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S1 Ep 5: From Rockets to Design Revolution: Sohrab's Engineering Journey
Ever wondered why design software hasn't kept pace with our AI revolution? Sohrab Haghighat, aerospace engineer turned entrepreneur, is tackling this exact problem with his startup Hestus, bringing genuine intelligence to CAD systems that have remained fundamentally unchanged for decades.
The frustration will sound familiar to anyone who's designed hardware: you have a brilliant concept, but getting it from your mind into reality means endless hours wrestling with test equipment design, manufacturing constraints, and assembly relationships. As Roopinder explains, "The computer-aided part wasn't in Computer-Aided Design." Hestus aims to change that by creating AI that thinks like an experienced engineer, anticipating your needs and automating the tedious aspects of design work.
What makes Hestas' approach unique is their focus on practical, manufacturable solutions rather than the flashy but impractical "blobby shapes" often produced by generative design. Zorab points out that many current AI design tools create structures that look impressive but prove impossible or prohibitively expensive to manufacture. His team is building AI that understands manufacturing methods, tolerancing, and assembly requirements—essentially putting a manufacturing engineer in the box with you.
The potential impact is enormous. Hardware development cycles that typically stretch over years could be compressed to months, allowing engineers to focus on creativity and innovation rather than documentation and constraint management. For companies trying to bring products to market faster and more efficiently, this represents a genuine competitive advantage.
Beyond his professional life, Zorab plays soccer with his seven-year-old son and does ballroom dancing with his wife, a chemist who became his co-founder in a previous rocket company venture.
Ready to see how AI should be used to transform your design workflow? Listen now to explore the future of engineering tools and discover how smart sketching is just the beginning of a complete revolution in using AI in CAD.
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By RoopinderEver wondered why design software hasn't kept pace with our AI revolution? Sohrab Haghighat, aerospace engineer turned entrepreneur, is tackling this exact problem with his startup Hestus, bringing genuine intelligence to CAD systems that have remained fundamentally unchanged for decades.
The frustration will sound familiar to anyone who's designed hardware: you have a brilliant concept, but getting it from your mind into reality means endless hours wrestling with test equipment design, manufacturing constraints, and assembly relationships. As Roopinder explains, "The computer-aided part wasn't in Computer-Aided Design." Hestus aims to change that by creating AI that thinks like an experienced engineer, anticipating your needs and automating the tedious aspects of design work.
What makes Hestas' approach unique is their focus on practical, manufacturable solutions rather than the flashy but impractical "blobby shapes" often produced by generative design. Zorab points out that many current AI design tools create structures that look impressive but prove impossible or prohibitively expensive to manufacture. His team is building AI that understands manufacturing methods, tolerancing, and assembly requirements—essentially putting a manufacturing engineer in the box with you.
The potential impact is enormous. Hardware development cycles that typically stretch over years could be compressed to months, allowing engineers to focus on creativity and innovation rather than documentation and constraint management. For companies trying to bring products to market faster and more efficiently, this represents a genuine competitive advantage.
Beyond his professional life, Zorab plays soccer with his seven-year-old son and does ballroom dancing with his wife, a chemist who became his co-founder in a previous rocket company venture.
Ready to see how AI should be used to transform your design workflow? Listen now to explore the future of engineering tools and discover how smart sketching is just the beginning of a complete revolution in using AI in CAD.