KNOWLEDGE AND REASONING: ISSUES RAISED IN AUTOMATING THE CONCEPTUAL DESIGN OF FLUID POWER SYSTEMS

Authors

  • Mansur Darlington Engineering Design Centre, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Bath, Bath, UK
  • Steve Culley Engineering Design Centre, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Bath, Bath, UK
  • Stephen Potter Engineering Design Centre, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Bath, Bath, UK

Keywords:

configuration design, design knowledge, automation, neural networks, case-based reasoning

Abstract

Much progress has been made in the area of computer-aided designer support, but little has been made in that of de-sign automation. Where progress has been made, it has been largely in the analytical aspects of the task (for example, simulation and stress analysis) – tasks for which computers are more suited than humans. Less tractable is automation of the early, conceptual, phase of design, heavily reliant as it is on the expert knowledge of the design practitioner. Em-ulating this computationally is the domain of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and requires a detailed understanding of the nature of the design process (Darlington et al, 1998). This paper discusses some of the issues raised during an investigation in to the automation of the configuration phase of fluid power system design, and identifies some of the hurdles to be cleared before automation, supported by AI, becomes a reality. Two models, developed by the authors, are chosen to illustrate the way in which very different approaches can be taken to automating the same task with an emphasis on the knowledge that is used by designers, which must be acquired and used in automation.

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Author Biographies

Mansur Darlington, Engineering Design Centre, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Bath, Bath, UK

Mansur Darlington is a cognitive scientist working in the Engi-neering Design Centre at the University of Bath. He has a particular interest in the capture of the design requirement and how the conceptual and language content of design requirement expression can be harnessed to control and formalize the elicitation process for automation.

Steve Culley, Engineering Design Centre, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Bath, Bath, UK

Steve Culley is Head of Design in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Bath. He has researched in the engineer-ing design field for many years. In particu-lar this work has centred on the provision of information and support to engineering designers. He pioneered research into the introduction and use of the electronic cata-logue for standard engineering components and has extended this work to deal with systems and assemblies. He has over 100 publications and is currently in the process of writing a book.

Stephen Potter, Engineering Design Centre, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Bath, Bath, UK

Stephen Potter was formerly a researcher in the Engineer-ing Design Centre within the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Bath. His doctoral thesis is entitled “Artificial Intelligence and Conceptual Design Synthesis”.

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Published

2001-08-01

How to Cite

Darlington, M., Culley, S., & Potter, S. (2001). KNOWLEDGE AND REASONING: ISSUES RAISED IN AUTOMATING THE CONCEPTUAL DESIGN OF FLUID POWER SYSTEMS. International Journal of Fluid Power, 2(2), 75–85. Retrieved from https://journals.riverpublishers.com/index.php/IJFP/article/view/641

Issue

2001: Vol 02 Iss 2

Section

Original Article