A general paradigm for routine design—theory and implementation

Abstract

The concept of discretization of a design space is used to make initial selection of prior designs using specification matching, and to direct redesign with evaluation and iteration. A general paradigm for routine design has been developed and implemented in a system called IDS (Initial Design Selection.) For a given design domain, certain characteristics are identified that allow all specifications and models (which represent prior designs) in that design domain to be described in terms of their values or intervals that these values may lie in. These characteristics are seen as dimensions of a design space discretized into a finite number of partitions. Each partition is represented by a model, thought of as occupying its center. Each such model is associated with a deep model, which contains sufficient information for the modeled device, process, or system to be realized. Despite the fact that the models inhabiting the space are shallow, the paradigm comprises a relatively rich mathematical structure. This paper describes in detail a computational methodology to implement this domain-independent paradigm. The IDS paradigm presents a convenient and structured framework for acquiring and representing domain knowledge. This paper also briefly discusses an enhanced version of the system, which attempts iterative redesign directed by the particular mismatch between a specification and an otherwise promising model. To date, this methodology has been applied in a variety of design domains, including mechanism design, hydraulic component selection, assembly methods, and non-destructive testing methods.