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)系统在工程设计过程的直观性和有用性方面都受到限制。他们不断地前进，但以一种渐进的方式，通过适应既定的设计过程来做到这一点。这项研究旨在从一个完全不同的角度来看待工程设计。其目的是通过识别在工程设计的构思过程中活跃的大脑关键区域，并评估技术开发的可行性及其在使用直接脑控接口(BCI)控制CAED系统中的应用，来研究大脑控制CAED的可行性；超越传统的鼠标和键盘交互的CAED方法。要做到这一点，需要了解创造性工程设计期间大脑内神经激活的模式，开发反映新工作方式的CAED系统的能力，并纳入人脑和CAED系统之间的直接交互。应该指出的是，创造力是一个很难定义的术语，在各种不同的领域有不同的含义。在本研究项目中，创造力是在工程设计的背景下定义的，以及在设计过程中承担的创造性任务，特别是思维。为了绘制认知设计任务中大脑的活动图，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，并随后探索结果实际实施的可行性。我们必须首先定义要检查的认知设计过程，然后创建适当的实验任务，在这些任务中，有经验的设计师清楚地演示已定义的认知设计过程。当实践设计者执行定义的任务时，大脑的激活模式将被记录下来，以便识别大脑的反应区域。了解和评估认知控制的CAED的可行性将为测试脑控制接口(BCI)控制的CAED的使用提供基础。通过进行这种跨学科的研究，将创建一个结合认知科学、工程设计、神经科学和脑-机接口的新领域，以改变人们对思维设计的感知和执行方式，并在此过程中为未来的研究开辟新的途径。这一可行性可以启动大量工程设计、CAED和BCI研究的综合研究，以及对其他BCI发展的总体投入。CAED应用程序可以为身体残疾的人提供帮助，帮助人们进入劳动力大军，降低护理成本，增强自我价值感，或许还可以让老龄化人口在晚年工作。大脑控制界面的使用方式也可能会影响普通公众认为与技术互动的方式。对在特定CAED任务中激活的大脑区域的了解将有助于目前由世界各地的研究计划建立的大脑图谱。对新的设计方法感兴趣的设计者将能够利用关于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。这项研究的重点是，未来任何人都可以成为在CAD系统中创造想法的设计师，为众包提供了一个新的维度，并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.