In order to realize a creative design, it is thought to be important to unify the different knowledge group flexibly, and the concept of the computer environment which supports designers in an integrated way has been proposed. Our project, called Universal Abduction Studio, aims at assisting designers in obtaining design solutions through the dynamic interaction between a system and a designer. In this report, we propose the extended method of the knowledge representation forms for increasing the usefulness of hypothetical knowledge, after considering the existing reasoning environment. Finally, the usefulness of the proposed method is verified.

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In service design, if it is possible to observe the similarity among services, service designer can search design solutions more efficiently. In this report, we introduce the methodology which evaluates the similarity among services based on the similarity of service realization structures and report a developing tool for visualizing similarity of services. Besides, we inspect effectiveness of the methodology using existing service cases.

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Manufacturers are required to supply more services in addition to just material products to customers recently. A new methodology is necessary to create value by combining services and products in this context. In this paper, we propose a novel design process in which products and service activities are designed in parallel according to the value to be designed. Both products and service activities are means of value creation. After that, we formalize our method that was proposed before: the definition of service and modeling method for services.

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Emergence is one of fundamental properties that govern both artificial/natural complex systems, and it is drawn many attentions in various science fields, such like sociology, economics, biology, physics, psychology, linguistics and so on. However, in general, its definition is conceptual and abstract, and is not efficient as use in engineering design. In this paper, we describe some considerations about efficient definition of emergence in engineering sense, especially related to design synthesis.

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Diverse satisfactory design ideas of form and structure must be obtained under the constraint of unclear design conditions in conceptual and preliminary design. Designers depend on either their experience or their knowledge for obtaining diverse ideas. We focused attention on the concept of emergence seen by the life system, and have advanced the research for engineering support of the design based on this concept. In this paper, we show the position of emergent design and optimum design in the design process and the possibility of emergent design as the design method. And, we described the outline of the emergent design system by the use of cellular automata that build in the mechanism of the Morphogenesis of Organism. Moreover, we show the directionality of this system to perform a more global solution search.

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The need for robust design that enables the products to ensure robust performance in diverse conditions has been focused. Robust design guarantees robust performance in manufacturing variation of products and diverse use environment. In this study, new robust design method which is applicable to diverse design problems was proposed. In this method, the robust index, the weighted robust index, and the adjusted robust index are used as evaluation indexes of robustness. And confirming the effectiveness, the proposed robust design method was applied to a public seat design. As a result of the verification, the solution obtained by the proposed robust design method was better than the existing method, and it was confirmed that the general versatility of the proposed method.

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In curve design, it is important to grasp and manipulate the macroscopic shape information that emerges from the combination of shape elements. Since the evaluation of macroscopic shape information is usually based on the experience and intuition of a designer, the construction of a quantitative representation method of macroscopic shape information is desired. From these backgrounds, we studied for the construction of quantification method of "complexity", the macroscopic shape information, and that of diverse curved profile generation method that allows manipulation of "complexity."

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Idea generation methods are used effectively in each phase of design that have been complicated with social structural complication and diversity of needs. However, a guideline that enables designers to select them has not been proposed. Therefore, it has been required to systematize them and new idea generation methods based on design. This study shows the classification scheme and a guideline of selecting for idea generation methods based on the Integrated Design Model that is the framework of design theory. Moreover, a method of structuring new idea generation methods was indicated with consideration about relationship between idea generation methods and design modeling methods.

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The aesthetic curves include the logarithmic (equiangular) spiral, clothoid, and involute curves. Although most of them are expressed only by an integral form of the tangent vector, it is possible to interactively generate and deform them and they are expected to be utilized for practical use of industrial and graphical design. However, their input method proposed so far by use of three so-called control points can generate only an aesthetic curve segment with monotonic curvature variation and can not create a curve with the compounded-rhythm. Hence for four input control points with two specified α values, we propose a technique to generate a compounded-rhythm aesthetic curve.

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Interpolation is one of the most typical problems that arise in the application of B-spline curves and surfaces. In this paper we are interested in not only interpolating a set of points, but also normal vectors given at these points by the B-spline curves. Applications of point-normal fitting include design of functional surfaces used in hydrodynamics and aerodynamics, enhancement in the free-form curve design by adding the normal control, and accurate approximation of offset curves/surfaces. Our method relies on a surprisingly simple geometric algorithm which iteratively updates the input control points in a global manner based on a local point-curve distance computation, application of an orthogonality condition of the normal vector, and an offsetting procedure without solving a linear system.

