Knowledge Representation and Ontology Mapping Methods for Product Data in Engineering Applications

Author(s):  
Pei Zhan ◽  
Uma Jayaram ◽  
Sankar Jayaram ◽  
OkJoon Kim ◽  
Lijuan Zhu

This work seeks to create a semantic approach that uses ontologies for sharing knowledge related to product data in CAD/CAE applications and for integrating the design evaluation information that these applications individually provide. Our overall approach is coined OADE, Ontology-based Adaptive Design Evaluation. This paper reports on a piece of our ongoing work in this area. The key contributions of this paper include methods for the design of knowledge representation in product design and analysis, population of product data semantics, creation of ontology mapping methods and mapping representations, and mapping of product data semantics to the target application. The mapping method finds matching concepts between different ontologies based on three basic concept relation types: composition, inheritance, and attribute. A prototype implementation is being created using technologies such as OWL (representation tool), Jena (ontology builder), and Prote´ge´ (ontology editor) to demonstrate the approach for integrating a parametric CAD system, custom virtual assembly application, and an ergonomics engineering application. An example is given in this paper to illustrate how this approach can help integration between a product design application and an assembly simulation analysis application. The significance of this work is that it will provide the capability to create, share, and exchange knowledge for solving design evaluation challenges involving multiple applications and multiple viewpoints. A design decision can thus be described using the common concepts across the diverse entities.

Author(s):  
Pei Zhan ◽  
Uma Jayaram ◽  
OkJoon Kim ◽  
Lijuan Zhu

This paper presents a semantic approach that uses ontologies to share knowledge related to product data in CAD/CAE applications and for integrating the design evaluation information that these applications individually provide. Our overall approach is the ontology-based adaptive design evaluation, also coined as OADE. This paper reports a piece of our ongoing work in the area of knowledge representation and ontology mapping methods. Here we design ontologies for representing product design and analysis, instantiate a source ontology with the product data, create formal ontology mapping methods, and then apply these methods to transfer the product data from the source ontology to the target one. A prototype implementation has been created using technologies such as OWL (representation language), JENA (ontology API), and PROTÉGÉ (ontology editor) to demonstrate the approach for integrating product design and assembly simulation analysis applications. This work is significant because heuristic methods based on geometry attributes, composition, and inheritance for determining mapped concepts in engineering ontologies is still very new, and not much work has been done in this area. This work will lead to the ability to create, share, and exchange knowledge for solving design evaluation challenges involving multiple applications and viewpoints.


Author(s):  
Pei Zhan ◽  
Uma Jayaram ◽  
Sankar Jayaram

The primary objective of this paper is to conceptualize and develop an approach using semantics to integrate engineering applications for design evaluations. Our approach, coined OADE (Ontology-based Adaptive Design Evaluation), will have as components representation tools, ontology builders, ontology projecting tools, custom tools, and communication tools. In the proposed integration framework, ontologies in different domains will be built and integrated with the domain-specific applications. Semantics will be represented in domain-specific ontology and translated using ontology projection. The process of ontology projection calculates the similarities between concepts related to diverse viewpoints and then translates them. A design decision can thus be described using the common concepts across the diverse entities.


Author(s):  
Pengfei Zeng

In order to meet discipline experts' requirements of knowledge exchange, conflict resolution, and design decision in the collaborative product design process, a JMF-based multimedia-supported environment (MSE) is proposed. The requirement to develop the MSE for multi-disciplinary collaborative design process is analyzed. Related key technologies of multimedia applications required to build the integrated MSE are described. Construction of multimedia interaction mode, design of system architecture, and formulation of development plan are implemented. Discipline experts' roles are defined, and safety certification function of application programs is achieved. Based on the development platform of Java 2 enterprise edition (J2EE), the realization of the system is completed, and the system is integrated into a previously developed product data management system. Through system experiment and test, the JMF-based system environment can well meet the needs of multimedia real-time interaction, knowledge sharing, and collaborative decision making in the process of collaborative product design.


Author(s):  
OkJoon Kim ◽  
Uma Jayaram ◽  
Sankar Jayaram ◽  
Lijuan Zhu

This paper presents our continuing work to develop methods to exchange product knowledge in the semantic level in the CAD/CAE domains. We present an approach based on a shared ontology, in which a higher level of ontologies are shared among lower levels of ontologies. Key mapping strategies, such as Equivalency, Attribute Similarity, Composition Similarity, and Inheritance Similarity are defined to map concepts and properties defined in a product design domain and an assembly simulation domain. In addition, a Bridge Ontology is designed to store information obtained from mapping processes and construct a link between different knowledge repositories. An Ontology Mapping Application (OMA) which brings together all these elements has been designed and implemented. It is a Java-based application that allows the user to load source and target ontologies, calculate concept and property similarities between them, display the mapping results, and output a corresponding Bridge Ontology.


Author(s):  
Dipanjan D. Ghosh ◽  
Junghan Kim ◽  
Andrew Olewnik ◽  
Arun Lakshmanan ◽  
Kemper E. Lewis

One of the critical tasks in product design is to map information from the consumer space to the design space. Currently, this process is largely dependent on the designer to identify and map how psychological and consumer level factors relate to engineered product attributes. In this way current methodologies lack provision to test a designer’s cognitive reasoning and could therefore introduce bias while mapping from consumer to design space. Also, current dominant frameworks do not include user-product interaction data in design decision making and neither do they assist designers in understanding why a consumer has a particular perception about a product. This paper proposes a new framework — Cyber-Empathic Design — where user-product interaction data is acquired via embedded sensors in the products. To understand the motivations behind consumer perceptions, a network of latent constructs is used which forms a causal model framework. Structural Equation Modeling is used as the parameter estimation and hypothesis testing technique making the framework falsifiable in nature. To demonstrate the framework and demonstrate its effectiveness a case study of sensor integrated shoes is presented in this work, where two models are compared — one survey based and using the Cyber-Empathic framework model. It is shown that the Cyber-Empathic framework results in improved fit. The case study also demonstrates the technique to test a designers’ cognitive hypothesis.


2009 ◽  
Vol 131 (03) ◽  
pp. 34-37
Author(s):  
Jean Thilmany

This review explores the prospects of using product lifecycle management (PLM) as an end-to-end solution. The components of PLM provide significant value, but there are no fully integrated offerings on the market that perfectly cover every aspect of product lifecycle, according to a report. In the absence of an end-to-end tracking system, one trend coming to prominence is the use of PLM as the complete system of record for all product data. Though a study concluded that PLM still has a way to go in terms of tracking product design from early inception right through sales to reclamation, it is becoming the main go-to source for a large amount of product data. Experts believe that PLM still has a way to go in terms of tracking product design from early inception right through sales to reclamation; however, it is becoming the main go-to source for a large amount of product data. Software developers are working to create tools that can incorporate ever more of the big picture and make it accessible to engineers.


2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 16-28
Author(s):  
Liu Jian ◽  
Huang Haisong ◽  
Pan Weijie

Abstract Based on knowledge representation in product design, we propose a knowledge model of the product design process based on graphical semantic perception. The ontology semantic of the product is analyzed together with the product design process knowledge. Then the basic element model for knowledge representation of the product design process is built. With the concepts of the extension origin point basic element and extension vector thus defined, knowledge representation, consisting of growth, convergence and optimization is realized. On this basis, the model for case base clustering based on graphical semantics is built. Feasibility verification is performed with the case of appearance design of a machine tool. The highlight of the proposed method lies in the combination of the formalized and quantitative approach for product appearance design.


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