scholarly journals A PILOT STUDY ON THE PREVALENCE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN CANADIAN ENGINEERING DESIGN CURRICULA

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pranav Milind Khanolkar ◽  
Mohammed Gad ◽  
Jessica Liao ◽  
Ada Hurst ◽  
Alison Olechowski
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Engineering Design ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Collaborative Design ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Design Research ◽  
Review Literature ◽  
Engineering Practice ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Applications Of Ai

Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have shed light on the potential uses and applications of AI tools in engineering design. However, the aspiration of a fully automated engineering design process still seems out of reach of AI’s current capabilities, and therefore, the need for human expertise and cognitive skills persists.  Nonetheless, a collaborative design process that emphasizes and uses the strengths of both AI and human engineers is an appealing direction for AI in design. Touncover the current applications of AI, the authors review literature pertaining to AI applications in design research and engineering practice. This highlights the importance of integrating AI education into engineering design curricula in post-secondary institutions. Next, a pilot studyassessment of undergraduate mechanical engineering course descriptions at the University of Waterloo and University of Toronto reveals that only one out of a total of 153 courses provides both AI and design-related knowledge together in a course. This result identifies possible gaps in Canadian engineering curricula and potential deficiencies in the skills of graduating Canadianengineers.

The Roles of Features and Abstraction in Mechanical Design

1994 ◽  
Author(s):  
LeRoy E. Taylor ◽  
Mark R. Henderson
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Engineering Design ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Design Research ◽  
Mechanical Design ◽  
Product Modeling ◽  
Product Models ◽  
Mechanical Products ◽  
Unique Framework ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract This paper describes the roles of features and abstraction mechanisms in the mechanical design process, mechanical designs, and product models of mechanical designs. It also describes the relationship between functions and features in mechanical design. It is our experience that many research efforts exist in the areas of design and product modeling and, further, that these efforts must be cataloged and compared. To this end, this paper culminates with the presentation of a multi-dimensional abstraction space which provides a unique framework for (a) comparing mechanical engineering design research efforts, (b) relating conceptual objects used in the life cycle of mechanical products, and (c) defining a product modeling space.

scholarly journals Engineering and Industrial Design: An Integrated Interdisciplinary Design Theory

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander N. Brezing ◽  
Manuel Lo¨wer
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Design ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Design Theory ◽  
Design Research ◽  
Industrial Design ◽  
Product Model ◽  
Theoretical Approaches ◽  
Interdisciplinary Design ◽  
Industrial Designers ◽  
The One

It is generally accepted that superior products result from a balanced consideration of both “technology” and “aesthetic design”. Nonetheless, the gap between the two professions of the “design engineer” and the “industrial designer” has not been bridged since their origination in the course of industrialization [7]. One possible approach to enhance the collaboration of both disciplines is to teach the basics of the respective other’s. In Germany, the main work following this approach of trying to prepare engineers for design collaborations is the VDI guideline 2424 (“The Industrial Design Process”) [21], which was worked out and released in three parts from 1984 to 1988 by a group of engineering design researchers and industrial designers. As no accepted industrial design theory could be identified at that time, the authors of the guideline tried to apply some of engineering design methodology’s proven methods taken from the VDI guideline 2221 [19] that seemed to fit to industrial design. That approach ultimately failed, as the authors of the guideline had to conclude themselves in the opening remarks of its last part [21]. Even if the guideline is still officially in use for the lack of a replacement, it is hardly used in engineering education. Since then however, accepted theoretical approaches have been produced by industrial design research that allow for the definition of an interdisciplinary theory on product development. This paper introduces these approaches and arranges them together with models of engineering design methodology to serve as a basis for a design theory that explains both domains’ competences and responsibilities. A function-oriented product model is set up that illustrates existing interdependencies by classifying a technical product/project according to the relative importance of its technical function (engineering’s competence) on the one hand and its semiotic functions (industrial design’s competence) on the other. The realization of industrial design’s competence as signification and the organization of its devices according to the model of semiotic functions explain existing organizational problems of interdisciplinary design practice. It is demonstrated why industrial design cannot proceed according a purely technical design process such as the one defined in the VDI guideline 2221 and what implications that has on interdisciplinary design projects.

scholarly journals Fab the Knowledge

2021 ◽  
pp. 119-124
Author(s):  
Sofia Scataglini ◽  
Daniele Busciantella-Ricci
Keyword(s):  
Design Process ◽  
Collaborative Design ◽  
Design Research ◽  
Computing System ◽  
Biological Mechanism ◽  
Collaborative Model ◽  
Learning Contexts ◽  
Innovative Learning ◽  
Multiple Actors

