支持概念设计的电子白板系统研究

建立了一个支持概念设计的电子白板系统．该系统结合集中式和分布式的特点，采用B／S框架结构．为不同地理位置、不同学科的设计人员提供一个实时协同的工作环境，以便共同完成概念设计阶段的活动和任务，能获取、共享及重用概念设计数据，有助于设计人员在设计早期进行创新思维。     

Ideas generated in conceptual design and their effects on creativity

Search of design spaces to generate solutions affects the design outcomes during conceptual design. This research aims to understand the different types of search that occurs during conceptual design and their effect on the design outcomes. Additionally, we study the effect of other factors, such as creativity, problem-solving style, and experience of designers, on the design outcomes. Two sets of design experiments, with experienced and novice designers, are used in this study. We find that designers employ twelve different types of searches during conceptual design for problem understanding, solution generation, and solution evaluation activities. Results also suggest that creativity is influenced positively by the type and amount of searches, duration of designing, and experience of designers.     

Design of a decentralized framework for collaborative product design using memetic algorithms

This paper proposes a generalized bi-level decentralized framework to model collaborative design problems over autonomous stakeholders with each having different objectives. At the system level, a system solution derived from the Pareto concept is created. A facilitator agent is introduced to search for Pareto optimal solutions based on a Memetic Algorithm (MA). At the design disciplinary level, design agents representing design teams are introduced to optimize their own objectives. The proposed framework will guide the collaborative designers to converge to Pareto optimal solutions given any forms of design utility functions. The only information exchanged between the two levels is numerical values instead of utility functions. Therefore sensitive (private) design information can be protected. Three comparison experiments are conducted to evaluate the solution quality and explore the applicability of the proposed framework to collaborative design problems.     

A heuristic-based approach to conceptual design

In the inherently large space of design, explicating all possible concept variants—to avoid leaving out potential concepts—is astronomically costly, if at all possible. A strategy that can assist designers in exploring and ascertaining design solutions within this vast space is therefore crucial. This work adapts a general best first heuristic algorithm for applications on conceptual design problems. The algorithm is tailored to operate on a model of conceptual design postulated in this paper. The propositions are established by an ordered series of formal definitions and mathematical assertions, which characterizes the complete theoretical model. Via a simple design case study, this product conceptualization approach is demonstrated to strategically guide designers in the exploration of design concepts.     

Cognitive basis for conceptual design

Engineering design is a highly iterative process. Nevertheless, the set of solution principles obtained during the conceptual phase seems to establish the universe of discourse for that design task. The richness, fertility, and completeness of this set of solution principles critically affects the character of the design to be. This seed pool of ideas seems to shower only the gifted designers and problem solvers. The moment of creation, the breakthrough, always has an aura of mystery surrounding it. However, it is important that this process be studied empirically. This article presents an operational model of the cognitive processes at the breakthrough stage of conceptual design. The model is then used to analyze some illustrative examples. We believe that this initial operational glimpse into how ideas happen will help designers confront unsolved problems. This operational view of the creative process may also influence how designers will be trained in problem solving.     

基于Internet的协同产品概念设计

产品概念设计是决定产品最终成本和创新程度的一个非常关键的阶段，在基于Internet的协同产品概念设计需求分析的基础上，提出了支持协同产品概念设计的总体框架，并分析了各个模块的作用及相互关系．基于这一支持框架，进一步提出了从概念生成、概念交流，到最佳产品概念选择这样一个包括三个阶段的协同产品概念设计模型，从整体上论述了协同概念设计过程的实现．本文提出的协同产品概念设计的总体框架和设计过程模型为实现产品的快速开发和创新设计提供了有效的支持和实现模式．     

Co-evolution as a computational and cognitive model of design

Co-evolutionary design has been developed as a computational model that assumes two parallel search spaces: the problem space and the solution space. The design process iteratively searches each space using the other space as the basis for a fitness function when evaluating the alternatives. Co-evolutionary design can also be developed as a cognitive model of design by characterizing the way in which designers iteratively search for a design solution, making revisions to the problem specification. This paper presents the computational model of co-evolutionary design and then describes a protocol study of human designers looking for evidence of co-evolution of problem specifications and design solutions. The study shows that co-evolutionary design is a good cognitive model of design and highlights the similarities and differences between the computational model and the cognitive model. The results show that the two kinds of co-evolutionary design complement each other, having strengths in different aspects of the design process. Electronic Publication     

