A Method for Quantifying Adaptability in Engineering Design

Abstract

This article presents a framework to provide design engineers with an objective assessment of the degree to which a product can be adapted to meet changing customer requirements. The work is grounded in the emerging field of adaptable design, and is motivated by the need to reduce the uncertainty and cost of the product development process through the systematic reuse of design information. The article focuses primarily on an analytical exploration of an adaptability quantification framework that is intended to provide designers with the ability to quantify adaptability and make objective design decisions based on this information during the design process. The proposed framework is illustrated with a simple case study that compares the relative adaptability of a personal computer versus a calculator.