Semantic Web based innovative design knowledge modeling for collaborative design

This paper describes a study about how to use the Semantic Web technologies for innovative design knowledge modeling in a multi-agent distributed design environment. Semantic Web based knowledge modeling for innovative design is proposed as prelude to the meaningful agent communication and knowledge reuse for collaborative work among multidisciplinary organizations. A model for innovative design is proposed at first, based on which a knowledge schema is brought forward. For sharing the design knowledge among an internet-based or distributed work team, even globally, A RDF-based knowledge model is presented to realize its representation on Semantic Web. A Semantic Web based repository for innovative design and its API for topper Semantic Web applications have been also constructed. The proposed knowledge modeling extends traditional product modeling with capabilities of innovative design, knowledge sharing and distributed problem solving, and is employed as a content language within the messages in the proposed multi-agent system architecture. The proposed approach is viewed as a promising knowledge management method that facilitates the implementation of computer supported cooperative work in innovative design of Semantic Web applications.     

A knowledge intensive multi-agent framework for cooperative/collaborative design modeling and decision support of assemblies

Multi-agent modeling has emerged as a promising discipline for dealing with decision making process in distributed information system applications. One of such applications is the modeling of distributed design or manufacturing processes which can link up various designs or manufacturing processes to form a virtual consortium on a global basis. This paper proposes a novel knowledge intensive multi-agent cooperative/collaborative framework for concurrent intelligent design and assembly planning, which integrates product design, design for assembly, assembly planning, assembly system design, and assembly simulation subjected to econo-technical evaluations. An AI protocol based method is proposed to facilitate the integration of intelligent agents for assembly design, planning, evaluation and simulation process. A unified class of knowledge intensive Petri nets is defined using the O-O knowledge-based Petri net approach and used as an AI protocol for handling both the integration and the negotiation problems among multi-agents. The detailed cooperative/collaborative mechanism and algorithms are given based on the knowledge objects cooperation formalisms. As such, the assembly-oriented design system can easily be implemented under the multi-agent-based knowledge-intensive Petri net framework with concurrent integration of multiple cooperative knowledge sources and software. Thus, product design and assembly planning can be carried out simultaneously and intelligently in an entirely computer-aided concurrent design and assembly planning system.     

基于WEB的协同论证决策支持系统

针对复杂产品研制过程中的总体方案论证,研究新环境、新技术和新条件下支持总体方案论证的决策支持系统。采用先进的计算机支持协同工作技术和广泛应用的WEB技术,构建一种科学合理的复杂产品论证方法。提出了基于WEB的复杂产品协同论证决策支持系统的总体构思,给出了该系统的总体框架、运作流程及核心技术。该系统可以使不同地域不同领域的专家应用异地分布的各种资源在网络环境下对复杂产品的总体方案进行交互协同论证,这对提高论证工作的科学性与合理性,拓展工作的方法和手段有重要的指导作用。     

基于协同虚拟环境的装配设计系统

针对分布式环境中复杂产品协同开发的装配设计需求,研究基于协同虚拟环境的装配设计系统的体系结构和关键技术,提出分布式条件下支持多用户实时交互操作的协同虚拟装配方法,包括复杂场景高分辨率实时渲染和多通道沉浸输出方案。以此为基础开发分布式协同虚拟装配环境,并通过面向汽车整车的多用户协同虚拟装配实例验证了系统的有效性。结果证明,用户可在该系统中完成复杂产品的协同虚拟装配设计工作。     

基于上下文的分布式协同过滤推荐技术

针对传统协同过滤推荐技术应用于大规模动态数据集时难以兼顾准确度和效率的问题,提出一种基于上下文的分布式协同过滤推荐技术,引入推荐上下文的概念,并在此基础上充分考虑用户的即时兴趣以提高推荐的准确度,采用评分矩阵的分布式存储和计算以提高推荐的效率。实验结果表明,该分布式协同过滤技术能同时保证推荐的准确度和效率,使其在大规模动态数据集上的应用更具优势。     

