This paper presents a state of the art review of existing research, projects, and applications in the domain of collaborative conceptual design, based on the Internet and Web technologies. The purpose of the review is to understand the needs for conceptual engineering design, to clarify the current conceptual design practice, to classify the available technologies, and to study the future trend in this area. The emphasis of this paper is to briefly outline the methodologies, architectures, and tools developed for the projects reviewed in this paper. It also uncovers approaches to conflict resolution and team/project management, as they are vital to a successful engineering design in a collaborative environment. More than 80 journal and conference papers and about 20 projects are reviewed based on the primary focus mentioned above. The selected research works are further categorised into several areas based on the application domain, design theory, and the technology used for implementation. The selected research projects and applications are basically for, but not limited to, the collaborative conceptual design.

Collaborative conceptual design—state of the art and future trends

This work is aimed at establishing a common frame and understanding of function modeling (FM) for our ongoing research activities. A comparative review of the literature is performed to grasp the various FM approaches with their commonalities and differences. The relations of FM with the research fields of artificial intelligence, design theory, and maintenance are discussed. In this discussion the goals are to highlight the features of various classical approaches in relation to FM, to delineate what FM introduces to these fields, and to discuss the applicability of various FM approaches in these fields. Finally, the basic ideas underlying our projects are introduced with reference to the general framework of FM.

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A review of function modeling: Approaches and applications

Design explorations of performance driven geometry in architectural design using parametric modeling and genetic algorithms

The decisions with the greatest importance and potential cost (if wrong) are made early in the engineering design process. A method for representing and manipulating imprecise and vague information in design is described, particularly focused on the preliminary phase when the (fuzzy) imprecision and uncertainty in the descriptions of the design artifact are high. The preferences of designers and customers are captured with fuzzy sets. Formal methods for including noise, trade-off strategies and design iteration are included. Increasing the information available to a designer will reduce the risk of making design decisions incorrectly. Providing (fuzzy) set-based information to engineers can facilitate concurrency in design.

Imprecision in Engineering Design

A product design process begins with functional or conceptual design, followed by basic design and detailed design. Among these, functional design plays the central role in ensuring design quality and product innovativeness. Because function is the most crucial concept in designing better and more innovative products, functional reasoning technology is indispensable to the development of future advanced CAD technology. This survey shows how functional reasoning has successfully established the representation of function on computers and outlines directions for further research.

Functional reasoning in design

With increased pressures coming from global competition and requirements for greater innovation in product development, designers are hard pressed to deliver designs of higher quality and variety using a repertoire of technological options from different disciplines. This interdisciplinary product development approach has not only removed many of the traditional constraints to design but has now given designers a much wider freedom of choice as to the best solution to a design problem. The focus of this paper is a knowledge-based design environment called Schemebuilder, which is a comprehensive and integrated suite of software tools aimed at supporting the designer in the rapid development of product design models in the conceptual, through embodiment stages of design. Illustrated is the use of the software tools in the qualitative generation of alternative schemes, by application of stored working and decomposition principles in the development of a function-means tree-like information structure. With mechatronic product development as the main theme, this paper describes a closely integrated methodology that incorporates a bond graph approach to continuous-time energetic systems and high-level Petri nets for the rigorous description of discrete-time information systems. Additionally, a technique is suggested for the decomposition of free format statements of need into the rigorously defined design context and required functions, which form the starting point of the function-means development process.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0890060400001657

Functional descriptions used in computer support for qualitative scheme generation—“Schemebuilder”

Computer tools for integrated conceptual design

Engineering design is, of necessity, a complex process that requires the design engineer to exercise initiative and inventiveness as well as deploying a wide range of skills and expertise in attaining a solution. In an interdisciplinary design environment, such as one involving a mechatronics approach to design, the designer is often required to function in a generalist mode with an eye towards employing a wider range of technologies. Where this is not possible, a product design team is often assembled to facilitate and encourage the interaction between different disciplines. The increasing occurrence of interdisciplinary product development has not only removed many of the traditional constraints to design but has now given the designer or design team a much wider freedom of choice as to the best solution to a particular design problem.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0890060400002808

Conflict management in an interdisciplinary design environment

Engineering Design is a highly integrated and integrating process. This paper describes an integrated computer based platform for the development from first principles of design solutions to appropriately defined need, and the choice and quantification of the best forms of embodiment.

John E. E. Sharpe

Papers

Functional descriptions used in computer support for qualitative scheme generation—“Schemebuilder”

Computer tools for integrated conceptual design

Conflict management in an interdisciplinary design environment

Integrated Platform for AI Support of Complex Product Design