Enhancing Virtual Product Representations for Advanced Design Repository Systems

2005 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 360-372 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matt R. Bohm ◽  
Robert B. Stone ◽  
Simon Szykman

This paper describes the transformation of an existing set of heterogeneous product knowledge into a coherent design repository that supports product design knowledge archival and web-based search, display, and design model and tool generation. Guided by design theory, existing product information was analyzed and compared against desired outputs to ascertain what information management structure was needed to produce design resources pertinent to the design process. Several test products were catalogued to determine what information was essential without being redundant in representation. This set allowed for the creation of a novel single point of entry application for product information and the development of a relational database for design knowledge archival. Web services were then implemented to support design knowledge retrieval through search, browse, and real-time design tool generation. Further explored in this paper are the fundamental enabling technologies of the design repository system. Additionally, repository-generated design tools are scrutinized alongside human-generated design tools for validation. Through this process researchers have been able to improve the way in which artifact data are gathered, archived, distributed and used.

Author(s):  
Matt R. Bohm ◽  
Robert B. Stone

This paper reports on a knowledge rich design repository system. Current design tools and methodologies are reviewed and used to identify necessary design knowledge to populate a design repository. Building on previous research, an operational design repository is reviewed. The design repository system demonstrated includes a single point of entry application for product information, a relational database for archiving design knowledge and web-based tools. Web services are used to support design knowledge retrieval through search, browse and real-time design tool generation. From the repository interface, design tools such as bills of materials and design structure and function component matrices are generated. The output design tools are tested in real world design applications and validated. The result is a useful tool — applicable to several phases of product design.


Author(s):  
Matt R. Bohm ◽  
Robert B. Stone ◽  
Simon Szykman

This paper describes the transformation of an existing set of heterogeneous product knowledge into a coherent design repository that supports product information archival, storage and reuse. Existing product information was analyzed and compared against desired outputs to ascertain what information management structure was needed to produce design resources pertinent to the design process. Several test products were cataloged to determine what information was essential without being redundant in representation. This set allowed for the creation of a novel single application point of entry for product information that maintains data consistency and allows information be easily exported. The exported information takes on many forms that are valuable to the design process such as a bill of materials and component function matrix. Enabling technologies include commercial software, XML (eXtensible Markup Language) data, XSL (eXtensible Stylesheet Language) transformation sheets and HTML (HyperText Markup Language). Through this process researchers at the University of Missouri – Rolla (UMR) have been able to dramatically improve the way in which artifact data is gathered, recorded and used.


Author(s):  
Luis A Leiva ◽  
Asutosh Hota ◽  
Antti Oulasvirta

Abstract Designers are increasingly using online resources for inspiration. How to best support design exploration without compromising creativity? We introduce and study Design Maps, a class of point-cloud visualizations that makes large user interface datasets explorable. Design Maps are computed using dimensionality reduction and clustering techniques, which we analyze thoroughly in this paper. We present concepts for integrating Design Maps into design tools, including interactive visualization, local neighborhood exploration and functionality to integrate existing solutions to the design at hand. These concepts were implemented in a wireframing tool for mobile apps, which was evaluated with actual designers performing realistic tasks. Overall, designers find Design Maps supporting their creativity (avg. CSI score of 74/100) and indicate that the maps producing consistent whitespacing within cloud points are the most informative ones.


Author(s):  
Cari R. Bryant ◽  
Matt Bohm ◽  
Robert B. Stone ◽  
Daniel A. McAdams

This paper builds on previous concept generation techniques explored at the University of Missouri - Rolla and presents an interactive concept generation tool aimed specifically at the early concept generation phase of the design process. Research into automated concept generation design theories led to the creation of two distinct design tools: an automated morphological search that presents a designer with a static matrix of solutions that solve the desired input functionality and a computational concept generation algorithm that presents a designer with a static list of compatible component chains that solve the desired input functionality. The merger of both the automated morphological matrix and concept generation algorithm yields an interactive concept generator that allows the user to select specific solution components while receiving instantaneous feedback on component compatibility. The research presented evaluates the conceptual results from the hybrid morphological matrix approach and compares interactively constructed solutions to those returned by the non-interactive automated morphological matrix generator using a dog food sample packet counter as a case study.