An online collaborative semiconductor yield forecasting system

Yield forecasting is a very important task to a semiconductor manufacturing factory which is a typical group-decision-making environment. Namely, many experts will gather to predict the yields of products collaboratively. To enhance both the precision and accuracy of collaborative semiconductor yield forecasting, an online expert system is constructed in this study. The collaborative semiconductor yield forecasting system adopts the client–server architecture, and therefore the necessity for all experts to gather at the same place is relaxed, which is especially meaningful for a multiple-factory case. To demonstrate the applicability of the collaborative semiconductor yield forecasting system, an experimental system has been constructed and applied to two random-access-memory products in a real semiconductor manufacturing factory. Both the precision and accuracy of forecasting the yields of the two products were significantly improved. Besides, the collaborative semiconductor yield forecasting system was also considered as a convenient platform for the product engineers or quality control staff from different factories to share their opinions about the yield improvement process of a product being manufacturing with the same technology in multiple factories.     

A self-configurable large-scale virtual manufacturing environment for collaborative designers

As manufacturing environments are getting distributed and increasing in size, the related virtual environments are getting larger and more closely networked together. This trend has led to a new paradigm—large-scale virtual manufacturing environment (LSVME). It supports networked and distributed virtual manufacturing to meet manufacturing system requirements. Since it contains a large number of virtual components, an effective data structure and collaborative construction methodology are needed. A metaearth architecture is proposed as the data structure for representing LSVME. This architecture consists of virtual space layer, mapping layer, library layer and ontology layers, which describe interaction among virtual components and has the ability to analyze the characteristics of virtual environment. In addition, it increases reusability of virtual components and supports self-reconfiguration for manufacturing simulation. A heuristic construction method based on graph theory is proposed using this architecture. It prevents redundant design of virtual components and contributes to an effective construction scheduling technique for collaborative designers.     

A collaborative Design for Usability approach supported by Virtual Reality and a Multi-Agent System embedded in a PLM environment

This paper details a collaborative workstation design approach integrating knowledge based on engineering process, using a Multi-Agent System (MAS) on a Virtual Reality (VR) platform. The MAS supports R&D teams to extract and re-use engineering knowledge so as to improve their efficiency in developing new products. Our research targets the development of a knowledge engineering system integrated into a PLM-Product Life cycle Management-environment linked with virtual reality tools. A PLM is a strategic business approach with a consistent set of methodologies and software solutions. It is meant to promote collaborative creation, management, delivery and proper use of this life cycle definition and information product in multinational companies. This system is used by engineers to carry out projects in a collective way while conveying a defined process. The MAS allows capitalization, and to annotate knowledge according to the actions of the designers inside a PLM environment. Then, this knowledge is used by VR tools to analyze various aspects of the virtual prototype such as manufacturing, maintenance, reliability or ergonomics. Consequently, we use expert knowledge to pilot the design process of a virtual prototype inside a three-dimensional immersive virtual reality platform. In this context, our paper describes our knowledge management approach applied to improve ergonomics and collaborative design in industrial areas.     

Integration of manufacturing services into virtual environments over the internet

Virtual reality (VR) is a rapidly developing technology that has a wide spectrum of industrial and commercial applications. Networked (distributed or shared) virtual environments (VE) are of growing interest to modern manufacturing industry; a dominating use of networked virtual manufacturing environments (VMEs) is on-line visualisation and collaborative control of 3D information. This has to be supported by real-time data transfer. To meet a broad range of common requirements for Internet-based VE communications, particularly for virtual manufacturing and collaborative design and control, this paper presents a networked virtual environment system that is designed to support networked virtual design and manufacturing. The system is implemented with manufacturing message specification (MMS) standards so as to integrate a range of manufacturing services into networked VEs over the Internet.     

