Seth Orsborn

Multiagent Shape Grammar Implementation: Automatically Generating Form Concepts According to a Preference Function

In new product development, quickly generating many product form concepts that a potential consumer prefers is a challenge. This paper presents the inaugural multiagent shape grammar implementation (MASGI) to automatically generate product form designs according to a preference function that can represent designer or consumer design preference. Additionally, the multiagent system creates a flexible shape grammar implementation that enables modifications to the shape grammar as the form design space changes. The method is composed of three subprocesses: a shape grammar interpreter that implements the shape grammar, an agent system that chooses which shape grammar rules to implement and the parametric design choices according to a preference function, and a preference investigator that determines the preference function, which constraints the automated form design process.

Measurement of Headlight Form Preference Using a Choice Based Conjoint Analysis

The measurement and understanding of user aesthetic preference for form is a critical element to the product development process and has been a design challenge for many years. In this article preference is represented in a utility function directly related to the engineering representation for the automobile headlight. A method is proposed to solicit and measure customer preferences for shape of the automobile headlight using a choice task on a main-effects conjoint survey design to discover and design the most preferred shape.© 2007 ASME

Impacting Designer Creativity Through IT-Enabled Concept Generation

One of the innovations fundamental mechanisms, designer creativity, is both unsupported by rigorous information-technology-enabled tools and uncharacterized as a scientific phenomenon. In this paper, we present VISUALIZEIT-a project seeking to identify a scientific basis and develop the supporting cyberinfrastructure needed to facilitate, evaluate, and disseminate information-technology-enabled innovation methodologies that augment designer creativity. This particular research paper describes a method of synthesizing concept representations through the development and expansion of platforms focused on computational concept generation, clustering of design concepts, a repository of archived design knowledge, and an information integration and representation interface. We also present the initial results from implementing VISUALIZEIT using two populations of students.

Automating the Creation of Shape Grammar Rules

Shape grammars have the potential to be used in many design applications. One of the most limiting factors is that, currently, a shape grammar must be created by an expert trained in the creation and usage of shape grammars. In this paper we describe how the rules for a shape grammar can be derived automatically. A statistical analysis of the design language produces fundamental shape chunks. These chunks then form the basis for the shape grammar rules. These rules are created objectively and automatically and fewer rules are needed to create a completed design. Additionally, the form of the rules encourages divergent designs. Unique concept vehicles are given as an example.

Exploring Automated Concept Generator Output Through Principal Component Analysis

During conceptual design it is desirable to produce many potential solutions. Recently, computational tools have emerged to help designers more fully explore possible solutions. These automated concept generators use knowledge from existing products and the desired functionality of the new design to suggest solutions. While research has shown these tools can increase the variety of solutions developed, they often provide unmanageably large sets of poorly differentiated results. This work proceeds from the hypothesis that automated concept generator output includes many permutations of a relatively few principal solution variants. A method to discover these underlying solution types from the initial concept generator output is proposed. The proposed method employs principal component analysis for variable reduction followed by cluster analysis for classification. The method is applied to the automatically generated solutions of three sample design problems. Preliminary evidence of the utility and efficiency of the proposed method is presented based upon those sample problems. Finally, a method for extending the proposed technique to much larger solution sets is discussed.© 2010 ASME

Automatically Generating Form Concepts According to Consumer Preference: A Shape Grammar Implementation With Software Agents

In new product development, quickly generating many concepts that a potential consumer prefers is a challenge. This paper presents the inaugural application of software agents implementing a shape grammar to generate product designs according to a utility function that represents consumer preference. The method is composed of three sub-processes: a shape grammar interpreter, an agent interpreter, and a utility investigator. These work together to explore the design space and can constrain product form designs according to a utility function that represents consumer design preference.Copyright

Pushing the Limits of Vehicle Design: Utilizing a Parametric Shape Grammar to Explore Cross-Over Vehicle Concepts

As consumers express a desire for vehicles that are useful for multiple purposes, automobile manufacturers are responding with vehicles that blur the distinctions between vehicle classes. By understanding the traditional classes, new cross-over vehicles can be developed. Parametric shape grammars offer the flexibility to create innovative new designs both within and across classes, while staying within appropriate form and functional constraints attributed to automobiles. Through the use of universal rules and the understanding of allowable parametric ranges, many novel cross-over vehicle concepts can easily be created.Copyright

The Effect of Product Representation in Visual Conjoint Analysis

When most designers set out to develop a new product they solicit feedback from potential consumers. These data are incorporated into the design process in an effort to more effectively meet customer requirements. Often these data are used to construct a model of consumer preference capable of evaluating candidate designs. Although the mechanics of these models have been extensively studied there are still some open questions, particularly with respect to models of aesthetic preference. When constructing preference models, simplistic product representations are often favored over high fidelity product models in order to save time and expense. This work investigates how choice of product representation can affect model performance in visual conjoint analysis. Preference models for a single product, a table knife, are derived using three different representation schemes; simple sketches, solid models, and 3D printed models. Each of these representations is used in a separate conjoint analysis survey. The results from this study showed that consumer responses were inconsistent and potentially contradictory between different representations. Consequently, when using conjoint analysis for product innovation, obtaining a true understanding of consumer preference requires selecting representations based on how accurately they convey the product details in question.© 2014 ASME

Cued Active Learning: An Initial Study

It has become common knowledge that effective teaching requires more than just the rote dissemination of knowledge. By using active learning, teachers involve the students in the learning process. As the students subjectively handle the class material, their comprehension and retention improves. In the classroom, teachers commonly prompt actively learning through a verbal cue such as, “We are now going to break into groups.” This forces the student to switch from a receptive mental state to an active mental state.We theorize that this verbal, short duration transition from lecture to active learning, especially in large classroom settings, is not sufficient to make this transition quickly and thus limits how active students are in the active learning session. In this paper we present a technique and exploratory study results for cueing active learning through a representative icon in a visual lecture presentation. This cue enables the students to mentally prepare themselves for actively learning during a more passive part of the lecture. The results of our exploratory study demonstrate that the cued active learning did not conclusively correlate with average student performance, but that it did show a decrease in the standard deviation of performance, thereby demonstrating an improvement in the comprehension of the students that were more likely to perform lower than average. The results of this study will be used to conduct a more formal study including direct measurement of lecture participation by students.Copyright