AbstractThis paper draws a link between what happens in maker spaces and how these processes can be simulated in the mathematical collaborative model (co-model) of the research through collaborative design (co-design) process (RTC). The result is the ability to identify the main variables for simulating the “making” dynamics of the RTC model. This outcome is discussed with an emphasis on the “intangible” role of “making,” alongside the proposed concept of “fab the knowledge.” Speculative thinking is used here to link the innovative and theoretical aspects of design research to their application in and for innovative learning contexts. The RTC co-model can be used to compute, simulate and train a co-design process in intangible spaces, such as fab labs. In these spaces, multiple actors with different skills and backgrounds, who may or may not be experts in design, collaborate on setting a design question and identifying a shared design answer, in a process of RTC. A “network” of neural mechanisms operating and communicating between design experts and non-experts, like a computing system of a biological mechanism, can be used to train and simulate a research answer, thereby “fabricating” knowledge.

Modeling Collaborative Engineering Design Process Using Petri-Net

2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Zhao ◽  
Yan Jin
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Design ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Petri Net ◽  
Collaborative Design ◽  
Process Model ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Process Models ◽  
Collaborative Engineering ◽  
Routine Design ◽  
High Level

Abstract Collaborative engineering involves multiple engineers and managers working together to develop engineering products. As the engineering problems become more and more complicated, new technologies are required to achieve better effectiveness and efficiency. While process models management and technologies have been developed to support engineering design, most of them apply only to routine design tasks and do not explicitly deal with the change of processes during execution. Our research proposes a process-driven framework to support collaborative engineering. The framework is composed of a process model that captures both high level and low level activity dependencies, an agent network that monitors process execution and facilitates coordination among engineers, and a Petri-net based modeling tool to represent and analyze process features and predict the performance of engineering processes. In this paper, we first describe a simple collaborative design problem and our proposed ActivePROCESS collaborative engineering framework. After that we present our Petri-net based analytical model of collaborative design process and discuss the model along with a case example.

A Perspective for Evaluating Wikis as a Medium for Communication Within Engineering Design Teams

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolynn J. Walthall ◽  
Srikanth Devanathan ◽  
Lorraine Kisselburgh ◽  
Karthik Ramani ◽  
E. Daniel Hirleman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Design ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Collaborative Design ◽  
Design Thinking ◽  
Design Tool ◽  
Design Teams ◽  
Communication Tool ◽  
Support Tool ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Design Collaboration

Wikis, freely editable collections of web pages, are showing potential for a flexible documentation and communication tool for collaborative design tasks. They also provide a medium that can be further transformed by properly understanding both the need for flexibility as well as support for design thinking early in the design process. The purpose of this work is to analyze the different dimensions of the wiki from a communication perspective as applicable to design. With a focus on communication in design, we will explore the advantages and disadvantages of using wikis in student engineering design teams. Our ultimate goal is to better support the design process while exploiting the potential for increasing the shared understanding among teams using a wiki. By introducing a wiki in a globally distributed product development course, students gain hands-on experience in using wikis as a design tool. Feedback from students will be collected through questionnaires and used to improve and transform the wiki as a support tool for communication during early design collaboration.

Version Management in a CAD Paradigm

1995 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karthik Krishnamurthy ◽  
Kincho H. Law
Keyword(s):  
Change Management ◽  
Data Management ◽  
Engineering Design ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Collaborative Design ◽  
Management Model ◽  
Version Management ◽  
Independent Evolution ◽  
Support Engineering ◽  
Management Capabilities

Abstract This paper describes the change management capabilities of a data management model to support engineering design. Specifically, it addresses the problem of detecting changes made to a design during a CAD session and efficiently maintains an evolving description of a primitive entity through the design process. We propose a hierarchical versioning model to support the independent evolution of alternative deigns for a primitive entity and provide operators to store and manage changes among versions in a particular derivation hierarchy. In addition, we present a scheme to represent the version model in a CAD paradigm. The version model presented in this paper is a component of a larger data management model of versions, assemblies, configurations to address the change management needs of collaborative design.

