Transformer-based Topology Optimization

Abstract: Topology optimization enables the design of highly efficient and complex structures, but conventional iterative methods, such as SIMP-based approaches, often suffer from high computational costs and sensitivity to initial conditions. Although machine learning methods have recently shown promise for accelerating topology generation, existing models either remain iterative or struggle to match ground-truth performance. In this work, we propose a transformer-based machine learning model for topology optimization that embeds critical boundary and loading conditions directly into the tokenized domain representation via a class token mechanism. We implement this model on static and dynamic datasets, using transfer learning and FFT encoding of dynamic loads to improve our performance on the dynamic dataset. Auxiliary loss functions are introduced to promote the realism and manufacturability of the generated designs. We conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the model's performance, including compliance error, volume fraction error, floating material percentage, and load discrepancy error, and benchmark it against state-of-the-art non-iterative and iterative generative models. Our results demonstrate that the proposed model approaches the fidelity of diffusion-based models while remaining iteration-free, offering a significant step toward real-time, high-fidelity topology generation.