Design Support Tool Research Articles

Design characterization and automatic identification of character lines in automotive field

Design style and designer role get a great importance in the success of a new product launched in the marketplace. In particular, in the automotive domain a deep connection arises from the created shapes and the user’s emotional states. For this reason the designer role is commonly considered as twofold, being both a technician and an artist. The methodology proposed in this paper does define a design support tool for the definition of shapes in the automotive sector. This methodology is based on the study of the most relevant character lines. These lines are automatically selected by means of CAD tools and then analysed to identify mathematical relations between such lines and other geometrical features typical of the car. This part of the methodology originates a mathematical definition of the style that is associated to a qualitative definition of the style itself, which is based on data coming from user interviews analysed through statistical tools. Based on mathematical and qualitative definitions, a methodology to connect geometrical and emotional data has been developed. This methodology has been applied to a set of cars showing the results presented in this paper. Cars appearances and the emotional feelings they produce are linked together; some relationships are deduced to create a support tool in the early design phase.

Application of geovisual analytics to modelling the movements of ruminants in the rural landscape using satellite tracking data

Geovisual analytics provides a framework for the development of decision support tools for landscape design, analysis and optimisation. An important application is modelling the spatial-temporal movements of ruminants and their grazing behaviour using global positioning system (GPS) collar units. This study describes the mapping and analysis of spatial distributions of animal waste products (which correlate with farm nitrogen [N] emissions) and also determination of animal feeding preferences (which correlate with animal welfare and production). Segmentation of local regions of animal N emissions provides support in meeting targets for local and international N leaching and greenhouse gas emissions. An agent-based model was used for pre-screening in order to gain insights into the clustering behaviour of sheep during feeding activities. Subsequent spatial analysis demonstrated that livestock excreta are not always randomly located, but concentrated around highly localised animal gathering points, separated by the nature of the excretion. In a separate study, the statistical significance of feeding choices was determined by testing a null hypothesis on animal boundary transitions between adjacent pastures using the binomial approximation. The analysis also included compensation for the precision of the GPS sensor, which produced a fuzzy decision boundary.

Students' Help Seeking: Towards a Design of Supporting Tools

Students' Help Seeking: Towards a Design of Supporting Tools

Efficient Allocation of Electric Vehicles Charging Stations: Optimization Model and Application to a Dense Urban Network

The deployment of Electric Vehicles (EVs) needs an optimized and cost-effective implementation of charging stations. As a decision support tool for network design, we define a methodology to allocate charging stations in a real network. This study uses trip OD matrix information from household travel survey coupled with a dynamic vehicle model to evaluate EVs consumption based on realistic trips (urban drive cycles). These trips are computed based on routing tools and supplied with elevation information. This enables an accurate characterization of energy needs in the Lyon Metropolitan Area. All these parameters are used as inputs of an integer linear optimization program for the location of charging stations. The methodology is based on an adaption of the classic fixed charge location model with a p-dispersion constraint. The results indicate that this methodology can help the future implementation of charging stations at an urban scale.

C-Language Programming for Development of Conventional Water Treatment Plants Decision Support System

Water-Decision Support System (DSS) tools enhance decision-makings towards improved water supply in a given region. The rigours of manual design of the conventional water treatment plants are easily eliminated with the use of softwares as in the case of DSS. Therefore, this paper focuses on the development of a Water-DSS for design of treatment plant in Karkala Town, Udupi District of India. A four-decade population projection was made using the baseline data of 1971 till date. The manual computation for water demand, unit operations and adjoining facilities was carried out and later coded in C-programming language for development of a DSS for easier design and process selection. Data validation was done and results from the two approaches were compared. With the C-programming technique, a decision support tool for design and process selection of drinking water treatment plant using conventional method has been developed and named Water-DSS1. The designed tool is simple, accurate, flexible, efficient and universal, easily adaptable to any similar conventional treatment plant. Water-DSS1 is thus recommended for general use in ultimately alleviating water supply challenges.

Progressive Concept Evaluation Method for Automatically Generated Concept Variants

Conceptual design is one of the most critical and important phases of design process with least computer support system. Conceptual design support tool (CDST) is a conceptual design support system developed to automatically generate concepts for each subfunction in functional structure. The automated concept generation process results in large number of concept variants which require a thorough evaluation process to select the best design. To address this, a progressive concept evaluation technique consisting of absolute comparison, concept screening and weighted decision matrix using analytical hierarchy process (AHP) is proposed to eliminate infeasible concepts at each stage. The software implementation of the proposed method is demonstrated.

