Recently, value creation from view point of service has been widespread. A service process is regarded as a kind of interaction between service providers and receivers. Sharing and managing such the knowledge on human Kansei are of growing significance to providing product's values focused on customers. However, any sufficiently-advanced technologies that realize such knowledge sharing and management have been established. One typical approach is to clarify and systematize concepts as an ontology which is a basis to describe knowledge. In the current study, we discuss a method to develop an ontology describing knowledge on human Kansei and introduce several existing ontologies. The ontology will serve as a useful reference to develop value recognition map and be of assistance to designers.

In recent years, value and satisfaction derived by using a product have had considerable influence on users' needs. In such Circumstance, grasping the target user's personality and the change of the user’s satisfaction that caused from situation of use of products are quite important for clarifying design requirements. In this paper, the modeling methods of the daily life scenes using web information as a description target is proposed. The model was used to conduct case studies that respectively focused on a person and a location as the targets, with the purpose of investigating the feasibility of describing daily life scenes from different viewpoints.

It is very important for designers to ensure safety and usability of products. Since detecting problems of safety and usability through user observation manually may have some difficulty from the viewpoints of time, efforts and reliability, a computerized aid is expected. In this paper, computerized methods of (1) obtaining information of user operations on a product using RGB camera and depth sensor and (2) detecting potential problems of safety and usability. If designers make a checklist of possible problems (blacklist) to be detected, the list may contain only expected problems and thus unexpected problem could be missed. In the authors’ method, the authors define conditions on safety and usability about a target product (whitelist) and detect users’ operations that do not meet the conditions. With this whitelist-approach, unexpected problems can also be detected. The proposed method is applied to an interface of a tractor, and the results such as improved recall and precision of automatic user operation recognitions are reported.

Recently, product market is entering maturity stage, and many products are commoditized. While conventional ways of product development which is successive functional improvement of prior product cannot break down products’ commoditization, innovation and creativity which offers differentiating features that allows for premium pricing is required. The product innovation is mainly driven by functional design: upper process and critical factor in product designing process. In order to support functional design in products, methods of idea generation are expected to be mover for innovation. However, most of the methods’ outcomes are dependent on designers generating ideas, and there is no assurance of coincidence with users’ evaluation on the idea. In this paper, we introduce ΔDesign Map: product database which is composed of product information written from the viewpoint of structure, behavior, function and user experience, and compare the evaluation between designers and users.

The aim of this work is to estimate upper bounds of the Burnett coefficients in the high order homogenized wave equation, along with optimal microgeometries using a non-convex and mutimodal optimization method. We assumed that the two-dimensional unit cell is consist of a two-phase composite material with an 8-fold symmetry assumption. Under this geometrical assumption in the unit cell, the Burnett tensor is characterized by two scalar parameters. In order to estimate the upper bounds of the wave dispersion, we numerically compute Pareto fronts in the plane of the two scalar parameters under two equality constraints for the the phase proportions and for the homogenized tensor. The optimization problem is formulated considering a non-concave bound and solved using a shape optimization method.

In this paper, we discuss an acceleration with the H-matrix method of multi-objective topology optimisation using the boundary element method (BEM) and the level set method. In the sensitivity analysis for topology optimisations, we need to solve two boundary value problems; forward and adjoint problem. In the case that multiple objective functions are concerned, the number of boundary value problems to be solved increases in proportion to the number of the objective functions. We accelerate the sensitivity analysis for such problems with an accelerated LU decomposition or GMRES by the H-matrix method. We show the effectiveness of the proposed method by a numerical example of multi-objective topology optimisation in 2D electro-magnetic field.

Dynamic FE analysis is valid for designing rotating machinery to reduce its vibration problem. So the accuracy of the analysis is required for this purpose. Surrogate multiple objective optimization method is available for structural identification improving the FE analysis model of a structures to adjust the natural frequency analysis results to the experimental results. In this study the structural identification method is applied to stator end-windings of a turbine generator to determine the Young’s modulus of the principal components on the FE model minimizing the analysis errors of the natural frequencies of the 2-lobe and 4-lobe circular modes to the corresponding experimental results. The accurate FE model of the end-windings is obtained by this method.

