A Fundamental Study on the Design Methodology of Upgradable Machines

本项目的目的是研究可升级机器形式化设计方法的可行性。这项研究分三个步骤进行。升级设计的设计模式识别：通过对工业设计案例的分析，对升级设计案例中出现的设计模式进行梳理和识别。确定了以下三种模式，并将其用于构建可升级机器的设计方法学：使功能结构隔离和独立、添加备用功能和可升级设计过程。使功能结构隔离和独立是一种设计操作，它使表现感兴趣的功能的组件被识别(并隔离)并独立于其他组件。通过这样做，这套组件可以被视为一个单位进行升级。添加备用功能是将额外的备用功能添加到展现感兴趣功能的现有部件的设计操作。需要可升级的设计流程来规划和嵌入一系列产品系列中的可升级性。升级规划方法的研究：我们确定了在制定产品系列跨代升级计划时需要考虑的因素。特别是，我们确定了这样做的一个最关键的因素是预测的不确定性。建立支持可升级设计的原型系统：我们实现了一个支持机械系统可升级设计的原型系统，从而形成了由三个策略组成的可升级机器设计方法(即使功能结构部件隔离和独立、增加备用功能和可升级设计过程)，并在此基础上建立了设计支持系统。该报告以可升级设计为例说明了支持系统，并展示了可升级性设计方法的力量。

The purpose of this project is to investigate the feasibility of formalizing design methodology of upgradable machines. The study was conducted in the following three steps.1 . Identification of design patterns for upgrading designs : By analyzing industrial design cases, we articulated and identified design patterns that appeared in upgrading design cases. The following three patterns were identified and were used to build the design methodology of upgradable machines : Making functional structures isolate and independent, Adding spare functions, and Upgradable design processes. Making functional structures isolate and independent is a design operation that makes components which exhibit the interested function identified (and isolated) and independent of other components. By doing so, this set of components can be regarded as a unit for upgrading. Adding spare functions is a design operation that adds extra, spare functions to the existing components that exhibit the interested function. Upgradable design processes are needed to plan and embed upgradability in a series of a product family.2. Investigation of planning methods for upgrading : We identified factors to be considered in building plans for upgrading a product series over generations. In particular, we identified one of the most critical factors in doing so is the uncertainty of prediction.3. Building a prototype system to support upgradable design : We implemented a prototype system to support upgradable design of mechanical systems.Consequently, we could formalize a design methodology of upgradable machines consisting of three strategies (i.e., Making functional structural components isolate and independent, Adding spare functions, and Upgradable design processes) based on which a design support system was built. The report illustrates the support system with an example of upgradable design and this demonstrates the power of the design methodology for upgradability.