Collaborative Research: Advanced Analogical Search with Integrated Function and Form: The Verrocchio Project

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The research objective of this award is to improve understanding and capabilities in concept generation through design by analogy methods. The proposed approach, a collaboration between the disciplines of cognitive psychology, engineering design and computer science, is to provide new tools for design based on a representation that associates functional and geometric information, combining a linguistic search for functional similarity with a multi-level search for geometric similarity to automatically identify and present analogies to the designer. The initial application for the Verrocchio Project is the design of prosthetic and orthotic devices for persons with disabilities, a domain that is ripe for innovation. The initial search space is the USPTO utility patent repository. Deliverables will include: (1) means to more effectively generalize design problems through functional descriptions; (2) the ability to search for analogical solutions with alternative functional representations; (3) ways to search for geometric similarities across a set of functional analogies; and (4) the ability to produce a tractable set of analogies for use by the designer. If successful, the results of this research will have five broad and transformative impacts. The first impact arises from the key product of the research: a method for systematically and automatically identifying analogies. This tool will have broad applicability across many product domains, and will improve the efficiency of the search for innovative products in those domains. Second, the research will advance the foundation for use of analogies in engineering design methods. Third, because the research will result in a computer implementation of the method, the work will add to the growing cyber infrastructure of the country. Fourth, the interdisciplinary nature of the research ensures cross-fertilization of theory and research techniques in each of the collaborators? disciplines. This interdisciplinarity will enhance the probability of broad adoption of the approach. Fifth, instructional materials will be developed for training students in the approach. These instructional materials will be freely available to instructors at other institutions, encouraging broader adoption of the approach.