In this paper, we propose a support method for multi-objective layout design of cellular manufacturing systems. The proposed method is composed of a global search technique for layout designs and a data mining technique applied to the obtained layout solutions. First, intercell layout design candidates (possible locations of each manufacturing cell or department within a floor area) are encoded as sequence variables, using a sequence-pair scheme, and a multi-objective genetic algorithm using NSGA-II is then used to search the set of Pareto optimal solutions for the intercell layout design problem. Then, to analyze the solution set and simplify the subsequent decision process, we develop a data mining technique, EM clustering, which clusters the obtained layout solutions considering correlations of cells or departments among the layout solutions. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method, we present a numerical example of a two-objective intercell layout design problem that aims to minimize the material handling cost and maximize the closeness rating.

Globalization in higher education is becoming increasingly important in Japan. This article elaborates on the groundwork to establish a moderate English communication skill among students, embedded with some relevant soft skills for the TMAC design workshop. The design workshop was held in the Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM), Malaysia as a host university, in collaboration with the University of Tokushima, Japan as the participating institution. A global engineering design education is adapted in the present study through international student exchange between these universities. Therefore, several activities to achieve the desired objectives have been developed with the adoption of cooperative learning approach. Details on each activities are briefly discussed in this paper.

TokushimaU-UTeM Academic Center (TMAC) was established in 2014 to promote the joint collaboration between the two institutions, or Tokusihma University and Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, in terms of education and research. Thanks to the excellent relationship between the two institutions based on the academic collaboration with alumni network in the past one decade, this unique academic center called TMAC was opened to further promote the collaboration between the two institutions. Reviewing the overview of TMAC activities including its history, this paper shows how TMAC Design workshop 2016 has been hosted, prepared and implemented to promote students exchange between the two institutions as the critical part of academic collaboration.

The present study discusses the wire design verification by means of 3D comparison between the built 3D model with the digitized 3D model. The actual target design was bent by a skilful dental technician and the process of recreating the design was executed using a sheet metal feature in computer-aided design (CAD) environment. The feature was adapted in this study due to its capability to represent the bending characteristics, even though the algorithm was designed for a sheet metal. A digitized 3D model was created from the actual target afterwards by utilizing a touch probe digitizer for the comparison purpose. As a result, a color mapping deviation on these models was generated in Geomagic environment to illustrate the misalignment data. To conclude, a dentistry wire design by means of sheet metal is complicated based on the unsatisfactory result and the present study recommends another approach for it in the future by using the line characteristics instead.

The drawing by CAD is said to be superior to the hand drawing in the accuracy and ease of modifying the drawings, but to be inferior in the generation of a creative idea accidentally given by the hand drawing. There are some studies to compare the two drawings, but is no one to evaluate the difference in the designers’ creativity, quantitatively. The present study is a preliminary stage to quantitatively differentiate the creativity in the idea generation employing a hand drawing and CAD software and measured the cerebral blood flow of the sixteen participants taking the creative task (Finke’s pattern generation task) employing the hand or computer drawing. The blood flow was measured using a NIRS (Near Infra-Red Spectroscopy) apparatus. The result shows that the computer operation activates more channels, especially in the right prefrontal cortex, than the hand drawing.

Based on the arguments discussed in the previous report, further prototype of hybrid emergent design system, which is a combination of L-system and cellular automata, is reported. First, brief overviews of technical aspects are reviewed in the chapter 2. Then some numerical results, which show design context (design field, physical field, etc.) can have affection on generated objects by L-system, are shown in the chapter 3. Then, an issue of current algorithm design is posed and corresponding algorithm revisal is argued in the chapeter 4. Introduce of concepts of global-frame and local-frame is the key of resolution. Finally, future plan is mentioned briefly.

This paper describes the consideration of strategy for a securement of diversity with the various forms generated by Additive Manufacturing to system for deriving diverse solutions. Concretely, an Evolutionary Optimization Method and an Optimality Criteria Method which both modifies the forms by increasing and decreasing elements are compared in the perspective of diversity retention. The two requirements of diversity retention are derived; ‘keeping the form characteristics of solution candidates’ and ‘researching solutions from global space’. As a strategy for these, ‘increasing and decreasing only surface elements’ and ‘including local evaluation without design objective function’ are shown for diversity retention.

