About

Raffi Tchakerian

EN

Raffi Tchakerian is a designer, researcher, and educator with vast experience in several fields of design amongst which aerospace, aviation, robotics, product, humanitarian and interaction design. He has acquired the ability to transform thoughts into tangible solutions made possible thanks to cross-fertilizations, spin-in’s and spin-off’s between these various fields, with the goal of improving the interactions between humans, tools and technologies they use as their extensions, and the environments in which they live with which they interact. Graduated in Industrial Design at the Iuav University of Venice in 2008, followed by a Masters in Product Design in 2010 with honors with a final thesis project on aerospace design. Starting from his graduate degree years until 2015 he collaborates with the international design studio Architecture and Vision and the Space Architects Arturo Vittori and Andreas Vogler, contributing to design projects of different natures and scales ranging from the deserts to space developed inside the studio. After his master’s degree, Tchakerian becomes a Ph.D. candidate in Design Sciences at the Iuav School of Doctoral Studies, graduating with honors with a final dissertation on aerospace design in 2014. Since 2009 Tchakerian has taught several courses and workshops in Italy, San Marino, the USA, Ethiopia, Kuwait, and Lebanon.

In 2018, Tchakerian moves to Dubai becoming one of the founding faculty members at the Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation where he currently teaches. Some of his tasks include creating the Foundation program in collaboration with MIT and Parsons, creating the advanced 3rd year Product Design workshop “Design and Manufacture” which currently focuses on robotic manufacturing, managing the setup of the Fab Lab with its tools and machinery, including a Kuka KR-150 Robotic Arm. He is currently the Head of Robotics Research Department and focuses on research of Additive Manufacturing for In-situ resource utilization, he is also the coordinator of the Thesis Program since 2021.

IT

Raffi Tchakerian è laureato in disegno industriale presso l’Università Iuav di Venezia e ha conseguito un master in product design nel 2010 con lode con un progetto di tesi sul design aerospaziale. A partire dagli anni della laurea fino al 2015, ha collaborato con lo studio internazionale di design Architecture and Vision e gli Space Architects Arturo Vittori e Andreas Vogler, contribuendo a progetti di diversa natura, che vanno dai deserti allo spazio. Dopo il master nel 2014, ottiene un dottorato di ricerca in scienze del design presso la Scuola di Dottorato Iuav, laureandosi con lode con una tesi in design aerospaziale. Nel 2018 si trasferisce a Dubai, diventando uno dei membri fondatori della facoltà presso il Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation (DIDI), dove attualmente insegna.

رافي تشاكيريان

يحظى المصمم الصناعي في مجال القطاع الفضائي والجوي رافي تشاكيريان بخبرةٍ طويلةٍ في مجموعة واسعة من مجالات التصميم بما في ذلك الفضاء والطيران والطب والتصميم الإنساني وتصميم المنتجات والتصميم التفاعلي والروبوتات. ونظراً لإمكانياته المتميزة على تحويل الأفكار النظرية إلى نتائج عملية ملموسة؛ كان من الطبيعي أن يتم تنمية وتغذية عمله من خلال دمج ومواءمة جميع هذه المجالات المختلفة مع بعضها بغية تحسين التفاعل بين الإنسان والتكنولوجيا التي يستخدمها والبيئات التي يعيش ضمنها. وتنعكس رؤيته الإبداعية المبتكرة في معظم مشاريعه التي تبدو غنيةً بالألوان وتتطرق إلى كافة مجالات التصميم الممكنة انطلاقاً من الفضاء وصولاً إلى العالم المتنامي. وقد تعاون تشاكيريان خلال العقد المنصرم مع عدد كبير من رواد التصميم في العالم أبرزهم استديو التصميم ’آركيتكتشر آند فيجن‘، ومهندسَي العمارة الفضائية أرتورو فيتوري وأندرياس فوجلر.

