John H. Frazer

Supporting evolution in a multi-agent cooperative design environment

New architectures for next-generation of computer-aided design environments need to be distributed, evolutive, and cooperative. This paper presents a multi-agent design environment that supports cooperative and evolutionary design by cooperation of a group of agents. Multi-agent system architecture offers a promising framework with its novel approach for dynamically creating and managing agent communities in widely distributed and ever-changing design environments; while the genetic algorithm based approach provides a foundation for supporting evolutionary and innovative design abilities. The computational and information processing processes involved in evolutionary and distributed environment are discussed in this paper.

A representation of context for computer supported collaborative design

This paper presents a computational definition of design context and discusses its role for collaborative design. A brief review of design representation and modeling approaches is given first. This is followed by a discussion on the necessity for modeling design context in collaborative design. This discussion provides a basis for a definition of design context and a description of Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods for representing and reasoning about this design context. The development of an intelligent collaborative design system supporting context management is presented. Finally, the limitations of our current approach to representing design contexts, and possible ways for future improvement are discussed.

A tangible user interface for assessing cognitive mapping ability

Wayfinding, the ability to recall the environment and navigate through it, is an essential cognitive skill relied upon almost every day in a persons life. A crucial component of wayfinding is the construction of cognitive maps, mental representations of the environments through which a person travels. Age, disease or injury can severely affect cognitive mapping, making assessment of this basic survival skill particularly important to clinicians and therapists. Cognitive mapping has also been the focus of decades of basic research by cognitive psychologists. Both communities have evolved a number of techniques for assessing cognitive mapping ability. We present the Cognitive Map Probe (CMP), a new computerized tool for assessment of cognitive mapping ability that increases consistency and promises improvements in flexibility, accessibility, sensitivity and control. The CMP uses a tangible user interface that affords spatial manipulation. We describe the design of the CMP, and find that it is sensitive to factors known to affect cognitive mapping performance in extensive experimental testing.

Supporting learning in a shared design environment

Abstract Design is a complex problem solving and knowledge refinement process. Learning is a part of this process that can improve computer based design support systems by using the knowledge representing the experience and expertise of designers. Learning from past design examples, and acquiring new knowledge during the process of design are closely related activities that must be supported by future computer supported design systems. This paper analyses the relation between design and learning activity to propose a learning model of design first. Then it presents the software architecture of a design agent with an inductive learning mechanism. Subsequently it introduces the knowledge representation and learning algorithms in a multi-agent design system. Finally, the paper examines the possible ways in which the proposed learning model and the software architecture can be placed in an industrial and engineering design context for developing application tools for design support.

Energy-Oriented Design Tools for Collaboration in the Cloud

Emerging from the challenge to reduce energy consumption in buildings is the need for energy simulation to be used more effectively to support integrated decision making in early design. As a critical response to a Green Star case study, we present DEEPA, a parametric modeling framework that enables architects and engineers to work at the same semantic level to generate shared models for energy simulation. A cloud-based toolkit provides web and data services for parametric design software that automate the process of simulating and tracking design alternatives, by linking building geometry more directly to analysis inputs. Data, semantics, models and simulation results can be shared on the fly. This allows the complex relationships between architecture, building services and energy consumption to be explored in an integrated manner, and decisions to be made collaboratively.

The cybernetics of architecture: a tribute to the contribution of Gordon Pask

Discusses the relation between cybernetics and architecture and pays tribute to Gordon Pask’s role and influence. Indicates Pask’s contribution to an increasingly environmentally responsive architectural theory that may lead to a more humane and ecologically conscious environment.

An eco-conscious housing design model based on co-evolution

The purpose of this paper is to investigate generative and evolutionary design models by the new idea of co-evolution. Multiobjective optimization is our main concern. A dynamic co-evolution model is presented with detailed description of its application in eco-conscious housing design. Area and solar constraints of housing design problems are considered with maximum architectural area and solar illumination been optimized. We use dynamic niche models based on a fitness-sharing scheme to define energy and fitness functions for the co-evolution system. Early experimental data are presented and analyzed to show the effectiveness of this approach to evolutionary design optimization and its computational implementation of the algorithms.

A Framework for Generating and Evolving Building Designs

This paper describes a comprehensive framework for generative evolutionary design. The key problem that is identified is generating alternative designs with an appropriate level of variability. Within the proposed framework, the design process is split into two phases: in the first phase, the design team develops and encodes the essential and identifiable character of the designs to be generated and evolved; in the second phase, the design team uses an evolutionary system to generate and evolve designs that embody this character. This approach allows design variability to be carefully controlled. In order to verify the feasibility of the proposed framework, a generative process capable of generating controlled variability is implemented and demonstrated.

Supporting collaborative product design in an agent based environment

One of the problems in building collaborative and intelligent design systems is the difficulty in integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Computer Supported Collaborative Work (CSCW) with design knowledge to generate results to the satisfaction of designers who often have high demands on aesthetics as well as scientific aspects of a supporting tool. In this paper, we present an open and flexible design computing architecture, which has the characteristics of both Client/Server (C/S) model and distributed model. Two collaboration processes (synchronous and asynchronous) are facilitated in this proposed architecture. For the design of agents, we propose a new model to deal with various types of knowledge sources, which have to be incorporated in the collaboration process. Versioning and locking mechanisms are implemented to support synchronous and asynchronous collaborations. Based on this architecture, a collaborative design environment has been implemented using the standard of Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM).

Tangible interfaces to explain Gaudi´'s use of ruled-surface geometries Interactive systems design for haptic, nonverbal learning

This paper summarises the development of a machine-readable model series for explaining Gaudis use of ruled-surface geometry in the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain. The first part discusses the modeling methods underlying the columns of the cathedral and the techniques required to translate them into built structures. The second part discusses the design and development of a tangible machine-readable model to explain column-modeling methods interactively in educational contexts such as art exhibitions. It is designed to explain the principles underlying the column design by means of physical interaction without using mathematical terms or language.