2012 Volume 6 Issue 7 Pages 1234-1249
The combination of natural process and engineering design & modeling activities has been proposed due to the demand of intelligent manufacturing and conceptual design. A product gene (PG) concept, as a combination of mechanical design and biological growth is proposed in recent years. PG is the application of genetic engineering to the mechanical-design field. In this paper, a comprehensive review is carried out on the research of PG theory and its application. The PG theory research, which focuses on the similarity and difference between biological gene and PG, is divided into three parts: concept and characteristics, data model, and operation technologies of PGs. Furthermore, to implement PG into the design and modeling area, PG research application is also discussed. Then a comparison between PG and other design & modeling methodology is conducted. Finally, the conclusion and discussion of future development of PG research are advanced.
