Reasoning in Engineering Design

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua D. Summers
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Design ◽  
Abductive Reasoning ◽  
Rule Based ◽  
Reasoning Strategies ◽  
Engineering Design Process ◽  
Traditional Design ◽  
Automation Systems ◽  
Simulation Based ◽  
Common Framework ◽  
Design Reasoning

Peirce, the American philosopher of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, is credited with first observing the triple of reasoning (deductive, inductive, and abductive). These three types of reasoning are discussed as they relate to the engineering design process. The reasoning classes are based upon distinctions between what is given and what is derived with respect to the grounds, the warrants, and the conclusions. Simple definitions are synthesized that agree well with the literature, while distinctions are made where overlapping and often conflicting definitions are found. This distinction leads to the need for separating abductive reasoning and retroductive reasoning. A generalized description of design agrees well with the definition for retroductive reasoning, as is demonstrated in this paper. A brief survey of “traditional” design reasoning methods (rule based reasoning, analogy based reasoning, simulation based reasoning, and constraint based reasoning) is developed to show that these design methods are equivalent or decomposable into the fundamental reasoning classes. This paper provides a discussion in a common framework for comparing design reasoning strategies found in automation systems based upon the fundamental classes.

Logic-Based Evaluation Metrics for Concept Evaluation

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ang Liu ◽  
Wei Wei ◽  
Stephen C.-Y. Lu
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Design ◽  
Conceptual Design ◽  
Abductive Reasoning ◽  
Evaluation Procedure ◽  
Design Synthesis ◽  
Engineering Design Process ◽  
Concept Evaluation ◽  
Common Activity ◽  
Independent Design ◽  
Domain Independent

Synthesis is a common activity in engineering design. It is widely recognized to be important to the whole engineering design process in general, and to the early design stages in particular. In the past, however, there remains lack of a set of rigorous metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of performing design synthesis in conceptual design. Based on relevant studies of abductive reasoning in logic, this paper introduces a set of domain-independent design synthesis metric: clarity, feasibility, testability, simplicity, and analogy. For each metrics, the rationale of including it is explained, and a systemic evaluation procedure is prescribed. Individually, each metrics addresses a particular aspect of design synthesis in conceptual design. Collectively, the combined consideration of all metrics as a single vector helps the designer to identify the most promising synthesis outcome, the best design concept, which both satisfies upstream objectives and meets downstream constraints.

Exploring the Engineering Design Process Through Computer-Aided Design and 3-D Printing

Science Scope ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 041 (01) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Garafolo ◽  
Nidaa Makki ◽  
Katrina Halasa ◽  
Wondimu Ahmed ◽  
Kristin Koskey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Design ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Computer Aided Design ◽  
Engineering Design Process ◽  
Computer Aided ◽  
Aided Design

scholarly journals Challenging the engineering design process for the development of facial masks in the constraint of the COVID-19 pandemic

Procedia CIRP ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 100 ◽  
pp. 660-665
Author(s):  
Giovanni Formentini ◽  
Núria Boix Rodríguez ◽  
Claudio Favi ◽  
Marco Marconi
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Design ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Engineering Design Process

A Robust Error-Pursuing Sequential Sampling Approach for Global Metamodeling Based on Voronoi Diagram and Cross Validation

2014 ◽  
Vol 136 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shengli Xu ◽  
Haitao Liu ◽  
Xiaofang Wang ◽  
Xiaomo Jiang
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Design ◽  
Voronoi Diagram ◽  
Cross Validation ◽  
Sequential Sampling ◽  
Voronoi Cell ◽  
Sensitive Region ◽  
Engineering Design Problems ◽  
Simulation Based ◽  
Global Metamodeling ◽  
Sampling Approach

Surrogate models are widely used in simulation-based engineering design and optimization to save the computing cost. The choice of sampling approach has a great impact on the metamodel accuracy. This article presents a robust error-pursuing sequential sampling approach called cross-validation (CV)-Voronoi for global metamodeling. During the sampling process, CV-Voronoi uses Voronoi diagram to partition the design space into a set of Voronoi cells according to existing points. The error behavior of each cell is estimated by leave-one-out (LOO) cross-validation approach. Large prediction error indicates that the constructed metamodel in this Voronoi cell has not been fitted well and, thus, new points should be sampled in this cell. In order to rapidly improve the metamodel accuracy, the proposed approach samples a Voronoi cell with the largest error value, which is marked as a sensitive region. The sampling approach exploits locally by the identification of sensitive region and explores globally with the shift of sensitive region. Comparative results with several sequential sampling approaches have demonstrated that the proposed approach is simple, robust, and achieves the desired metamodel accuracy with fewer samples, that is needed in simulation-based engineering design problems.

