LearnIT: A System That Can Learn and Reuse Design Strategies

1999 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas F. Stahovich
Keyword(s):  
Parametric Design ◽  
Iterative Solution ◽  
Design Strategy ◽  
Design Strategies ◽  
Documentation System ◽  
Design Constraints ◽  
Iterative Design ◽  
Requirements Change ◽  
Design Documentation ◽  
Design Requirements

Abstract We describe a system called LearnIT that can observe an iterative solution to a parametric design problem and learn the design strategy employed. The program represents the strategy as a set of rules, which it then uses to automatically generate new design solutions when the design requirements change. Because the rules are learned from the original designer, these new solutions reflect the original designer’s engineering judgment and knowledge of implicit constraints. LearnIT’s approach is based on the observation that often iterative design is actually a form of debugging: each iteration is an attempt to repair a particular flaw in the design. Thus, a program can learn the designer’s strategy by observing what actions are taken in response to each kind of flaw. We have found that the state of the design constraints (satisfied or not satisfied) is a good indicator of what flaws are being addressed at any given time. Because of its ability to capture and reuse the original designer’s understanding of the problem, LearnIT’s primary use is as a design documentation system. However, because it can learn and reuse a design strategy, it can also be considered a design automation tool.

LearnIT: An Instance-Based Approach to Learning and Reusing Design Strategies

1999 ◽  
Vol 122 (3) ◽  
pp. 249-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas F. Stahovich
Keyword(s):  
Parametric Design ◽  
Iterative Solution ◽  
Design Strategy ◽  
Learning Method ◽  
Design Strategies ◽  
Approach To Learning ◽  
Iterative Design ◽  
Instance Based Learning ◽  
Requirements Change ◽  
Design Requirements

We describe LearnIT, a computer program that can observe an iterative solution to a parametric design problem and learn the design strategy employed. When the design requirements change, the program uses the learned strategy to automatically generate a new solution in the “style” of the original. The program uses a specialized instance-based learning method based on the observation that iterative design is often a form of debugging—each iteration is an attempt to repair a particular flaw in the design. Thus, the program learns the design strategy by observing what actions are taken in response to each kind of flaw. [S1050-0472(00)01203-4]

Improving design and documentation by using partially automated synthesis

1994 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 335-354 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Cristina Bicharra Garcia ◽  
H. Craig Howard ◽  
Mark J. Stefik
Keyword(s):  
Parametric Design ◽  
Preliminary Design ◽  
Community Practice ◽  
Design Rationale ◽  
Running System ◽  
Requirements Change ◽  
Design Documentation ◽  
Design Documents ◽  
Air Conditioning Systems ◽  
Project Life

AbstractOne of the products of engineering, besides constructed artifacts, is design documentation. To understand how design participants use documentation, designers and typical documentation users were interviewed and protocols were taken of them both creating and using design documentation. The protocols were taken from realistic projects of preliminary design for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems (HVAC). The studies of document creation and use revealed three important issues: (1) design participants not only look up design facts; they frequently access documents to obtain information about the rationale for design decisions; (2) the design rationale that they see often is missing from the documents; and (3) design requirements change frequently over a project life cycle so that design documents are often inconsistent and out of date. Recognizing these documentation issues in design practice, a new approach was developed in which documents are no longer static records, but rather interactive design models supporting a case. The feasibility of the approach was demonstrated by constructing a running system and testing it with designers on realistic problems. The costs and benefits of creating and using documentation of design rationale also were analyzed. In particular, the active documents approach was evaluated for a routine, preliminary design in domains where community practice is widely shared and largely standardized. The approach depends on the feasibility of creating a parametric design model for the design domain.