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A method to generate surfaces for style design using the analytic solution of the wave equation is presented. Our method modifies the evanescent terms of the wave solution in order to express a surface by composition of plane waves with variable wave number. Each plane waves have the property of attenuation, therefore, boundary curves can be generated due to the varying wave number. The presented surface equation of the patch consists of boundary curves and several parameters. Thus, designer can intuitively generate a surface by designating boundary curves and changing parameters.

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Die casting is a very effective manufacturing method for plastic and aluminum alloy products. However die casts are complicated not only in structural geometry, but also in material, machining and hydrodynamics. This research has aimed at CAD/CAE/CAM techniques for a die cast of bracket. Some results are summarized as: (1) A die cast is generally described by the constructive solid geometry and modeled almost by the Boolean operating. (2) The shape of a casting is defined by subtracting the concave and convex moulds from a stock solid. (3) The surfaces of a die cast are usually machined by parallel, radial, project, flow line, contour, pocket, plunge machining methods. (4) NC simulation is very helpful for setting optimal cutting methods and conditions. (5) FEM of fluid flow and coagulation can be used in design of die casts for reducing their developing time and costs. (6) CAD/CAE/CAM is especially valuable for die casts. (7) Know-how is very important for design and manufacturing of a die cast.

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In recent years, 3D-CAD, CAE and optimization S/W became popular among Japanese manufacturing industry. These IT tools have potential to reduce the design time and the cost by reducing the number of experimental proto-typing. However, imported IT based design tool hasn't been consistent with the conventional human based decision process (real synthesis process) in Japan yet. To create the paradigm change strategies aimed at optimizing the balance of virtual design tool and real synthesis human process. So, Digital Engineering 2.0" Process is needed! This paper proposes a new Japanese collaborative approach with integrating the digital tools and human process. Our methodology (Digital Engineering 2.0) consists of core idea Knowledge Power Plant concept to create innovative product idea using Large Scale Integration Analysis with HPC and Data mining with scientific visualization method.

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This paper reports modeling of conceptual design process as the basis for 3DCAD. Recently, 3DCAD has become widely used in many companies. Originally CAD should be developed for design process, but sometimes designers are forced to suit it because of its restriction from an information processing. It seems that CAD is filtering and biasing design process. Therefore we have tried to analyze a design process from the viewpoint of 3DCAD. Firstly, this paper describes the summary of conceptual design. Next, it break down the basic element of mechanism to "tree", "configuration", "shape", and discuss about their thinking pattern, way of validation, restriction from an information processing. As an example, three practical processes are shown.

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In order to receive more order of commercial satellite through international bid, continual efforts is highly needed in reducing delivery time and cost using corporate technology accumulation. So, we are working hard on standardizing the total design process including spacecraft production, parts procurement, testing, launch, and operation on orbit. Furthermore, we are improving quality and efficiency of design productivity in whole processes using IT. The spacecraft system consists of a lot of parts and multidisciplinary technical fields. Therefore, it is important to handle the design data exactly and efficiently among many design sections. Also, it is effective to connect the design data to the facility, and to make the system that guides the handwork of the worker using 3D-data at the timing of production, assembly and testing phase. This paper introduces our activities to improve quality and efficiency of the spacecraft design productivity using 3D design production process.

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We propose a design support system that assists designers to create concept idea of design. The assistance is very important, because designers should, in general, deal with a huge variety of design knowledge even in the early product design process. In this study, at first, we give the function of software agent to 3D-CAD solid model with attribute information knowledge such as design intention, design knowledge expressing the relationship between the models and evaluation method for design requirement. In this system, three kinds of the agent, model agents, knowledge agents, and evaluation agents are proposed. The system supports designers through the optimization of the relationship among the agents, the self refinement of solid model, and the multi-objective evaluations of requirement for product model.

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A CAD educational support framework using a workflow-based document management system called ShareFast is introduced in this research. The framework aims to help students undertake design coursework and record students' CAD software learning progress and show to the instructor in real time report. The framework was evaluated via empirical case studies for ship design class using CAD software. The experiment shows that the framework can help facilitate the student and the instructor in design learning activities very well. Moreover, with the monitoring system, the instructor can understand students' problem in real time, and control the class to be finished within the expected duration.