This paper evaluates the advantage of design for environment such as reuse, remanufacturing, and upgradable designs. The ultimate purpose of this study is development of an adaptability evaluation method of product reusability, remanufacturability, and upgradability to support designer’s decision making of product/component lifecycle options at the early phase of design process. Thus, this paper speculates the appropriate perspectives of these evaluations and proposes conceptual evaluation method based on the viewpoints of society (low environmental load), manufacturer (low production cost and high profitability), and consumer (low lifecycle cost and high performance). Proposed evaluation method evaluates laptop’s adaptabilities of each lifecycle option quantitatively and shows that upgrading can satisfy the intents of three stakeholders described above. In addition, the agendas of this study are emerged. Particularly, evaluation perspectives with respect to product degradability, reliability, and palatability should be added. Additionally, improving evaluation method that can evaluate multiple perspectives comprehensively is also this study’s agenda.

The objective of this paper is to describe and demonstrate a methodology and tools to enable System-Level designs to be synthesized, assessed and selected. To accomplish this logically the approach attempts to be consistent with Decision Theory as associated with Value-Driven Design; while to ease adoption it makes use of the standardized modeling languages of Object Process Methodology (OPM) and Modelica as part of the broad area known as 1D-CAE. The approach involves defining unambiguously what value the system aims to deliver in a functional description and then decompose this single function into multiple sub-functions. The sub-functions are used to define system architectures which deliver the functionality which subsequently onto which actual designs are composed. These actual designs are then assessed against the primary value defined at the start of the process. The approach is demonstrated on an automatous solar powered boat where it is shown the primary value of Racing in SolarBoat Race Event can be used to drive the synthesis of designs and assess them.

This paper presents early modeling methodology evaluation results for a PhD project intending to create an integrated model framework relating societal modeling techniques to system-of-system architecture models and design. This framework uses matrix-based and systems dynamics models to relate product system functions to associated systems and to societal dynamics step-by-step, in order to synthesize a design philosophy for a new product. This framework will be applied to, and evaluated by a case study in the aerospace industry: a space system manufacturer is considering designing new product lines to expand its customer base in response to increasing consumer demand for satellite-based services in emerging markets. Valuing different, novel satellite product line architectures is a challenge.

The height of cockpits of large bulldozers are normally more than two meters. Operators need to go up and down the bulldozer by utilizing the tiny steps, crawlers or handrails on the frame of the body. Its space is too narrow for the operators to go up and down safely. In order to overcome these safety issues, a number of lifting devices have been presented. However, they have some problems with durability and designability. Brand new and innovative lifting devices which can overcome these difficulties are required. In this paper, we try to generate new ideas of lifting devices by using the knowledge and the frameworks of design engineering. After generating ideas, we make three dimensional models for each idea and decide one idea we finally propose based on the result of CAE analysis.

User interface has been changed by the development of IT technology. In recent years, it has appeared called natural user interface. This study is building and studying of the user interface of the information guidance system that focuses on the gesture operation.

We often find a human interface design interesting when it exhibits emergent features in itself. It is because an emergent feature is often the result of a good interface design as a whole. We’d like to discuss how “Human Interface Design” and “Emergent System” share common views and approaches i.e. time and space, and propose a method to shape “Human Interface Design” by leveraging the engineering approach, which was found through the intensive study of “Emergent System” from the last century. Finally we demonstrate a unique human interface design that follows the design principal we proposed in this paper.

Recently, value-in-context has become a key concept in enhancing the value of Product-Service Systems (PSS). The philosophy of value-in-context is that the value of products and services varies depending on the contexts where customers use the products and services. Based on this philosophy, products and services should apply to customer requirements depending on context. Context where customer uses the products and services is very often different from context assumed in design phase. Therefore, assumed value is very often not created. Creating or changing customer’s context is effective for solving this problem. To create or change customer’s context, PSS provider needs to change elements of “Ba” where customer uses products and services. However, it is difficult to make an appropriate choice of elements of “Ba” designers create or change. To support the appropriate choice, this paper proposes a framework for extracting customer’s context. The proposed method supports designers to understand relationships among value-in-context and elements of “Ba”.