Supporting conceptual design with multiple VR based interfaces

Conventional computer aided design (CAD) systems have not provided enough support for conceptual design partly due to the lack of natural and intuitive human-computer interaction. Currently emerging virtual reality (VR) based techniques offer new ways to overcome these obstacles. In this paper, new CAD user interfaces including two-handed operation, haptic interaction, stereoscopic display and auditory feedback are investigated. The contribution of this work is to develop a new direct, natural and intuitive interaction paradigm required to support conceptual design. This paradigm enables designers to take fuller advantage of their visual, auditory and tactile sensorial channels to create, view, touch, hold, manipulate and listen to computer-generated virtual models. This is done more easily and freely in a more realistic three-dimensional (3D) environment through convenient interface device operation. A new conceptual design system called the LUCID system that fully integrates and implements these VR-based innovative interfaces into one design application is presented. As an approach to the next generation of human-computer interfaces for use in the design activity, the LUCID system has shown particular human computer interface benefits to designers during conceptual design based on the outcome from the user evaluation test.     

A computational approach for the optimal conceptual design synthesis based on the distributed resource environment

Optimal conceptual design synthesis is the very starting and key phase in the product design. Its result is the optimal alternative in the solution space, and will be further completed and improved into the final product design scheme in the next detailed design works. With the progress of the Internet technology, a large number of design resources actually construct an increasingly growing distributed resource environment. If these rich resources can be fully introduced into the optimal conceptual design synthesis, the design efficiency and product innovation will be promoted largely. Therefore, a computational approach was proposed for the optimal conceptual design synthesis based on the distributed resource environment. In this approach, the distributed resource environment is modelled as a set of numerous functional units (FUs), and the optimal conceptual design synthesis is concluded into a process of generating the optimal objective FU chain. Here, the main workload is completed by a proposed computer algorithm. To prove the feasibility of this approach, a computer programme called Optimal Conceptual Design Synthesis System (OCDSS) was established. A garbage-powered lighting system was designed with OCDSS as an illustration.     

Kinematic synthesis with configuration spaces

This paper introduces a new approach to the conceptual design of mechanical systems from qualitative specifications of behavior. The power of the approach stems from the integration of techniques in qualitative physics and constraint programming. We illustrate the approach with an effective kinematic synthesis method that reasons with qualitative representations of configuration spaces using constraint programming.     

基于增强智能理念的人机协同设计探索

为应对设计在智能时代所面临的挑战,探索能够深度融合人类智慧与机器智能的设计新途径。方法 在理论层面,从智能系统的计算愿景和活动类型两个维度对人工智能与增强智能进行了概念区分,从思考性与实施性活动两方面对设计进行了解读,综合形成了基于增强智能理念的人机协同设计概念,分析了它所具备的共创者与对话者作用;在实践层面,针对共创者与对话者的特征与作用,通过两个不同的设计实践进行了探索与论证。结论 人机协同设计正在从工具和方法层面深刻地影响着设计,基于人工智能理念的设计工具能够提高设计生产力与效率,而基于增强智能理念的设计方法更擅长提高设计师的综合力与想象力,形成新的设计思维空间与设计创意结果。     

An innovation funnel process for set-based conceptual design via DOE exploration,DEA selection and computer simulation

This paper presents a conceptual design approach including pattern creation from designers, alternative exploration with a DOE matrix, alternative analysis via computer simulation and alternative selection by DEA analysis. Designers possessing domain knowledge create various design patterns to meet the requirements of product performance and customer expectations. Then, based on these design patterns, the alternatives, considered as decision-making units (DMUs), are extracted from various quality level combinations by following the use of the DOE matrix. The nature of the DOE matrix ensures that distinctive representatives are constructed for all design alternatives. The total alternatives (DMUs) consist of the alternatives associated with all the patterns. Computer simulation with ANSYS software is introduced to convert the quality level combination of each alternative (DMU) into simulated outputs, which are further categorised into DEA inputs and DEA outputs for DEA frontier analysis. Four DEA methods, CCR-min input, CCR-max output, BCC-min input and BCC-max output, are used for analysing typical market representatives resulting from market uncertainty. The found efficiencies are used to rank and select the explored alternatives (DMUs) for the next stage of the detailed design. A bike-frame product is chosen as an example to demonstrate the proposed approach. The results clearly show that the proposed approach enables designers to economically select appropriate design alternatives that satisfy performance expectations during the conceptual design stage.     