Author(s):  
Gary A. Gabriele ◽  
Agustî Maria I. Serrano

Abstract The need for superior design tools has lead to the development of better and more complex computer aided design programs. Two of the more important new developments in application tools being investigation are Object Oriented Languages, and HyperMedia. Object Oriented Languages allow the development of CAD tools where the parts being designed and the design procedures specified are conceptualized as objects. This allows for the development of design aids that are non-procedural and more readily manipulated by the user trying to accomplish a design task. HyperMedia allows for the easy inclusion of many different types of data, such as design charts and graphs, into the tool that are normally difficult to include in design tools programmed with more conventional programming languages. This paper explores the development of a computer aided design tool for the design of a single stage gear box using the development HyperCard® environment and the HyperTalk® programming language. The resulting program provides a user friendly interface, the ability to handle several kinds of design information including graphic and textual, and a non-procedural design tool to help the user design simple, one stage gear boxes. Help facilities in the program make it suitable for undergraduate instruction in a machine elements design course.


2008 ◽  
Vol 86 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaohui Qu ◽  
Qingzhu Zhang ◽  
Wenxing Wang

Acenaphthene is widespread and toxic, and thus of substantial environmental concern. The reaction with NO3 radicals is an important atmospheric loss process of acenaphthene at night time. In this work, the mechanism for the NO3-initiated atmospheric oxidation reaction of acenaphthene has been studied using high level molecular orbital theory. Geometries of all the related species have been optimized at the MPWB1K level with the 6–31G(d,p) basis set. The single-point energy calculations have been carried out at the MPWB1K/6–311+G(3df,2p) level. The possible secondary reactions were also studied. Several energetically favorable reaction pathways were revealed for the first time.Key words: acenaphthene, NO3 radicals, reaction mechanism, product information, oxidation degradation.


Author(s):  
Qiang Lu ◽  
Yupin Yang ◽  
Shahriar Akter

This chapter proposes a conceptual framework to encapsulate our understanding of how consumers' search behavior influences the content in search advertising in the hotel industry. We suggest that firms can better match consumers' preferences and needs by embracing a trade-off between price information and product information in search advertising. The dynamics of this trade-off is driven by consumers' prior product knowledge and the type of advertisers in the competitive market. Our framework suggests that travel agents tend to focus more on price advertising in their search ads, whereas hotels do not change their level of price advertising in a competitive market. More interestingly, competition from travel agents and hotels has different effects on the content of search advertising by travel agents and hotels. Our study provides critical insights in responding to different market conditions, which enhance the understanding of firms' behaviors in designing their search advertising content.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Apurva Patel ◽  
Joshua D. Summers ◽  
Akash Patel ◽  
James L. Mathieson ◽  
Michael P. Sbarra ◽  
...  

Abstract While fundamentals of DFMA are widely accepted and used in the engineering design community, many CAD environments lack tools that address manufacturing concerns and provide rapid feedback to designers about manufacturing impacts of their design choices. This paper presents an experiment-based testing and validation of a rapid feedback tool that provides users a history-based prediction of manufacturing time based on the current state of the design. A between-subjects experiment is designed to evaluate the impact of the tool on design outcomes based on modeling time, part mass, and manufacturing time. Participants in the study included mechanical engineering graduate and undergraduate students with at least one semester of experience using SolidWorks. The experiment included three different design activities and three different conditions of the design tool. Participants completed up to three sessions with different experimental conditions. Analysis of the data collected shows that use of the design tool results in a small but nonsignificant increase in modeling time. Moreover, use of the tool results in reduced part mass on average, as well as in a within-subject comparison. Tool use reduced manufacturing time in open ended activities, but increased manufacturing time when activities focus more on mass-reduction. Participant feedback suggests that the tool helped guide their material removal actions by showing the impact on manufacturing time. Finally, potential improvements and future expansions of the tool are discussed.


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