Feasibility of cognitive based Computer Aided Engineering Design (CAED)

目前，商业和最先进的计算机辅助工程设计（CAED）系统都受限于它们对工程设计过程的直观性和有益性。他们不断进步，但以渐进的方式，并通过适应既定的设计流程。这项研究旨在从一个完全不同的角度看待工程设计。其目的是调查脑控制CAED的可行性，通过识别在工程设计中的构思过程中活跃的大脑的关键区域，并评估技术开发的可行性，及其使用，在控制CAED系统使用直接脑控接口（BCI），超越传统的鼠标和键盘交互的CAED方法。实现这一点需要在创造性的工程设计，CAED系统的开发能力，以反映一种新的工作方式，并纳入人脑和CAED系统之间的直接交互的大脑内的神经激活模式的知识。应当指出，创造力是一个难以界定的术语，在各种不同的领域有着不同的含义。在这个研究项目中，创造力是在工程设计的背景下定义的，在设计过程中承担的创造性任务，特别是构思。为了绘制认知设计任务期间大脑的活动，认知和认知神经科学科学家和工程设计学者都需要参与实验设计，实施和分析，并随后探讨实际执行调查结果的可行性。我们首先必须定义要检查的认知设计过程，然后创建适当的实验任务，其中定义的认知设计过程是由经验丰富的设计师清楚地证明。当执业设计师执行规定的任务时，大脑激活的模式将被记录下来，以识别大脑的反应区域。了解和评估认知控制CAED的可行性将为验证脑控接口（BCI）控制CAED的应用提供基础。通过进行这种跨学科的研究，将创建一个新的领域，将认知科学，工程设计，神经科学和BCI结合起来，以改变构思设计的感知和执行方式，并在此过程中将为未来的研究开辟新的途径。这种方法的可行性可以启动多种组合工程设计、CAED和BCI研究的研究，以及对其他BCI开发的一般输入。CAED的应用程序可以让身体受损的人使用，帮助人们进入劳动力市场，降低护理成本，提高自我价值，也许还可以让老年人在晚年工作。大脑控制接口的使用方式也可能影响公众考虑与技术互动的方式。对特定CAED任务期间激活的大脑区域的理解将有助于世界各地的研究计划目前正在建立的大脑地图。对新的设计方式感兴趣的设计师将能够使用BCI在CAED中的潜在作用的输出来获得CAED的BCI能力的知识。设计师和研究人员将了解设计任务中涉及的大脑过程，以及使用神经科学来增强设计活动的能力和局限性。这项研究的基本思想是，未来任何人都可以成为设计师，在CAD系统中创造想法，为众包提供了一个新的维度，使没有特定设计技能的人能够体现他们的想法。

Currently, both commercial and state-of-the-art Computer Aided Engineering Design (CAED) systems are limited in how intuitive and conducive they are to the engineering design process. They are continually advancing but in an incremental fashion and doing so by adapting to established design processes. This research aims to look at engineering design from a radically different perspective. The aim is to investigate the feasibility of brain controlled CAED through identifying critical areas of the brain that are active during ideation in engineering design, and evaluating the feasibility of technology development, and its use, in controlling CAED systems using a direct Brain-Controlled Interface (BCI); surpassing the traditional CAED approach of mouse and keyboard interaction. Achieving this requires knowledge of the patterns of neural activation within the brain during creative engineering design, capabilities for development of CAED systems to reflect a new way of working, and incorporating a direct interaction between the human brain and CAED system. It should be noted that creativity is a difficult term to define, having different implications in a variety of different fields. In this research project, creativity is defined in the context of engineering design and the creative tasks undertaken in the processes within design, in particular ideation.In order to map the activity of the brain during cognitive design tasks both cognitive and cognitive neuroscience scientists and engineering design academics need to be involved in experiment design, implementation and analysis, and the subsequent exploration of the feasibility of the practical implementation of the findings. We first must define the cognitive design processes to be examined and then create appropriate experimental tasks in which the defined cognitive design processes are clearly demonstrated by experienced designers. The patterns of brain activation will be recorded when practising designers perform the defined tasks in order to identify the responding areas of the brain. Understanding and assessing the feasibility of cognitive controlled CAED will provide is with the foundation to test the use of Brain Controlled Interface (BCI) controlled CAED. By performing this inter-disciplinary research a new field will be created that incorporates cognitive science, engineering design, neuroscience and BCI in order to change the way ideation design is both perceived and performed, and in the process will open up new avenues for future research. The feasibility of this could initiate studies in a multitude of combined engineering design, CAED and BCI studies as well as input to other BCI developments in general. CAED applications could become accessible to the physically impaired, help people enter the work force, reducing care costs, and enhancing self-worth and perhaps also allowing the ageing population to work later in life. The ways in which brain control interfaces could be used may also impact on the way that the general public considers interacting with technology. An understanding of the areas of the brain activated during specific CAED tasks will contribute to brain mapping currently being built by research programmes worldwide. Designers interested in new ways of designing will be able to gain knowledge of BCI capabilities for CAED using outputs on the potential role of BCI in CAED. Designers and researchers will learn about the brain processes involved in design tasks and the capabilities and limitations of using neuroscience to enhance design activities. The underlining idea of the research is that in the future anyone could be a designer creating ideas within a CAD system, giving a new dimension to crowdsourcing and enabling people without specific design skills to embody their thoughts.