Developing a reliable forecasting process is a crucial step for optimization of the overall planning process of product remanufacturing. The current study examined the effectiveness of demand forecasting in remanufacturing by using time series analysis (the exponential smoothing methods) and product lifetime model (Weibull distribution model). To verify the effectiveness, the actual data of the time series of the sales of remanufactured automotive parts of an independent remanufacturer over a period of 12 years was used. The results examined for 1) the forecasting over a year by time series analysis (double exponential smoothing method), 2) forecasting over two months by time series analysis (triple exponential smoothing method and ARIMA model), and 3) forecasting over a year by Weibull distribution model, are presented. The implications of the results and the future steps are discussed.

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a process of making three-dimensional solid objects from a digital model by adding layer-upon-layer of materials. Although AM is gaining growing interest from industry, the environmental effect of introducing the technology into current manufacturing processes has not been investigated. This paper evaluates the environmental load of AM process in automobile manufacturing and compares it with that of conventional processes such as metal stamping and casting. The result of the comparison shows that the environmental load of AM heavily depends on the type of modules manufactured. While main-body modules are suitable for other manufacturing processes such as stamping than the current AM technology, casting can be alternated by AM in terms of CO₂ emission.

This paper analyzes customer satisfaction and service quality through subjective experiments using a proposed service production game. In the game, players are provided information of demand forecasting with different accuracy and make paper triangular pyramids considering production efficiency and service quality. Making a paper triangular pyramid is simulated to produce and deliver dishes in a labor intensive production system in restaurant services. The players are required to make a production plan and manage delivery lead time and quality of products to satisfy both customer satisfaction and production efficiency. Produced products are evaluated quality by evaluation index such as laminating quality, cutoff line, crease line and edge etc. The experiments conduct a questionnaire of subjective assessment about service quality and employee satisfaction. In the questionnaire, the players answer their degree of service quality and productivity of subjective view. The employee satisfaction is analyzed considering the employee’s conscious of advance planning and setup with adaptation of variation of demand by using correlation analysis.

The importance of service industries becomes large especially in advanced nations since an economic activity shifts to service industries. However, as compared with manufacturing industries or overseas service industries, the productivity and growth rate of the service industries in Japan are still low. Under the circumstances, Service Engineering has been proposed. The objective of this study is improving the productivity of food service industries by proposition of a staff shift scheduling method considering constraints of allocating plural jobs. The proposed method is based on combinatorial auction and aims at improvement of employee, consumer and manager satisfactions, so that the proposed method can deal with two parts of staff shift scheduling at the same time: determination of date and time when each employee works and allocation of jobs which each employee has charge of. The effectiveness of the proposed method is discussed with the results of computer experiments.

Timeaxis design (TD) is a novel design theory and methodology dealing with time axis. One of its purposes is to realize value growth of products and services. On the other hand, there is another concept related to value growth called “personalization,” which is a process to adapt products and services to individual persons. Personalization is a promising way to realize sustainable consumption and production, but it is still unclear that the relationship with passing time. In this paper, we introduce Personalization Design (PD) as a design methodology to realize personalization of products and services using the information of personal situation. First, we explain the concept, background and cases of PD. Then we compare the definition of TD and PD, and point out that they seize the change of products and services from different aspects. Moreover, we proposed the possibility of value growth for an individual user by combining PD and TD.

This paper describes the Time Axis Design of the Value Growth Mobility System with the Value Occurrence-Growth Model. Time Axis Design is a concept incorporating the viewpoint of time into the theory and methodology of design. The perspective of Time Axis Design enables to deal with environmental problems caused by mass production and mass consumption society, and bad trends such as young people turning away from driving because of the change of values. Therefore, a model which describes the mechanism of the value’s occurrence and growth is proposed. The proposed model describes the user’s values reasoned inductively from user’s context and user’s value deductively reasoned from user’s values and the products meaning. By designing based on the proposed model, enables the user to feel new value as the time passes. Finally, the proposed model’s usefulness in design is demonstrated by applying it to the design case of the mobility system.

This paper describes the uniqueness of plastic products and those factors based on Multispace Design Model to construct the design guideline that produce plastic products with the inherent value. On the first step, we sort several examples of plastic products that hold characteristics which cannot be maintained by other materials, and we list all the characters of those examples based on Multispace Design Model. Then, they are classified into 9 groups from these characters, and we further considered uniqueness of each group. Finally, we propose indicators that drive the uniqueness. Especially, the “Transparent” type has the uniqueness of transparent effect, and it is obtained by controlling the physical indicators such as spectral transmittance and specular reflectivity.