Publications

2022 | Biomimicry and biodesign for innovation in future space colonization
Montana-Hoyos, C., Daneluzzo, M., Tchakerian, R., Patel, S. V., & Morais, R. L. (2022). Biomimicry and biodesign for innovation in future space colonization. In Biomimicry for Aerospace (pp. 3–39). Elsevier. Doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-821074-1.00012-8
2022 | A Study of Ambient Sensing as a Strategy against Monotony and Boredom in Space
Tchakerian, R., Morais, R., Patel, S.V., Cropper, S. J., (2022). A Study of Ambient Sensing as a Strategy against Monotony and Boredom in Space. In Journal of Space Safety Engineering. Doi: 10.1016/j.jsse.2022.05.009
2020 | Ambient Sensing & Elicitation of Human Affective States To Combat Monotony & Boredom in Space
Tchakerian, R., Morais, R., Patel, S. v., & Cropper, S. J. (2020). Ambient Sensing and Elicitation of Human Affective States To Combat Monotony and Boredom in Space. 71st International Astronautical Congress (IAC).
2020 |The Emoting City – Designing feeling and artificial empathy in mediated environments
Patel, Sayjel & Tchakerian, Raffi & Morais, Renata & Zhang, Jie & Cropper, Simon. (2020). The Emoting City – Designing feeling and artificial empathy in mediated environments. 261-270. 10.52842/conf.ecaade.2020.2.261.
2019 | Design is key to beating monotony on long trips to Mars or the Moon
Tchakerian, R.. (2019, March 3). Design is key to beating monotony on long trips to Mars or the Moon. The National.
2013 | Entrepreneurial Space Industry: The Role of Design in a Newly Emerging Socio-Technical System
Tchakerian, R. (2013). Entrepreneurial Space Industry: The Role of Design in a Newly Emerging Socio-Technical System. Iuav University of Venice.
2010 | Design Beyond Earth: Inflatable Modular Space Habitat
Tchakerian, Raffi. (2010). Design Beyond Earth: Inflatable Modular Space Habitat. Iuav University of Venice.

Talks

2022 | The Places of Living
Percorsi Assisi, Assisi, Italy
2021 | Designers for Aerospace

Maker Faire 2021, Rome, Italy, Opening Conference Speaker
2019 | Redefining Design Education
Maker Faire 2019, Rome, Italy, Conference Speaker
2019 | Living On Mars
Saudi Design Week 2019 | Riyadh
2019 | Elastic Societies
Nuqat, Kuwait, Kuwait City
2019 | Moderating a talk with Brendan McGetrick – Creative Director, Museum of the Future
Audi Innovation Talks, Dubai Design Week 2019, Dubai, UAE
2019 | The Role of Design in Space
Saudi Design Week, Riyadh, KSA
2019 | Design in Space
Apple Store, Dubai Mall, Dubai, UAE
2019 | Aerospace Design and Design Education Talk
National Science, Technology and Innovation Festival | Dubai
2019 | DIDI and Designing for Space
Live 13 March on Dubai 103.8 FM
2018 | Moderating a talk with Paul Priestman “Priestman Goode”
Audi Innovation Talks, Dubai Design Week 2018, Dubai
2018 | Assisted Interview with Former NASA Administrator Charles Bolden with Diana Nemeh from MBC
MBC Studios, Dubai Studio City
2018 | The Lebanese Space Race

MakerBrane, UK-Lebanon Tech Hub, Beirut, Lebanon
2017 | The Space Race of Lebanon
AGBU AYA Demirdjian Center, Beirut, Lebanon
2016 | Reviving the Lebanese Space Program
BDL Accelerate 2016, Beirut, Lebanon
2014 | Drones for Agriculture
University of San Marino, San Marino Repubblic
2012 | Warka Water
EiABC Institute, Addis Ababa
2011 | The revolution of Arduino: Robotics for All
Science Festival, Genoa, Italy, with Massimo Banzi co-inventor of Arduino and Massimilliano Caretti from the CNR
2011 | MineSweeperOne at ArduinoDay
CNR Headquarters, Rome
2010 | Rhino Day User Meeting
Padua DAUR dep, Italy, with Dario Martini