Every new engineering design task involves several stages, including conceptualization, synthesis, evaluation, embodiment, and detailed design followed by prototyping and redesign. Recognizing that new design ideas often arise by reusing and adapting prior design ideas through direct recall and analogy, we will undertake research aimed at developing representation and indexing schemes for large casebases of designs. Using synthesis algorithms, the system will help the designer examine design alternatives. Through cross-links to component catalogs, the system will also help the designer find appropriate products that can fulfill the required functions. The system will finally allow the user to order the products directly through the on-line catalogs.Commercial Applications:There are two aspects at hand: The benefit to the customer and the revenue model for the service provider. The user/customer will benefit from increased design quality. By providing a conceptual X design tool that works by using a vast design case library, our proposed system will help design companies examine multiple alternatives in a timely fashion. This will lead to cost savings and improved design quality. It may be possible to charge design companies to use the service (provided via the Web). The revenues will come from the manufacturers who cross-index their catalogs with the case library. After a design engineer generates a design alternative, he/she will be able to access component catalogs to select parts and order them on-line. The companies who put their catalogs on-line and get orders could be made to pay on-time and pertransaction fees.