“Design thinking” and “system thinking” are developed in the fields of design and systems engineering respectively. However, to address the complicating product design process, integration of “design thinking” and “system thinking” is demanded in recent years. Therefore, this study aims to propose a design process which integrates “design thinking” and “system thinking”. Firstly, 127 design methods were classified into 11 types by clarifying correspondence to processes recommended in the systems engineering field. Secondly, a set of the design methods ware selected to cover as many processes as possible. Lastly, the selected design methods were applied to a design case of reclining wheelchair. As a result, the functions that consider stakeholders comprehensively were extracted, which were not extracted when design methods were applied arbitrarily. This suggests the applicability of the design process using the proposed classification.

The objective of this research is to identify an approach to facilitate sharing and accumulating design information between the design domain and the engineering design domain by conducting a feature analysis of research articles published from the two domains. This feature analysis uses two frameworks included in the Multispace Design Model as the analysis basis; a model which can comprehensively analyze the act of designing in various domains. The two frameworks are “design space” (i.e., the value space, meaning space, state space, and the attribute space), and “design thinking” (i.e., design problem analysis, idea generation, and idea evaluation). Along with the analysis, we clarify research assignments which the both domains need to correspond for design information sharing and accumulation. Consequently, the design domain involves a derivation of relations between the meaning space and attribute space of a design object through idea evaluation and design problem analysis, whereas it needs to put more attention on how the two spaces relate to the state space. On the contrary, the engineering design domain involves a derivation of relations between the state space and attribute space through design problem analysis and idea evaluation, while it has to note how to describe the relations of the two spaces and the meaning space. What each domain has in common is that both needs to consider the value space in order to clarify the most significant requirements every user carries toward a design object.

Person has spent most of the day in a sitting posture. In recent years, there has been a growing attention to the "seating comfort" researches. However, research topics are complicated and vary widely, it is difficult for a designer to use accurately design knowledge during the development of chairs. Therefore, in this study , "seating comfort" researches based on the literatures were systematically analyzed by the elements extracted and classified using Multispace design model. From consideration based on the analysis results, researches about the human mechanism of seating comfort and long-term sitting analysis including the postural change have been proposed as non-research areas for future knowledge expansion.

In recent years, many designers have been involved in the design of products around us. The design to solve complex problems based on historical backgrounds and users needs has been studied. Though, conventional manufacturing and design which are on the basis of mass production and mass consumption have already reached the limit in many situations. To fulfill the non-consumption type and sustainable society, a new design method of manufacturing which can create a new value is required. In the conventional study, the Multispace Design Method (hereinafter called M-Method) was proposed as a design method to solve these problems. In this study, to make M-Method usable in design practice, the M-method application system operating on the 3D-CAD(Computer Aided Design) software is proposed. As a result, the improvement of the M-Method is derived by performing questionnaire analysis. In addition, new functions were generated by operating M-Method on the computer. With the given results, effect and validation of each function is discussed.

In the concept design methodology of the aspect responding to needs, which is based on the conception that concept equals to system, this paper is discussing about the way how anyone can define the inducing concept not to miss the target what every stakeholder can accept, with the adoption of Ontology and Ultimately Scientific Approach.

In recent years, environmental issues are becoming more important not only in developed countries but also in developing countries. One of the practical approaches for developing countries is to introduce eco-products and eco-technologies used in developed countries. However, they are not always acceptable due to differences of social, economic and cultural contexts between countries. Relationships among product function-structure, product life cycle, consumer needs and local constraints are very complicated depending on the contexts. It is necessary to clearly understand how local specific needs and constraints are related with product function-structure. The authors have proposed a methodology consisting of reverse engineering, field observation and an extended function-structure analysis. An extended function-structure map (EFSM) represents relationship among local specific needs, local constraints, product function-structure map. The aim of this study is to develop a prototype system for visualizing design information for locally-oriented design. This system aids users in understanding relationship among product specifications and local information by displaying a chain of elements of the EFSM which are related with local information. In order to validate this system, the authors show a case study on home electric appliances in Vietnam and Japan. A result of the case study indicates that this prototype system is useful to support design of a locally-oriented sustainable product.