scholarly journals Explicating concepts in reasoning from function to form by two-step innovative abductions

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 125-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ehud Kroll ◽  
Lauri Koskela
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Design ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Abductive Reasoning ◽  
Parameter Analysis ◽  
Critical Examination ◽  
Functional Aspect ◽  
Specific Design ◽  
Design Processes ◽  
Step Process ◽  
Design Reasoning

AbstractThe mechanism of design reasoning from function to form is suggested to consist of a two-step inference of the innovative abduction type. First is an inference from a desired functional aspect to an idea, concept, or solution principle to satisfy the function. This is followed by a second innovative abduction, from the latest concept to form, structure, or mechanism. The intermediate entity in the logical reasoning, the concept, is thus made explicit, which is significant in following and understanding a specific design process, for educating designers, and to build a logic-based computational model of design. The idea of a two-step abductive reasoning process is developed from the critical examination of several propositions made by others. We use the notion of innovative abduction in design, as opposed to such abduction where the question is about selecting among known alternatives, and we adopt a previously proposed two-step process of abductive reasoning. However, our model is different in that the two abductions used follow the syllogistic pattern of innovative abduction. In addition to using a schematic example from the literature to demonstrate our derivation, we apply the model to an existing, empirically derived method of conceptual design called “parameter analysis” and use two examples of real design processes. The two synthetic steps of the method are shown to follow the proposed double innovative abduction scheme, and the design processes are presented as sequences of double abductions from function to concept and from concept to form, with a subsequent deductive evaluation step.

Using DIME maps and STEM project-based learning to teach physics

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael S. Rugh ◽  
Donald J. Beyette ◽  
Mary Margaret Capraro ◽  
Robert M. Capraro
Keyword(s):  
Educational Technology ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Engineering Design ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Teaching Method ◽  
Slow Motion ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
School Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Engineering Design Process

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine a week-long science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) project-based learning (PBL) activity that integrates a new educational technology and the engineering design process to teach middle and high school students the concepts involved in rotational physics. The technology and teaching method described in this paper can be applied to a wide variety of STEM content areas. Design/methodology/approach As an educational technology, the dynamic and interactive mathematical expressions (DIME) map system automatically generates an interactive, connected concept map of mathematically based concepts extracted from a portable document format textbook chapter. Over five days, students used DIME maps to engage in meaningful self-guided learning within the engineering design process and STEM PBL. Findings Using DIME maps within a STEM PBL activity, students explored the physics behind spinning objects, proposed multiple creative designs and built a variety of spinners to meet specified criteria and constraints. Practical implications STEM teachers can use DIME maps and STEM PBL to support their students in making connections between what they learn in the classroom and real-world scenarios. Social implications For any classroom with computers, tablets or phones and an internet connection, DIME maps are an accessible educational technology that provides an alternative representation of knowledge for learners who are underserved by traditional methods of instruction. Originality/value For STEM teachers and education researchers, the activity described in this paper uses advances in technology (DIME maps and slow-motion video capture on cell phones) and pedagogy (STEM PBL and the engineering design process) to enable students to engage in meaningful learning.

Categorization of Information Loss During the Dissemination of Design Ideas

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria Zhao ◽  
Conrad S. Tucker
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Design ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Information Source ◽  
Information Loss ◽  
Design Solution ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Comprehensive Review ◽  
Engineering Design Process ◽  
Design Idea ◽  
Design Ideas

Information is transferred through a process consisting of an information source, a transmitter, a channel, a receiver and its destination. Unfortunately, during different stages of the engineering design process, there is a risk of a design idea or solution being incorrectly interpreted due to the nonlinearity of engineering design. I.e., there are many ways to communicate a single design idea or solution. This paper provides a comprehensive review and categorization of the possible sources of information loss at different stages of the engineering design process. Next, the authors present an approach that seeks to minimize information loss during certain stages of the engineering design process. The paper i) explores design process and dissemination methods in engineering design; ii) reviews prior work pertaining to these stages of the engineering design process and iii) proposes an information entropy metric that designers can utilize in order to quantify information loss at different stages of the engineering design process. Knowledge gained from this work will aid designers in selecting a suitable dissemination solution needed to effectively achieve a design solution.

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