Energy Analysis to the Design of Rotor-Bearing Systems

1995 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. J. Chen
Keyword(s):  
Energy Analysis ◽  
Computational Techniques ◽  
Design Strategies ◽  
System Parameters ◽  
Fundamental Properties ◽  
Design Engineers ◽  
Rotor Bearing ◽  
Design Requirements ◽  
Vibration Problems ◽  
Fundamental Physical

In the design of rotating machinery, it is often desirable and necessary to change a subset of system parameters to meet the design requirements. The success in designing rotor bearing systems and/or in solving the vibration problems depends heavily upon the understanding of fundamental physical properties and insights of the systems. The modeling improvements and computational techniques have been extensively presented over the years. The design methodologies and fundamental properties have not been widely addressed to assist design engineers in solving their practical problems. The objective of this paper is to relate the various forms of energy and work and their contributions to the system dynamic characteristics. The design strategies and methodologies using the energy approach are also presented and illustrated in a turbine driven machine.

Exploring Effective Change Propagation in a Product Family Design

2017 ◽  
Vol 139 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Inayat Ullah ◽  
Dunbing Tang ◽  
Qi Wang ◽  
Leilei Yin
Keyword(s):  
Product Family ◽  
Design Structure Matrix ◽  
Change Propagation ◽  
Effective Change ◽  
Design Structure ◽  
Design Changes ◽  
Requirements Change ◽  
Change Impact ◽  
Design Requirements

Product family (PF) design is a widely used strategy in the industry, as it allows meeting diverse design requirements. Change propagation in any PF is difficult to predict. Consequently, while numerous design change management methodologies presently exist, their application is restricted to a single artifact. This issue is overcome in the present study. The proposed framework explores effective change propagation paths (CPPs) by considering the risks associated with design changes in the PF with the aim of minimizing the overall redesign cost. The propagated risk, which would result in rework, is quantified in terms of change impact and propagation likelihood. Moreover, a design structure matrix (DSM) based mathematical model and an algorithm for its implementation are proposed to investigate the change propagation across the PF. Finally, to demonstrate their effectiveness, a PF of electric kettles is examined in a case study. The study findings confirm that the proposed technique is appropriate for evaluating different CPPs in PF.

Pre-Life and End-of-Life Combined Profit Optimization With Predictive Product Lifecycle Design

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jungmok Ma ◽  
Minjung Kwak ◽  
Harrison M. Kim
Keyword(s):  
End Of Life ◽  
Design Strategy ◽  
Design Stage ◽  
Design Strategies ◽  
Product Lifecycle ◽  
Mining Technique ◽  
A Cell ◽  
Trend Mining ◽  
A Company ◽  
Lifecycle Design

The Predictive Product Lifecycle Design (PPLD) model that is proposed in this paper enables a company to optimize its product lifecycle design strategy by considering pre-life and end-of-life at the initial design stage. By combining lifecycle design and predictive trend mining technique, the PPLD model can reflect both new and remanufactured product market demands, capture hidden and upcoming trends, and finally provide an optimal lifecycle design strategy in order to maximize profit over the span of the whole lifecycle. The outcomes are lifecycle design strategies such as product design features, the need for buy-backs at the end of its life, and the quantity of products remanufacturing. The developed model is illustrated with an example of a cell phone lifecycle design. The result clearly shows the benefit of the model when compared to a traditional Pre-life design model. The benefit would be increased profitability, while saving more natural resources and reducing wastes for manufacturers own purposes.

Describing Ship-Design

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ties van Bruinessen ◽  
Hans Hopman ◽  
Frido Smulders
Keyword(s):  
Industrial Structure ◽  
Complex Structure ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Design Strategy ◽  
Ship Design ◽  
Design Strategies ◽  
Complex Interactions ◽  
Blank Sheet ◽  
Offshore Industry ◽  
Engineering Practices