VirtuE: a formal model of virtual enterprises for information markets

A vital part of a modern economy is an information market. In this market, information products are being traded in countless ways. Information is bought, modified, integrated, incorporated into other products, and then sold again. Often, the manufacturing of an information product requires the collaboration of several participants. A virtual enterprise is a community of business entities that collaborate on the manufacturing of complex products. This collaboration is often ad hoc, for a specific product only, after which the virtual enterprise may dismantle. The virtual enterprise paradigm is particularly appealing for modeling collaborations for manufacturing information products, and in this paper we present a new model, called VirtuE, for modeling such activities. VirtuE has three principal components. First, it defines a distributed infrastructure with concepts such as members, products, inventories, and production plans. Second, it defines transactions among members, to enable collaborative production of complex products. Finally, it provides means for the instrumentation of enterprises, to measure their performance and to govern their behavior.     

A system design framework-driven implementation of a learning collaboratory

This paper describes a design process to support the development of a learning collaboratory, a distributed, computer-based, virtual space for learning and work. A learning collaboratory, as a distributed distance learning environment, offers great opportunities to expand the way people teach and learn and to broaden educational opportunities to an ever increasing range of learners. The challenge is to design distance learning technologies that engender meaningful learning experiences that take full advantage of the power of computer-mediated communication to support innovative learner-centered and collaborative interactions between students, teachers, subject experts, and resources. First, the paper describes the learning collaboratory design framework (LUCIDIFY), a design process that integrates methods and concepts from cognitive systems engineering, theories of learning and instruction, distributed computing, and computer-supported collaborative learning to guide the principled design of learning collaboratories. Next, the paper describes how LUCIDIFY was used in the design and implementation of the collaborative learning environment for operational systems (CLEOS), a learning collaboratory for teachers, students, and practitioners in the physical sciences. CLEOS features two virtual instrument tutorials, an asynchronous messaging system, a project-based design and management application, and a collaborative multi-user domain infrastructure.     

A distributed collaborative product design environment based on semantic norm model and role-based access control

With the boom of Internet Technology, it becomes possible to combine designers from different disciplines into one team to support product design globally. In this paper, a distributed collaborative product design environment is presented to support top-down process oriented product design. In conceptual design stage, the artifact is managed by semantic norm model (SNM). In SNM, the designers can define virtual components at early design stage and instantiate those components at later detailed design stage. By role-based access control (RBAC), different roles with corresponding permissions could be assigned to distributed designers, and the designers could concurrently modify different components of the product relevant to his or her roles. Based on the SNM and RBAC system, a distributed collaborative product design environment is developed and the top-down oriented product design process is demonstrated.     

A communication technology for internet-based collaboration optimization for distributed structural systems

Along with development of incorporation of world economy, collaborative design and collaborative manufacture of enterprises often occur. Subsystems of a complex product system are often analyzed and optimized individually by different design units distributed at different places. In order to find the optimum designs of overall product systems automatically, the internet-based global coordinating optimization is necessary. In this paper, an email-based communication technology of global coordinative optimization of distributed structural systems is proposed, and its realizing approach, communication, process control, practical software and application example are presented.     

基于虚拟样机的协同设计技术

基于虚拟样机的协同设计技术是将协同设计技术应用到虚拟样机的开发过程中 ,可以大大简化机械产品的设计开发过程 ,大幅度缩短产品开发周期和降低开发费用 ,提高产品的系统级性能 ,获得最优化和创新的设计产品。针对虚拟样机技术的特点及其与协同设计的关系 ,提出虚拟样机协同设计的方法 ,并对虚拟样机协同设计环境基本结构及实现方案进行了介绍     

网络化产品协同设计的理论与实践

网络化产品协同设计是实施先进制造的重要支撑技术,该文在分析其研究现状和特点的基础上,提出了基于中介代理的联邦式协同机制和基于约束松弛的协同递归式设计模式,为分布式协同设计的有效运作和基于知识的协同求解提供了一种理论依据。设计并开发了相应的网络化协同设计支持系统——CoDesignSpace,给出了系统的体系结构和实施方法。     