Variable damping force damper is commonly used in wide range of product such as vehicle and washing machine. MRF and ERF, these smart material can be applied to variable damping force damper. MRF is a kind of functional fluid which can response and change its viscosity by being exposed magnetic flux.^(1)(2)(3) MRF is contented of iron particle and solvent such as silicon. Iron particle is quite small and diameter is several micro millimeters. MR damper is already use in ordinary car. Focus on the flow channel of MR damper, magnetic flux is not applied to the part of flow channel. As an improving method, it is possible to expose magnetic flux on the whole region in the flow channel by folding magnetic flux.

This research designs automatic baggage carry machine for airflight by using product service development process. This process is composed of six steps which have Identify needs and Specification and Concept Generation, Selection, Testing and Evaluation and Improvement. The resulting customer needs are used to guide the team in establishing product specifications, generating product concepts, and selecting a product concept for further development. Concept is improved by prototyping evaluation which measures vibration of baggage posting part.

Recently, HVAC systems such as room air condoners are highly needed to be designed with high energy saving performance. In recent development of fin-and-tube heat exchangers, CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) is used for visualizing the airflow pattern on fin surface and refrigeration circuit simulator is also employed for evaluating enthalpy change of refrigerant flow along tubes (pipes). However 1D refrigeration circuit simulation model doesn’t reflect actual 3D heat exchanger geometry and complicated airflow pattern, it cannot estimate the interaction between fins and pipes precisely. In this paper, we proposed an integrated method of 3D CFD and 1D refrigeration circuit simulator. We also apply this new method to practical indoor unit comparing the experimental result of heating mode operation. The calculation result in total heat capacity was good agreement with the experimental data and could reveal the negative thermal interaction of two pipes via thermal conduction quantitatively.

A design method of a novel mechanism consisted of a double-cone and two circular rails eccentrically positioned, is proposed. On one hand, this mechanism can be regarded as a gravitational motor that transforms the potential energy into kinetic energy, of rotation and translation. On the other hand, it can be regarded as a mechanism, able to transform the kinetic energy of translation into kinetic energy of rotation. Several applications can be envisaged for this kind of mechanism, but it seems to be appropriate for electrical power generation from the energy of ocean and sea waves. Concretely, in this work, movies of a double-cone made in S45C carbon steel, rolling on straight and circular rails made of aluminum alloy and placed on a horizontal table, were shot. Number of rotations, the variable period of rotation, and the total travelling time were determined through the slow motion processing of the movies. A geometrical model to describe the particular kinematics of the double-cone, and a contact model for such particular Hertzian contact problem, were proposed and validated by experimental results. Such models produce the foundation of the suggested design method for the double-cone mechanism, based on which, the optimal design of the associated gravitational motor and generator can be achieved.

Due to the complexity of the product development, set-based design method has been developing to reduce production time and cost. This method adopts the adjustable ranges of design variables and tolerates the design changes in the latter design process. Based on this method, Ishikawa et al. proposed the Preference Set-Based Design (PSD) method. This method takes in designer’s preference of the design variables and performance ranges, and defines the relationships between those ranges and preferences. In this method, the design variable ranges are transformed into the performance ranges using the objective function for each preference, and the derived ranges are compared with the preferred performance ranges. If the derived ranges do not meet the preferred ranges, the design variable ranges are narrowed. In the conventional method, design variable ranges are divided equally and performance ranges of all the combinations are calculated until an unacceptable performance ranges are eliminated. However, this method is inefficient because the number of function calls increase rapidly as the number of dividing ranges and design variables increases. This study aims to improve the efficiency of the process of eliminating unacceptable performance ranges using the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). The proposed method was applied to a numerical example using the Rastrigin function and derived better ranges than those of the conventional methods.

In the steel bridge, temporary assemblies in shop-yard are usually carried out as one of many processes at the fabrication stage, but tend to omit shop assemblies from the viewpoint of improvement of the quality and the cost reduction of the bridge. And various joint and unwitnessed inspections are performed for securing of quality in shop assembly. Therefore, for shop assembly omission, it is indispensable to establish substituting the inspection procedure for the shop assembly inspection. So, the author developed the digital mock-up system for the inspection of finished work quality of the steel bridge, which contains a personal computer aided inspection based on the measurement data of individual components and members. In this study, the digital mock-up system was applied to the shop assembly inspection and the inspection of finished work quality of erection on site for the steel bridge, and its validity is verified. And the system is clarified to contribute to improvement of the quality and cost reduction.