Architectural Design Space Exploration of Cyber-physical Systems Using the Functional Modeling Compiler

This paper reports our experience in the development of a novel concept design support tool for cyber-physical systems (CPS). We show that the various disciplines in CPS design can be brought together to enhance the communication and requirements negotiation among engineers and organizations, to enable multi-disciplinary simulations to evaluate the system-level impact of domain-specific design decisions, and to reduce the overall design cycle. Our method relies on functional modeling to create a technology-independent description of what the system does, and uses a Functional Modeling Compiler (FMC) to synthesize technology-dependent solutions that can be directly used to perform architectural design space exploration using multi-disciplinary simulations in AMESim and Modelica. We show that our FMC is capable of performing detailed multi-domain design space exploration of realistic automotive architectures.

A Fault Tolerant Approach for FPGA Embedded Processors Based on Runtime Partial Reconfiguration

The ever increasing adoption of field programmable devices in various application domains for building complex embedded systems based on FPGA processors along with the reliability issues having emerged for FPGA devices built with the latest nanometer technologies, have raised the need for new fault tolerant techniques in order to improve dependability and extend system lifetime. In addition, the runtime partial reconfiguration technology highly mature in the modern FPGA families along with the availability of unused programmable resources in most FPGA designs provide new and interesting opportunities to build advanced fault tolerance mechanisms. In this paper, we exploit the dynamic reconfiguration potential of today's FPGA architectures and the advances in the related design support tools and we propose a fault-tolerant approach for FPGA embedded processors based on runtime partial reconfiguration. According to the proposed methodology, the processor core is partitioned into reconfigurable modules and each module is duplicated to implement a concurrent error detection mechanism. Precompiled configurations containing spare resources are generated for each duplicated module and are used to repair at runtime the defective modules. Also, a fault tolerance scheme for the proxy logic of the reconfigurable modules, which cannot move in the alternative configurations along with the rest logic, is proposed. Moreover, a compression method for the alternative partial bitstreams, which significantly reduces the high storage space requirements of the proposed approach, is presented. Two different hardware decompression schemes have been implemented in a Virtex-5 device and compared in terms of area overhead and decompression latency. Furthermore, a thorough examination has been performed, regarding how the percentage of the spare resources and their allocation in the reconfigurable regions affect the compression efficiency and the processor performance. Finally, the proposed approach has been demonstrated in three different components --- ALU, multiplier-accumulator, and instruction-fetch unit --- of an open-source embedded processor.

A simulation-based decision model for designing contract period in building energy performance contracting

This paper presents a simulation-based decision model for contract period determination in Energy Performance Contracting (EPC). The model attempts to assist the Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) on how long the contract period should be to balance the bidding competitiveness and the potential revenue loss. The uncertainties within the energy efficiency investment and the energy cost savings as return are addressed by stochastic processes, taking the maintenance and savings performance variations and the energy price fluctuations into account. Considering both the contract period and the energy cost savings guarantee, a framework is proposed to identify the profit sharing in EPC for both the owners and the ESCOs. An optimization model is derived accordingly, and the balanced length of the contract period is then reached. Finally, a campus case is presented to verify the applicability of the proposed model. The method can be used by industry practitioners as a decision support tool for contract period design, and is worth popularizing in other performance-based projects.

Dexterous actuation

Methods that have been developed for actuation system evaluation are normally generic, and primarily intended to facilitate actuator selection. Here, we address specifically those engineering devices that exhibit multiple-degree-of-freedom motions under space and weight constraints, and focus on the evaluation of the total actuation solution. We suggest a new measure that we provisionally call ‘Actuation Dexterity’, which interrogates the effectiveness of this total solution and serves as a design support tool. The new concept is developed in the context of artificial hands, and the approach is based on the review and analysis of thirty-six different artificial hand projects described in the literature. We have identified forty-eight unique evaluation criteria that are relevant to the actuation of devices of this type, and have devised a scoring method that permits the quantification of the actuation dexterity of a given device. We have tested this approach by evaluating and quantifying the actuation dexterity of five different artificial hands from the literature. Finally, we discuss the implications of this approach to the design process, and the portability of the approach between different device types.