Sharing your view: A distributed user interface approach for reviewing emergency plans

Emergency planning is an ongoing activity in which a multidisciplinary group of experts intermittently collaborate to define the most appropriate response to risks. One of the most important tasks of emergency planning is the review of plans as a way of maintaining, refining, and improving them. This review of plans is based on exchanging knowledge and experiences in order to take into account different perspectives and generate alternative solutions. An exploratory case study carried out within municipal organizations has disclosed how the application of rigid plan reviewing practices hinders team creativity and, consequently, effective decision-making. This paper presents a computer-based collaborative environment aimed at supporting unstructured team discussion during the post-hoc review of emergency plan. This collaborative environment allows emergency planning team members to share their view in a free manner by interacting with user interface components distributed across several input and output dimensions. The usage of the environment has proved how the application of new interactive technologies can create more dynamic work settings, fostering team creativity.     

基于本体和粗糙集的协同产品设计知识约简

协同产品设计具有知识来源广、知识类型复杂多样等特点。为简化产品设计知识库并从中有效地提取出对产品设计人员有价值的知识,提出了基于本体和粗糙集的协同产品设计知识约简方法。首先通过引入本体技术对设计知识进行本体建模、显式定义语义和统一表达,以增加产品设计知识的语义;然后通过决策属性的正域及核求解等知识约简方法将设计知识库中对设计人员不重要的、冗余的知识进行约简,精练设计知识库,分析并求解出了约简后知识库中知识的依赖度,从而为设计人员选取与设计密切相关的知识提供依据。最后以汽车发动机的协同设计为例介绍了本文的方法。     

冲压产品异地协同设计/制造系统

运用IDEF0过程建模方法构建冲压产品异地协同设计／制造系统过程模型,着重论述了协同工作中知识获取、基于广义框架／规则模式的知识表示、基于应用单元概念的知识引用和基于层次的CSCW工具集成等关键技术．在此基础上,提出了系统的层次体系结构,从而形成比较完善的冲压产品协同设计／制造环境．系统充分体现了IDEF0结构分析方法、CSCW方法学、知识工程和CAx的有机结合．通过实际应用,该系统能有效地提高相关企业的冲压产品协同设计／制造能力．     

航空制造业虚拟企业协作平台设计研究

航空制造业虚拟企业的生产计划和控制有赖于联盟企业的信息协作。虚拟企业协作平台使航空制造业生产网络内部不同企业主体之间的知识与技术的传递与转移机制与路径得以实现。本文设计的CSSCM平台提供的企业服务和项目服务,主要功能有保障全局信息与共享信息的传递与转移,内部信息的控制和维护,同时其协同管理的功能能将分布式协同项目管理与协作支持技术进行有机的结合,有力地保障航空制造业虚拟企业间信息的处理与传递。     

Application of genetic algorithm to computer-aided process planning in distributed manufacturing environments

In a distributed manufacturing environment, factories possessing various machines and tools at different geographical locations are often combined to achieve the highest production efficiency. When jobs requiring several operations are received, feasible process plans are produced by those factories available. These process plans may vary due to different resource constraints. Therefore, obtaining an optimal or near-optimal process plan becomes important. This paper presents a genetic algorithm (GA), which, according to prescribed criteria such as minimizing processing time, could swiftly search for the optimal process plan for a single manufacturing system as well as distributed manufacturing systems. By applying the GA, the computer-aided process planning (CAPP) system can generate optimal or near-optimal process plans based on the criterion chosen. Case studies are included to demonstrate the feasibility and robustness of the approach. The main contribution of this work lies with the application of GA to CAPP in both a single and distributed manufacturing system. It is shown from the case study that the approach is comparative or better than the conventional single-factory CAPP.