CAREER: Generative Designer Assistance Tools

该职业奖为原型生成式设计师辅助工具的创建提供资金，该工具将基于功能的生成策略与当今计算机辅助设计系统的几何建模能力相结合。原型工具将现有的边界实体建模器与基于图形的功能建模系统相集成，为将设计的功能描述转换为构成潜在设计解决方案的组件的实体模型提供平台。将开发功能驱动的、具有优化模式的分层设计算法，以将设计的初始功能描述转换为功能可行和物理有效的整个空间。提出了一种识别紧急功能和功能共享机会的支持算法，并对其进行了测试。该奖项还资助了一门当前研究生水平的课程--机械设计形式学--的扩展，通过新的模块来研究创造性的设计方法，以回答这样一个问题：一种设计方法比另一种更有创意吗？该奖项的第二年将提供形式主义课程的本科生版本。除了课程以外，这个奖项还资助了一个本科生研究项目的继续，该项目开发了一个机械设计学习工具，目标是三年级到六年级的学生。通过可视化界面，学生们将操纵代表简单机械部件的图标，以解决像创建滚动车这样的问题。该工具将以动画序列为特色，说明通过正确的图标操作发现的机械概念。成功的生成性设计工具将帮助设计师完成常规设计任务，或者在更具互动性的基础上完成挑战性设计任务。他们的设计解释技术可以用来保存公司的设计知识，这是一个以地理上分散的设计团队和无纸化设计数据库为特征的设计环境的重要目标。生成性设计工具的影响将超出经验丰富的设计师的使用范围。它们是新手设计师的培训工具，也是设计课上工科学生的工具。生成性设计工具还体现了构建适合小学生学习机械工程概念的设计学习工具所必需的基本原则。这项拟议工作的影响将延伸到大学课堂，最终为所有年龄段的学生提供设计学习工具，让他们在大学预科和大学年龄阶段从事工程学习。

This CAREER award provides funding for the creation of a prototype generative designer assistance tool that combines a function-based generation strategy with the geometric modeling capabilities of today's computer-aided design systems. The prototype tool will integrate an existing boundary solid modeler with a graph-based function modeling system, providing a platform for the transformation of a functional description of a design into a solid model of the components that comprise a potential design solution. Function-driven, hierarchical design algorithms with optimization modes, will be developed to transform an initial functional description of a design into an entire space of functionally feasible and physically valid designs. A supporting algorithm to recognizing emergent functions and function sharing opportunities will be proposed and tested. This award also funds the expansion of a current graduate-level course, Mechanical Design Formalisms, with new modules examining creative design methods to answer the question, `Is one design method more creative than another?`. An undergraduate version of the Formalisms course will be offered in Year Two of the award. In addition to coursework, this award fund the continuation of an undergraduate research project to develop a Mechanical Design Learning Tool, targeting students in grades three through six. Through a visual interface, students will manipulate icons representing simple mechanical components in order to solve problems like `create a rolling cart`. The tool will feature animation sequences that illustrate the mechanical concept discovered by correct icon manipulation. Successful generative design tools will assist designers in completing routine or, on a more interactive basis, challenging design tasks. Their design interpretation techniques can be used to preserve a company's design knowledge, a significant goal for a design environment characterized by geographically dispersed design teams and paperless design databases. Generative design tools will have impact beyond use by experienced designers. They are training tools for novice designers and tools for engineering students in design classes. Generative design tools also embody the foundational principles necessary for building design learning tools suitable to engage elementary students in learning mechanical engineering concepts. The proposed work's impact will reach into the university classroom, eventually providing design learning tools to students of all ages, engaging them in engineering pursuits at pre-college and college ages.