Supporting conceptual design with multiple VR based interfaces

Conventional computer aided design (CAD) systems have not provided enough support for conceptual design partly due to the lack of natural and intuitive human–computer interaction. Currently emerging virtual reality (VR) based techniques offer new ways to overcome these obstacles. In this paper, new CAD user interfaces including two-handed operation, haptic interaction, stereoscopic display and auditory feedback are investigated. The contribution of this work is to develop a new direct, natural and intuitive interaction paradigm required to support conceptual design. This paradigm enables designers to take fuller advantage of their visual, auditory and tactile sensorial channels to create, view, touch, hold, manipulate and listen to computer-generated virtual models. This is done more easily and freely in a more realistic three-dimensional (3D) environment through convenient interface device operation. A new conceptual design system called the LUCID system that fully integrates and implements these VR-based innovative interfaces into one design application is presented. As an approach to the next generation of human–computer interfaces for use in the design activity, the LUCID system has shown particular human computer interface benefits to designers during conceptual design based on the outcome from the user evaluation test.     

Object-oriented modelling of manufacturing information system for collaborative design

Object-oriented technology has been widely acclaimed as offering a revolution in computing that is resolving a myriad of problems inherent in developing and managing organisational information processing capabilities. Although its foundations arose in computer programming languages, object-oriented technology has implications for a wide range of business computing activities including: programming, analysis and design, information management, and information sharing. The problematic issues in the development of manufacturing software systems are related to the various characteristics of manufacturing systems, which are wide, dynamic and complex. Design for manufacturing (DFM) is the integrated practice of designing components while considering their manufacturability, and its benefits are widely acknowledged in the industry. A model has been developed using object oriented technology, after analysing the fundamental elements necessary for modelling manufacturing and process planning framework used in collaborative design and manufacturing in machine tool manufacturing. The main components of this model are: process planning model (PPM), manufacturing activity model (MAM), manufacturing resource model (MRM) and manufacturing cost and time model. We are using ontologies in conjunction with specific conceptual models, which can contribute to improve the interoperability between these models. The performance of this model is shown by means of one real world case. The developed manufacturing information based design tool integrated with an intelligence design system can be used for collaborative design and manufacturing, which will support machine tool designers’ to achieve cost effective and timely design.     

Heuristic guidelines to support conceptual design

The creativity or unforeseeable nature of the design process, especially during the conceptual phase, makes it difficult to apply current design methodologies to aid designers and help them to reach a conceptual solution in an effective manner. In this paper we present some guidelines, based on experimental data about the evolution of the design process, with which to improve the effectiveness of the conceptual phase, above all as regards finding solutions. Here, effectiveness is taken as meaning quickly reaching a design solution that satisfies the requirements of the problem. Some of the guidelines obtained allow the effectiveness of a designer or a group of designers to be enhanced and are oriented towards controlling the divergence and convergence of the design space. Some guidelines for the development of interactive computer systems to aid designers are also put forward.     

Novel collaborative optimization framework with a negotiation model for satellite system design

This article proposes a novel collaborative optimization (NCO) framework that uses a persuasive multi-agent negotiation method for satellite system design. Satellite system design is a typical multi-disciplinary design optimization problem. The traditional collaborative optimization (CO) is a competitive method but has the disadvantage of inefficient convergence caused by the interdisciplinary compatibility constraints in system-level optimization. By introducing the multi-agent negotiation method, an NCO framework is proposed, in which the system-level and subsystem-level variable negotiations replace the system-level compatibility constraints in traditional CO. The negotiation introduces a modification for candidate values that do not satisfy the compatibility constraints, ensures that an alternative compatible candidate will be obtained and has high convergence efficiency. Two numerical benchmark functions and a multi-disciplinary satellite system design are used to analyse the performance of the proposed NCO. The simulation results show that NCO can efficiently ensure parameter interdisciplinary matching and advanced convergence performance.     

基于认知型社会资本的社区老年协同服务设计策略研究

目的探析认知型社会资本对老年人在协同服务设计中的促进作用,并进一步提出激活老年人社会资本,提高老年人创新能力的策略。方法通过介绍社会资本与老年人创新能力的关系和老年人参与协同服务设计的案例,说明老年人参与设计的意义及社会资本在其中的作用。结论老年人群是一个具有创新能力的群体,认知型社会资本会激发其在协同服务设计中的创新能力,设计师应该帮助老年人了解其所拥有的社会资本,助力其在协同创新中发挥作用。     

基于对象的分布式设计问题建模

分布式设计技术是当前CAD技术的一个重要研究方向。为了实现分布式设计过程中信息的有效共享和协作,论文建立了支持分布式产品设计的协同工作环境,给出的系统体系模型为包含中间件的多层体系结构,可为多学科与多目标设计问题集成专用数模,目的是提供快速构造集成化产品设计模型、提高产品设计质量和缩短产品研制周期。论文对基于对象的分布式设计问题建模方法与应用进行了研究。