Controllable procedural map generation via multiobjective evolution

This paper shows how multiobjective evolutionary algorithms can be used to procedurally generate complete and playable maps for real-time strategy (RTS) games. We devise heuristic objective functions that measure properties of maps that impact important aspects of gameplay experience. To show the generality of our approach, we design two different evolvable map representations, one for an imaginary generic strategy game based on heightmaps, and one for the classic RTS game StarCraft. The effect of combining tuples or triples of the objective functions are investigated in systematic experiments, in particular which of the objectives are partially conflicting. A selection of generated maps are visually evaluated by a population of skilled StarCraft players, confirming that most of our objectives correspond to perceived gameplay qualities. Our method could be used to completely automate in-game controlled map generation, enabling player-adaptive games, or as a design support tool for human designers.

Structural accessibility for mobility management

Urban mobility problems, such as congestion, have been threatening the quality of life and the competitiveness of urban areas as well as their sustainable development. The need to integrate land use and transport policies has been widely recognised as an important approach within the ‘predict and prevent’ paradigm for mobility management. Nevertheless, such integration is seldom put into practice. The lack of design support tools is pointed out as one of the reasons for this fact.The accessibility concept is believed to provide a useful framework to support the design of integrated land use and transport policies. This paper hypothesises that measures of comparative accessibility by transport mode can operationalise the accessibility concept for this purpose. In order to test this hypothesis, a design support tool was developed, based on a measure of comparative accessibility – the Structural Accessibility Layer (SAL). The usefulness of the tool, and thereby of comparative accessibility, was tested. First, the SAL is applied to a case study – Greater Oporto – and then evaluated through expert interviews. The case study provides insight into its potentials as design support tool for integrated land use and transport policies. Expert interviews enable the assessment of the robustness, usefulness and applicability of the tool. The results suggest that the SAL provides a useful operational form of the accessibility concept for design support. This research concludes that measures of structural accessibility seem to provide a useful design support framework for integrated land use and transport policy, shedding light on the sustainability of potential mobility enabled by land use and transport conditions.

Could the use of ICT tools be the way to increase competitiveness in Swedish industry?

When operators gain increasingly critical roles for the performance of industries, the operators' competitiveness becomes more significant in order to maintain the sustainable competitive advantages of the company. The research project ‘ Operator of the Future ’ aims to increase the competitiveness of future Swedish operators, by providing them with advanced decision support tools. Multiple factors must be considered when specifying operator needs and designing support tools. This paper focuses on operator maturity for use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools, professionally and domestically. Further, important aspects of social sustainability are discussed relative to the implementation of ICT tools. The empirical data is collected in three global Swedish production companies and analysed further as result of the paper.

An Information Model for Product Development: A Case Study at PHILIPS Shavers

This paper presents an investigation into the development of an information model to support the Product Development Process (PDP) of shaving devices at PHILIPS. Firstly, challenges of the PDP were identified by carrying out interviews with several systems engineers and product architects. It was found that an increase in product functions combined with a shorter time to market has resulted in higher information densities and larger information flows during the PDP. As a result, managing uncertainty, communication and documentation has become increasingly difficult. Secondly, the information flow in the organization was formalized at the hand of interviews with the development staff in all involved departments and by investigating the available documentation of former projects. Thirdly, the information flow was translated into an information model to support the future development of new shaving devices. The resulting model consists of two paper based design support tools, namely, the MetroChart and the Design Parameter Matrices. The former is a paper-based design support tool that provides a compact overview of the processes that different development teams have to undergo during the PDP of a new shaver. The latter provides a detailed description of the relations between design parameters, process steps, and components. Current efforts are made to determine how to implement the model from an organizational point of view, as the number of developers, disciplines and departments involved in the design of this product is rather large and small errors can lead to large losses.

Integrated modelling of entire production network and topsides facilities for production optimisation of major oil and gas fields

An oil company sought to identify bottlenecks in three of their main oil and gas production networks. It was desired to, therefore, develop the entire production network from wells, flowlines, intra-field and inter-field pipelines, and export pipelines up to the onshore terminal first stage separator/slug catcher, all in the transient multi-phase-flow oil and gas (OLGA) simulator. Furthermore, the detailed topsides facilities were separately modelled in a process simulator. The OLGA and process simulator models were subsequently integrated, where the flow simulator model received boundary pressures from the topsides model and pushed through the mass flows of the individual phases into the process simulator. After field-matching and tuning the integrated models to the given field data, optimising the overall fields’ production and performance was carried out, powered by a market-leading optimisation engine. The main optimisation parameters were: wellhead choke openings; gas lift rates and allocations; and topsides operating conditions, facility constraints and control tuning parameters. The network models were used to investigate the dynamic behaviour of wells and pipelines as well as surface process facilities equipment and control systems, with the aim to improve productivity of the entire field networks. The development of the integrated and dynamic well, pipeline and process models is part of company initiatives to facilitate the design and operational support tools for the company’s engineers.

