SGER: A Theoretical Approach to Engineering Design

本研究项目为工程设计和集成工程探索了一条新的理论途径。目标是根据明确规定的计算机化协议，使用明确定义的选择集，制定和分析设计和可制造性的严格数学框架。因为这种计算机化的方法本质上是离散的，所以第一步将是检查用具有连续决策变量的模型逼近的可能性。如果这是成功的，并且当工程设计问题可以用连续的参数来描述时，那么在一组可行的或可制造的设计上对性能良好的目标函数进行约束优化将产生性能良好的解。如果成功，这项研究将导致对工程设计和制造的更好理解，对几乎所有行业都有潜在的积极影响，并可能对工程教育产生革命性的影响。

This research project explores a new theoretical approach to engineering design and integration engineering. The goal is to formulate and analyze a rigorous mathematical framework for design and manufacturability, based on clearly specified, computerized protocols using well-defined choice sets. Because such computerized methods are inherently discrete, the first step will be to examine the possibilities for approximation by models with continuous decision variables. If this is successful, and when the engineering design problem can be described by continuous parameters, then constrained optimization of a well-behaved objective function over a set of feasible or manufacturable designs would yield well-behaved solutions. If successful, this research will lead to an improved understanding of engineering design and manufacture, with potential positive impact on nearly all of industry and having potentially revolutionary impact on engineering education.