The majority of European ship-design industry concentrates on the development of complex, one-off ‘specials’ for the offshore industry, like dredgers, drill ships, pipe-laying ships, et cetera. This industry is complex, not just in terms of the industrial structure but also in the terms of the object. To control the complexity the industry uses large and expansive knowledge basis that support the design, engineering and manufacturing activities. Within academic research the focus is close to practice and dominantly aims at developing knowledge and tools that supports engineering practices. As these strategies are aimed at controlling the complexity, they leave very little room for more innovative developments. On the other side of the spectrum there is a ship-design practice that does allow radical ship design: design and engineering from a blank sheet of paper. Not surprising that these projects are laborious and expensive. The space in between these two design strategies seems unaddressed in literature. The literature on the design of complex structures appears to be scarce, even though this is an area where European ship-design industry is heavily involved. The research this paper reports on aims to develop a design strategy for complex ships in between incremental and radical innovation. We interviewed stakeholders from ship industry, looked into the design literature to describe the present situation and finally performed case-studies in other fields of application for inspiration. Based on these studies we illustrate an alternative design strategy that leaves more space for innovation without the requirement to start from scratch. The approach focuses on the complex interactions between the different levels of decomposition in a complex structure such as a ship.

Environmental Design Strategies for Building Egress

2002 ◽  
Vol 46 (9) ◽  
pp. 865-869
Author(s):  
Jake Pauls
Keyword(s):  
Situational Awareness ◽  
World Trade Center ◽  
Environmental Design ◽  
Design Strategies ◽  
Building Evacuation ◽  
Strategic Issues ◽  
Trade Center ◽  
Design Requirements ◽  
The Many ◽  
The Impact

The events of September 2001, 2001, plus the events' technical and political aftermath have helped to identify an unfortunate lack of research into building evacuation. The relative dearth of research is ironic given evacuation's central role in mitigation for a range of emergencies and its prominence in environmental design requirements in building codes and standards. The field of human factors has much to offer, for example, in a philosophical or strategic focus on human-centered design as well in more-prosaic issues such as exit stair width and handrail provision. Much of the available research addresses fairly low-level ergonomic issues such as exit stair width in relation to egress capacity and the impact on evacuation time. in addition to more-sophisticated research into the relatively simple issues, ahead lies more-difficult research relating to strategic issues and the provision of information to building occupants in emergencies, occupants' situational awareness generally, and the many social interactions—in seldom-considered environmental contexts—that are at the heart of major evacuations of large buildings such as in the case of the World Trade Center.

Creative Design of Metal Can Crushers with Eight Links

2006 ◽  
Vol 505-507 ◽  
pp. 925-930 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen Hsiang Hsieh ◽  
Tien Sheng Chang
Keyword(s):  
Creative Design ◽  
Design Constraints ◽  
Structure Of Metal ◽  
Design Requirements

The purpose of this paper is to synthesize the structure of metal cans squeezing devices with eight links based on the methodology of creative design. First, the design requirements and design constraints are specified based on the characteristic of existing squeezing devices. Then, specializing with respect to (8, 10) generalized chains, the atlas of specialized feasible chain is generated. Furthermore, the atlas of new design is obtained through the process of particularization. Finally, the atlas of new design with single toggle effect is also synthesized. In addition, the feasibility of the design is verified by a prototype machine testing.

Cognitive Challenges for Teamwork in Design

2017 ◽  
pp. 55-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ju Hyun Lee ◽  
Michael J. Ostwald ◽  
Ning Gu
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Data ◽  
Design Theory ◽  
Spatial Representation ◽  
Parametric Design ◽  
Design Strategy ◽  
Design Teams ◽  
Design Cognition ◽  
Cognitive Space ◽  
Design Experiments ◽  
Cognitive Challenges

This chapter combines experimental data and established design theory to examine four issues associated with design cognition that contribute to an improved understanding of creativity and teamwork in design. Drawing on data developed from two parametric design experiments undertaken by the authors, this chapter investigates the implications of (i) cognitive space, (ii) design strategy, (iii) design productivity and (iv) spatial representation, for individuals, and by inference, for groups and educators. Through this process the chapter develops a deeper understanding of the cognitive challenges facing design teams and educators of those teams.

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