Artificial Intelligence and Geometric Reasoning in Manufacturing Technology

1986 ◽  
Vol 39 (9) ◽  
pp. 1325-1330 ◽  
Author(s):  
John R. Dixon ◽  
Clive L. Dym
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Expert Knowledge ◽  
Geometric Reasoning ◽  
Geometric Representation ◽  
Knowledge Based Systems ◽  
Knowledge Based ◽  
Planning And Design ◽  
Control Assembly ◽  
Applications Of Ai

This article presents a brief review of the current literature on the applications of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, and especially expert (knowledge-based) systems, to manufacturing. Emphasis is placed on geometric representation and reasoning in design as an aid to manufacturing. Also discussed are applications of AI to process planning and design, process control, assembly, and other phases of manufacturing.

scholarly journals Protobooth: gathering and analyzing data on prototyping in early-stage engineering design projects by digitally capturing physical prototypes

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Jorgen F. Erichsen ◽  
Heikki Sjöman ◽  
Martin Steinert ◽  
Torgeir Welo
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Engineering Design ◽  
Empirical Data ◽  
Design Research ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Research Tool ◽  
Concept Generation ◽  
Early Stages ◽  
Design Projects ◽  
New Research

Abstract Aiming to help researchers capture output from the early stages of engineering design projects, this article presents a new research tool for digitally capturing physical prototypes. The motivation for this work is to collect observations that can aid in understanding prototyping in the early stages of engineering design projects, and this article investigates if and how digital capture of physical prototypes can be used for this purpose. Early-stage prototypes are usually rough and of low fidelity and are thus often discarded or substantially modified through the projects. Hence, retrospective access to prototypes is a challenge when trying to gather accurate empirical data. To capture the prototypes developed through the early stages of a project, a new research tool has been developed for capturing prototypes through multi-view images, along with metadata describing by whom, why, when, and where the prototypes were captured. Over the course of 17 months, this research tool has been used to capture more than 800 physical prototypes from 76 individual users across many projects. In this article, one project is shown in detail to demonstrate how this capturing system can gather empirical data for enriching engineering design project cases that focus on prototyping for concept generation. The authors also analyze the metadata provided by the system to give understanding into prototyping patterns in the projects. Lastly, through enabling digital capture of large quantities of data, the research tool presents the foundations for training artificial intelligence-based predictors and classifiers that can be used for analysis in engineering design research.

scholarly journals On the integration of product and process models in engineering design

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia M. Eckert ◽  
David C. Wynn ◽  
Jakob F. Maier ◽  
Albert Albers ◽  
Nikola Bursac ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Design ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Design Research ◽  
Process Models ◽  
Integrated Modelling ◽  
Model Integration ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Engineering Designs ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Product And Process

Models of products and design processes are key to interacting with engineering designs and managing the processes by which they are developed. In practice, companies maintain networks of many interrelated models which need to be synthesised in the minds of their users when considering issues that cut across them. This article considers how information from product and design process models can be integrated with a view to help manage these complex interrelationships. A framework highlighting key issues surrounding model integration is introduced and terminology for describing these issues is developed. To illustrate the framework and terminology, selected modelling approaches that integrate product and process information are discussed and organised according to their levels and forms of integration. Opportunities for further work to advance integrated modelling in engineering design research and practice are discussed.

scholarly journals COGNITION AND TRANSDISCIPLINARY DESIGN: AN EDUCATIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR UNDERGRADUATE ENGINEERING DESIGN CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alyona Sharunova ◽  
Mehwish Butt ◽  
Suzanne Kresta ◽  
Jason Carey ◽  
Loren Wyard-Scott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Product Design ◽  
Engineering Design ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Design Research ◽  
Efficient Solutions ◽  
Design And Development ◽  
Engineering Product ◽  
Common Basis ◽  
Engineering Design Process ◽  
Interdisciplinary Problems

 Abstract - Contemporary engineering product design and development no longer adheres to the boundaries of a single discipline and has become tightly integrated, often relying on interaction of multiple disciplines for completion of integrated product design projects. In order to design these products, design and development practice has transcended the discipline boundaries to become a transdisciplinary engineering design process. A collaboration of specialists from different engineering disciplines is required to develop efficient solutions to interdisciplinary problems of product design. Despite this shift from mono-disciplinary to transdisciplinary, the engineering design curriculum remains focused on teaching discipline specific design practice through skill based subject specific pedagogy with a limited emphasis on the importance of design process and transdisciplinarity in the design process. As a result, new graduates starting in design and development organizations face a difficulty finding a common basis of understanding of disciplines’ interactions and must go through a process of often implicit ‘onboarding’ to understand the transdisciplinary engineering design process. This can be avoided by developing and adapting undergraduate design process education in line with industrial demands. This paper proposes a theoretical framework based on empirical engineering design research in industry, educational psychology and teaching approaches such as Bloom’s Taxonomy and Kolb’s Model of Experiential Learning for developing the core elements of a transdisciplinary engineering design process curriculum.

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