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In this paper, we propose a method of the effective information management in safety knowledge for experiment and exercises in education. By using the safety knowledge dictionary, the words that related to safety knowledge is automatically retrieved from an experimental plan written by students. The dictionary holds local safety knowledge corresponding to the person, the thing or the material, operation or work. The lack of the demand words and the appearance of the prohibition words are detected by comparing the co-occurrence of words from experimental plan and the dictionary item. The proposed method is implemented as software described in Java so that the method is executed in internet environment. The method and software are applied to two simple experiments to examine and confirm the validity and feasibility of the proposed method.

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The research purpose is to assist engineers by providing digital data of engineering know-how and technology. The target manufacturing method is arc welding, which depends substantially on personal skill on the shop floor. The XML database of arc welding case has been developed and applied to examine the variations of data among the cases according to the welding process patterns and welding engineers. The case database of welding is now made public on the Internet to be used by web browser. In the paper, we propose a software system in which user can compare his/her welding cases with the cases in the database. The system has a feature without sending user data and the information sharing system is also discussed.

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Recently, manufacturing industry is highly required to shorten the development time to market for producing the high quality product. So, improvement activity to understand the development status adequately is proceeding by site administrative function. However, they have a major difficulty in process improvement as a result of technology trend change toward the ulti-functionality and high performance. These social needs make manager's skill difficult and increase workload of management function to control the product development process visually. This paper demonstrates the process optimizing method to improve the QCD (Quality, Cost and Delivery) of electronic products and process visualization idea based on the improvement result.

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Many higher managers of Japanese manufacturing companies which face hard business competition are placed under the pressure of necessity of innovation or improvement of Development Process. In fact most of them aim to accomplish it. Most of Process innovations focused on reworking processes in the past. However I believe that the most important view point is building process in order to optimize "QCD". I have many support experience to design and implement optimized product development process in client companies. I designed the methodology to manage "QCD" to fit each companies' business objectives and its environments. I hope my methodology and experience are helpful for the people who grapple with the similar challenge.

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Design process planning has become more important toward enhancing competitiveness in a market under the various challenges of product development. This trend demands not only relative or qualitative but also quantitative planning scheme. However, problems with modeling ambiguous factors of design process make the quantitative planning so difficult and even complicated. This research focuses on progressive nature of knowledge acquisition in communication structure. Knowledge revision promoted through meeting are also focused as key characteristics of design process dynamics. Fuzzy theory is introduced to model these ambiguous factors. This paper overviews the proposed model of design process planning, and demonstrates its application to the student formula project with an implemented design process simulation system based on the model.

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Industrial designers are new-creating both function and attribute of product in the conceptual design process. Quality of product depends heavily on their creative thinking. Therefore, it is difficult that computer-aided system supports a creative and inventive thinking process. We proposed the methodology of Conceptual and inventive Design Support System (CDSS) for its difficulty and estimated this methodology to satisfy the requirement. As the result, we confirmed that the analysis model of bottom-up thinking process is difficulty. In this paper, we propose new analysis model by using contact and observer objects into use case diagram for this analysis process. Validity of this model is discussed through the benchmark problem.

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This paper proposes an optimum system design method that considers product lifecycles, which aims to help designers make decisions during the product design phase. By considering and estimating not only the performance of the product but all lifecycle factors, this method facilitates arriving at optimum design solutions that incorporate terms pertaining to the entire lifecycle of the product. Furthermore, quantitative estimation of lifecycle factors enables numerical optimum solutions, rather than depending primarily on experiment and designer intuition. An example of a milling machine design is provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method, where the lifecycle cost consists of material and machining costs during the manufacturing phase, and energy consumption in use phase.

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This paper proposes a hierarchical layout design optimization method for highly packaged equipments. After reviewing the characteristics of various types of layout design problems, a class of two-dimensional layout design problems of rectangles, some of which are the results of similar problems defined in its sub-levels, is adopted as the target. First, the Pareto optimality of subsystem-level layout against the optimality of system-level layout is extracted from it through two-level hierarchical formulation. In the method, layout topology is represented with sequence-pair and optimized with genetic algorithms. The Pareto optimality of sub-levels is handled with the functionality of multi-objective optimization of genetic algorithms, in which a set of Pareto are simultaneously generated. Top-level and sub-level layout problems are coordinated through exchange of preferable ranges of shapes and layout. A case study under the developed algorithm is demonstrated for discussing the future works.

