Takashi Kiriyama

Life cycle design support based on environmental information sharing

The Green Browser is a design support tool, intended to cover the whole life cycle of environmentally conscious products. It supports designers to collaborate based on information sharing of the product over the Internet. It facilitates communication with consumers and specialists in order to receive feedback for the continuous design. The shared model of the Green Browser consists of three parts, i.e., strategy model, process model, and object model, which are linked to one another. The strategy model represents the concept of a product, in which requirements for the product are represented in a trade-off network. The process model represents the life cycle of a product. The object model represents geometry, function, and structure. These models are built and linked by designers by the support of the Green Browser. Some part of them is also accessible over the Internet from customers and specialists. The Green Browser is being implemented in Java and CORBA (Common Object Request Broker Architecture). Java enables the Green Browser to be platform independent and executable on any major web browser. CORBA provides the Java-based Green Browser with access to the product database on a different architecture across the network. Through the Green Browser, the user can find information about the relationship between the requirements in the strategy model and product data in the object models. Several kinds of user interfaces are implemented to represent the strategy model in different perspectives. The concept and the implementation of the Green Browser are reported in this paper.

Knowledge systematization for a knowledge intensive engineering framework

This paper proposes knowledge intensive engineering that is a new way of engineering activities in various product life cycle stages flexibly conducted with more knowledge to create more added value. Knowledge representation and modeling issues are discussed and a cooperative multiple intelligent agent architecture based on multiple ontology is proposed for building a Knowledge Intensive Engineering Framework (KIEF). KIEF can be used as a knowledge intensive CAD for knowledge intensive design of knowledge intensive machines. This demonstrates the power and usefulness of knowledge intensive engineering. It is also discussed that to achieve knowledge intensive engineering, systematization of knowledge is an essential process to allow intelligent agents to share accumulated knowledge.

Strategic knowledge acquisition: a case study of learning through prototyping

To understand useful strategies for guiding the design process, we analyze the relationship between the use of prototypes and design knowledge acquisition. Prototyping in five design projects at a science museum is analyzed and compared. We also extract situations in which design knowledge is acquired from prototyping.

An Integrated Modelling Environment Using the Metamodel

Summary One of the central issues of intelligent CAD is building a modeling mechanism that deals with multiple models. The basis on which a model is built, which we call ontology, may vary over domains of modeling, abstraction and approximation levels, and granularities. This paper discusses integration of design object models over multiple ontologies. The key idea is the use of meta-level model about relationships among models. The meta-level model, which we call the metamodel, is used for reasoning about how models should be generated and modified so that consistency among them can be maintained. The use of the metamodel is illustrated by an example of modeling a hydrofoil.

Study on the collaborative design process over the Internet: a case study on VRML 2.0 specification design

Abstract In this paper, we analyze the process of VRML 2.0 (Virtual Reality Modeling Language, Version 2.0) specification design for the deeper understanding of Internet-based collaboration. The VRML design process has the characteristics of being open to the public, geographically distributed, long-term, large-scale, and diverse. First, we examine the overall features of the design process by analyzing the VRML mailing list archive statistically. Secondly, we extract prototyping vocabulary (operational patterns) from the document change log. Thirdly, we analyze the process of proposing and agreeing with the PROTO node in detail. The results of analysis provide us with a guidance for facilitating innovation in the Internet-based collaboration.

Systematizing Design Knowledge for Intelligent CAD Systems

Abstract To build design knowledge bases for intelligent CAD systems, systematization of design knowledge itself is needed. Five processes of systematization were identified, i.e., setting up a view, articulation, codification, crystallization, and reusing and sharing. This paper illustrates our research effort towards design knowledge systematization, including building physical feature database, function modeling, design process formalization, and design knowledge analysis.

A conceptual design environment for micromechanisms

This paper presents the use of a knowledge based system and a knowledge sharing environment to support the design of micromechanisms. Based on the experience of a design project, we discuss knowledge representation concerning the function and behavior for supporting functional decomposition. For the knowledge sharing environment, we have extended a finite element analysis system to allow the designer to perform analysis over the network.

Micromachining and focused ion beam etching of Si for accelerometers

Silicon microfabricated devices are being developed for reliable low cost sensors including accelerometers with tunnel junction readout. Using bonded silicon on insulator wafers as the starting material, novel structures are made by conventional surface micromachining followed by focused ion beam etching through 7 micrometers thick Si cantilevers at oblique angles to form submicron gaps to be closed by electrostatic actuation.

The Green Browser: An Internet-based information sharing tool for product life cycle design

The process of environmentally conscious design should involve collaboration among designers and specialists of multiple domains. We are trying to use the Internet to support designers and specialists collaborate in considering the tradeoff relationships among requirements for a product over the life-cycle.

The design of the Xi-Hu historical landscape and culture in media

This paper discusses a project to reconstruct in media the lost landscape and culture of Xi-Hu (West Lake), China. This work is intended to educate and entertain the user as well as stimulate his or her own creativity. We discuss the design of a user interface that enables the user to visit different landscapes of Xi-Hu (West Lake), China, as they appeared in different eras. We also discuss the artistry involved in the presentation of the works content. Finally, we discuss a design methodology for media work based on the lessons learned from the development of this work.