where he obtained his M.S. and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering.
His research interests include human social systems in design and engineering; machine learning for engineering design; human-AI collaboration and teaming; and STEM education, with funding from NSF, DARPA, and private corporations.
AI Coach
Wrangling Manufacturing Data by Using Machine Learning
Human-AI Teaming
Building Simulations to Predict Human Behavior
Education
Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University
M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University
B.S., Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, California State University-Fresno
Research Interests
- additive manufacturing
- advanced manufacturing
- agent-based modeling
- artificial intelligence
- computational engineering
- design and manufacturing
- design cognition
- design theory
- design theory, methods, and automation
- digital twins
- energy
- engineering design
- generative design
- human computer interaction
- human-centered machine learning
- human-machine teaming
- machine learning
- manufacturing workforce
- optimization
- product design
- renewable energy systems
- sociotechnical systems
- STEM education
- teamwork
Media mentions
CMU Engineering
Putting the ghost in the machine
To build AI teammates that better reflect human designers, Chris McComb is emulating cognitive styles in large language models.
the Manufacturing Futures Institute
AI generates missing parts of temperature distribution
Researchers have found a way to reconstruct the complete temperature profile in real time using only the partial data available from in situ sensors used in additive manufacturing.
Mechanical Engineering
Boeing Visiting Professorship Program facilitates new research and education opportunities
This summer, Chris McComb spent three weeks exploring AI in the aerospace industry as part of Boeing’s Visiting Professorship Program. Now, he is eager to continue the collaboration and bring students into the mix.
Autodesk
McComb investigates potential application of Large Language Models in material selection
MechE’s Christopher McComb recently investigated the potential application of Large Language Models (LLMs) in material selection.
CMU Engineering
Engineering faculty awarded professorships
Carnegie Mellon University has awarded professorships to five exceptional faculty members in the College of Engineering.
Mechanical Engineering
Out of sight, top of mind
As thawing permafrost unearths ancient disease, Chris McComb, with experts from the U.S. and Canadian gov’t, convened a working group to assess risk and outline mitigation techniques.
CMU Engineering
Head-to-head: Human vs. AI-human teams
New research from Carnegie Mellon University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Human+AI Design Initiative underlines the adage “teamwork makes the dream work,” especially when it comes to human-AI collaboration.
CMU Engineering
Mindfulness may help engineering students’ experiences with stress
Chris McComb and collaborators at Penn State, found that mindfulness based interventions (MBI) had an impact on students in an introductory engineering design course.
Mechanical Engineering
Generating better mutli-lattice transitions for manufacturing
How can engineers produce smooth transitions between lattice cells in complex structures? Combining additive manufacturing and machine learning to look at latent space endpoints may help.
ABC News
McComb weighs in on AI capabilities
MechE’s Chris McComb was interviewed about AI and its capabilities in a story by ABC News.
CMU Engineering
DfAI: The missing piece of Artificial Intelligence Engineering
Breakthrough improvements in how industries develop new technology using AI in engineering design has a starting point thanks to a framework developed by researchers at Carnegie Mellon and Penn State University.
ASME’s Journal of Mechanical Design
McComb named associate editor of JMD
MechE’s Chris McComb was named an associate editor of ASME’s Journal of Mechanical Design.