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This paper presents an advanced multi-step optimal design method using function oriented elements for the development of the development of the leaning spring for artificial satellite. For the sake of the efficient design, the appropriate methodology must be selected in each design phase. In this research, the topology optimization method and the shape optimization method are used in the conceptual design phase and the detailed design phase respectively. Frame elements are used for both phases as the function oriented element. In addition, the numerical example of based on the actual analysis model of leaning spring part are provided to show the utility of the methodology presented here.

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If we would like to raise efficiency of the company, we need to synchronize every section like sales, purchase and product department to minimize cash follow and so on. For that purpose, we need to make optimal scheduling which is visible in all sections, and we need to follow that scheduling. As we have a lot of possibility for errors, in order to make scheduling that is able to follow in the real factory, it becomes more and more important to give appropriate buffer for each job. However, buffers are trade-off relation between product ability. Therefore, it is very difficult to choose its value. In this study, we make virtual factory and simulate its situations and optimize buffer through approximate multi-objective optimization.

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In this paper, we will propose optimal control algorithm that using Radial Basis Function Networks (RBFN) as a type of the Neural Network. Approximation of using RBFN is good at nonlinear system, multimodal problem, and calculable locally-detail and globally-rough at once. However, when we use the RBFN at optimal control, the response speed will be important point. Then, we propose Experimental Learning Algorithm that set the basis optimal number and its point to be learning quickly. The basic rule of this algorithm was shown in this paper.

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Splayfoot seems not serious diseases. However, it cause fatigue in the daily life. It makes breakthrough in track athletic and many other fields in sports. In that sense, if we can solve these problems it might support daily life much comfortable especially for elder people. To support splayfoot, there are some commercial ones. But they just add small amount of support and not made up for each person. Besides, when the height of support is not suitable for patients, it sometimes make situation worse. We have tried it and measured by using myoelectric potential measurement, and see differences of three patients. Even if we use. the same commercial support its effectiveness differs to each other and sometimes it make worse. Physical therapists make foot support for each patient but they make them owing to their experience. There are studies on the positions of bone of foot and its portrait of the desired positions has been reported by medical doctors. One of them is called Mizuno [1973] standard. In this study, we tried to design foot support aiming to make portrait of this standard. For that purpose, we use approximate multi-objective optimization using Radial Basis Function network. First, we make some support and try to find characteristic points of spline function. These processes have been measured by X-ray and calculated portraits for each X-ray digital image. Then, we have gone through multi-objective optimization and design a foot support for one patient and made it by hard sponge. We measured it by X-ray again to make sure that the portrait has been done in acceptable position. For validation, we use electromyography again. As a result the foot support by the proposed method shows the maximum reduction in integral of myoelastic. This shows the effectiveness of the proposed method.

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With the development of excellent software in optimization, there is more and more wish to use these techniques and make an epoch developments in their products. However, most of us know that it costs a lot of time and costs to carry out optimization, because it needs to repeat a simulation for the number of times. Therefore, most engineers would like to make mathematical models of design problems just enough to express their needs priori to optimization. Let us call these models as light models, in this paper. It is very difficult to make a proper light model in the first trial. Recent optimization will find the global solution, so that it will find some modeling miss and lead light model to some strange result. Such phenomenon is not a fault of optimization, but of the light model. We have to revise the light model but it is way difficult to make it rationally with the information we have had from the light model. We have to think of appropriate values of existed constraints, we have to think of new functions for constraints, and so on. It is almost hopeless to revise the light model at one time. The best thing that we can hope for is to give up the light model and make models complex to express the situation of the products. If we do not know proper values for constraints, treat them as objective functions and just go through trade-off analysis to have their relationships information, so that we can give appropriate values. In this sense, it is very important to make models in multi-objective optimization. In multi-objective optimization, it is quite important to carry out trade-off analysis and which might be a key to find epoch design. We have developed approximate multi-objective optimization method, which is composed by satisficing method, radial basis function network and recommendation of new design variables. With industrial application, it turned out that we need to have more accuracy especially in approximation of combined scalar objective function. As for approximation, we use radial basis function network with optimization of radius. In this way, it is effective to make smooth function. However, it tends to approximate large wave, so that it is difficult to have bumpy response of the function. And almost always scalar objective function has bumpy characteristics. To overcome this problem, we are going to propose convolute approximation of radial basis function network. It is kind like Fourier series to add more and more higher frequency to add accuracy of the response. From numerical example, we have shown effectiveness of the proposed method.

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