As a form of design activities to create innovative products, collaborative design by unspecified number of designers and engineers in public work place (open source design) has attracted attention. In order to execute an open source design, services and tools to support communications and collaborations among participating designers and engineers are indispensable. In this paper, requirements of services and tools to support open source design activities are clarified, and a concept of service is proposed based on the identified requirements.

Modularization is an effective way to satisfy various individual customer requirements while saving engineering efforts. However, since current modular design methods have focused their scope of product architecture design on the relationship among entity structure and physical functions rather than customer needs, customers sometimes have difficulties in customizing optimize products that satisfy their needs closely. In order to provide each customer products appropriately, product architecture must be designed with consideration of not only relationships between physical functions and entity structure but also relationships among customer needs and them. This paper proposes a new modular design method which integrates customer needs, physical functions and entity structure with design structure matrixes and domain mapping matrixes. A simulated annealing based method is developed to explore optimal modular architectures. A case study of modularization of an industrial three-axis linear-type robot is demonstrated. The modularization solutions by the proposed approach are compared with the solutions that consider only entity structure or physical functions and entity structure.

This paper describes a assisting method of consideration of engineering designers, and visually assisting a consensus formation of the concerned parties. In a conceptual design stage to define the basic frame construction, structure evaluation methods to estimate by looking down of the whole structure, and the partitioning method to find out the cluster of module and process at the same time, are proposed. A three-dimensional finite element method using a beam element is used as the conceptual design method. Framed layout is determined by the topology optimization using beam elements. Cross-sectional shapes are determined by the fully stressed design approach to discrete values. By creating a design structure matrix likened the each beam element with a component, the clustering analysis are performed. Using this clustering analysis, clusters and their relationship of the module and the process can be displayed in a hierarchical tree diagram. By validation analysis using a simple box structure, the effectiveness of this proposed method has been confirmed.

Generation of new concepts in product design process serves as driving force of innovation. The authors’ previous work proposed ECF (Externalization, Classification and Finding voids) cycle as a model of designers’ thinking process in idea generation. This research proposes a new method of idea generation based on the ECF cycle incorporating the theory of solving inventive problems (TRIZ). A case study of idea generation of new running shoes is demonstrated in order to verify the ability of the proposed method.

Use of multiphysics simulations in early stages of design is emphasized. To utilize those simulations to benefit conceptual design of a product, proper simulation model needs to be implemented. Aspects of a product and extent of a product to be modeled needs to be deliberated as the implementation of model requires much works, such as experiments for the physical modeling of components. This paper proposes a simplified model of a product and its environment for the purpose of specifying design problem which needs to be tested through multiphysics simulations.

In recent years, high functionality of the mechatronics product is progressing rapidly in that the design of mechatronics products is flourished. However, it is necessary to adequate verification of the upstream stage of the design since not been able to correspond to the sophistication of the function in the current integral-type of design. Therefore, in this study for the purpose of understanding of the transition of more accurate state, and prevention of overlook of state that can be taken of the product, we propose a method to expand the state by using a combination of methods such as problem frame. Application example of the method is an intelligent car of fully automatic driving system the control device performs the acceleration, steering and brake. It performs verification by using the method in order to realize the automatic garaging function of this car. A result, the occurrence of overlook of the state has decreased. Also discovery of unexpected state and grasp of the exact state transition has become easier. Furthermore, the usefulness of this method has obtained by comparing the state transition diagram designed only scenarios.

Model based design is commonly used in product design. However, the model based design cannot support upstream phases of design, although they are important. For solving this issue, a design framework “one dimensional CAE (1DCAE)” is proposed. But there are no tools to implement this concept. The purpose of this study is to propose a model to support upstream design phases with incorporating kansei which plays an important role for increasing product value, especially delight. In order to model and simulate the behavior of the product and evaluate kansei in the conceptual design phase, this paper proposes “Product Concept Model.” First we analyze a model of a hair dryer made with modelica and point out some problems. Then, we extract requirements for Product Concept Model, including parts oriented modeling, encapsulating multiple domain models with multiple granularity, enabling kansei evaluation, and ensuring connectivity to other models.