An ASIC Design Support Tool Set for Non-pipelined Asynchronous Circuits with Bundled-Data Implementation

An ASIC Design Support Tool Set for Non-pipelined Asynchronous Circuits with Bundled-Data Implementation

A Cognitive Modeling Approach to Decision Support Tool Design for Anesthesia Provider Crisis Management

Prior research has revealed existing operating room (OR) patient monitors to provide limited support for prompt and accurate decision making by anesthesia providers during crises. Decision support tools (DSTs) developed for this purpose typically alert the anesthesia provider to existence of a problem but do not recommend a treatment plan. There is a need for a human-centered approach to the design and development of a crisis management DST. A hierarchical task analysis was conducted to identify anesthesia provider procedures in detecting, diagnosing, and treating a critical incident and a cognitive task analysis to elicit goals, decisions, and information requirements. This information was coded in a computational cognitive model using GOMS (Goals, Operators, Methods, Selection rules) Language. An OR monitor interface was prototyped to present output from the cognitive model following ecological interface design principles. A preliminary assessment of the DST was performed with anesthesiology and usability experts. The anesthesiologists indicated they would use the tool in the perioperative environment and would recommend its use by junior anesthesia providers. Future research will focus on formal validation of the DST design approach and comparison of tool output to actual anesthesia provider decisions in real or simulated crises.

A survey for the improvement of decision support tools for effective sustainable architectural design

Architects are hampered in finding the optimal solutions while dealing with different sustainability dimensions simultaneously. It is the motivation of this paper to investigate what kind of barriers are disabling architects from designing sustainable buildings with a specific focus on tool uses with respect to different design phases, information needs and preferred formats. We argue that it is an absolute necessity that architects have sufficient and continuous support to make informed decisions in terms of sustainable design. In light of this argument, we conducted a study on the current Dutch architectural practice to explore the extent to which existing support tools provide sufficient guidance. With this study, we intended to gain insight into the architects’ preferences in decision support for designing high performance ‘green’ buildings.

Function propagation through nested systems

Concepts of function are central to design but statements about a device's functions can be interpreted in different ways. This raises problems for researchers trying to clarify the foundations of design theory and for those developing design support-tools that can represent and reason about function. By showing how functions relate systems to their sub-systems and super-systems, this article illustrates some limitations of existing function terminology and some problems with existing function statements. To address these issues, a system-relative function terminology is introduced. This is used to demonstrate that systems function not only with respect to their most local super-system, but also with respect to their more global super-systems.

A Holistic Approach to Design Support for Bio-polymer Based Packaging

The growing interest in bio-polymers as a packaging material, particularly from companies looking to reduce their environmental footprint, has resulted in wider adoption. Traditionally the selection and specification of packaging materials was based on aesthetic, technical and financial factors, for which established metrics exist. However with bio-polymers, where the primary rationale for their use is environmental, alternative metrics are required. Furthermore, there is a significant strategic element to the decision process that requires a broader range of horizontal and vertical inputs, both within the business and the wider supply chain. It is therefore essential that a holistic approach is taken to the bio-polymer based packaging design process to ensure that the final packaging meets the original strategic intent and overall requirements of the business. Current eco-packaging design tools are generally limited to professional users, such as designers or packaging engineers, and generally provide tactical rather than strategic support. This disconnect, between the need for inclusivity and greater strategic support in holistic design, and the exclusivity and largely tactical support of current eco-design support tools, indicates a clear need for a new decision support tool for sustainable pack design using bio-polymers. This paper proposes a framework for an eco-design decision support tool for bio-polymer based packaging that has been developed using a predominantly qualitative research approach based on reviews, interviews and industrial packaging design experience and is an extension of previously published work. This research investigates further how existing eco-design methods, such as the ‘Balanced Score Card’, can be applied within the tool and how the shortcomings associated with incorporating social and environmental aspects can be partly resolved, through a simplified set of metrics tailored specifically for bio-polymer packaging decisions. The results of this research is a framework for the development of a three tier eco-design tool for bio-polymer packaging that provides decision support at the three critical stages of the design process: strategic fit, Feasibility assessment and concept/pack development.