Victor V. Kryssanov

Understanding design fundamentals: how synthesis and analysis drive creativity, resulting in emergence☆

Abstract This paper presents results of an ongoing interdisciplinary study to develop a computational theory of creativity for engineering design. Human design activities are surveyed, and popular computer-aided design methodologies are examined. It is argued that semiotics has the potential to merge and unite various design approaches into one fundamental theory that is naturally interpretable and so comprehensible in terms of computer use. Reviewing related work in philosophy, psychology, and cognitive science provides a general and encompassing vision of the creativity phenomenon. Basic notions of algebraic semiotics are given and explained in terms of design. This is to define a model of the design creative process, which is seen as a process of semiosis, where concepts and their attributes represented as signs organized into systems are evolved, blended, and analyzed, resulting in the development of new concepts. The model allows us to formally describe and investigate essential properties of the design process, namely its dynamics and non-determinism inherent in creative thinking. A stable pattern of creative thought — analogical and metaphorical reasoning — is specified to demonstrate the expressive power of the modeling approach; illustrative examples are given. The developed theory is applied to clarify the nature of emergence in design: it is shown that while emergent properties of a product may influence its creative value, emergence can simply be seen as a by-product of the creative process. Concluding remarks summarize the research, point to some unresolved issues, and outline directions for future work.

BUILDING A LOGICAL MODEL IN THE MACHINING DOMAIN FOR CAPP EXPERT SYSTEMS

Recently, extensive efforts have been made on the application of expert system technique to solving the process planning task in the machining domain. This paper introduces a new formal method to design CAPP expert systems. The formal method is applied to provide a contour of the CAPP expert system building technology. Theoretical aspects of the formalism are described and illustrated by an example of know-how analysis. Flexible facilities to utilize multiple knowledge types and multiple planning strategies within one system are provided by the technology.

An agent-based approach for collecting and utilizing design information throughout the product life cycle

The study proposes a novel approach to systematically collecting and utilizing product feedback information throughout the product life cycle to support life cycle design methodologies. The approach has a solid theoretical basis that is the theory of complex system evolution and, at the same time, is technologically sound and does not require significant investments to be realized. The natural evolution of a design as an information object is discussed in the context of the product life cycle, and the importance of evaluation of design requirements in post-design life cycle stages is argued. The notion of design expectations is introduced. A prognosis technique based on a parametric model is outlined that allows one to estimate product characteristics and predict violations of design expectations in dynamic environments. An agent based approach is proposed to evaluate the production and product environments, assess design expectations, and supply the designer with relevant information to improve the product design. A case study of the development of an expectation agent for a refrigerator is described. Summarizing the experience accumulated through the research, some conclusions and implications for future work are given.

The Meaning of Manufacturing Know -How

This paper investigates the phenomenon of manufacturing know-how. First, the abstract notion of knowledge is discussed, and a terminological basis is introduced to treat know-how as a kind of knowledge. Next, a brief survey of the recently reported works dealt with manufacturing know-how is presented, and an explicit definition of know-how is formulated. Finally, the problem of utilizing know-how with knowledge-based systems is analyzed, and some ideas useful for its solving are given.

Towards a theory of creativity for engineering design

This paper presents the foundations of a new semiotic theory of creativity for engineering design. Beginning from reviewing various approaches to studying the human ability to create, the paper goes on to explain creativity as an ongoing process of semiosis, which can, in principle, be modeled with computers. A mathematical model of the creative process is described that provides guidelines for the development of computer systems intended for enhancing the human creative potential. Creative analogical reasoning is then interpreted in terms of the model, and an illustrative historical example from engineering design is considered. Finally, emergence and some other creativity-related phenomena are discussed.

Synthesis and emergence in engineering design problem solving

The need of the development of computer support techniques for engineering design requires a thorough understanding of the design activity. In this paper, design problem solving methodologies are investigated, and a model of the design process is proposed, based on design synthesis-analysis transformations. The model enables formalizing the problem solving process and promotes a better understanding of design synthesis, analysis, and the phenomenon of emergence in manufacturing. A methodological framework for computer-assisted design synthesis is described, and some aspects concerning its practical realization are discussed.

An Internet-enabled technology to support evolutionary design

Abstract This paper discusses the systematic use of product feedback information to support life cycle design approaches and provides guidelines for developing a design at both the product and the system levels. Design activities are surveyed in the light of the product life cycle, and the design information flow is interpreted from a semiotic perspective. The natural evolution of a design is considered, the notion of design expectations is introduced and the importance of evaluation of these expectations in dynamic environments is argued. Possible strategies for reconciliation of the expectations and environmental factors are described. An Internet-enabled technology is proposed to monitor product functionality, use and operational environment and to supply the designer with relevant information. A pilot study of assessing design expectations of a refrigerator is outlined, and conclusions are drawn.

Modelling Semiosis of Design

This paper addresses the modelling of the cognitive and evolutionary aspects of engineering design in support of two broad goals: the better understanding of product life cycle processes, and the development of relevant information infrastructure services. The modelling elements are derived from the Framework of Industrial Semiosis. The semiosis of evolutionary design is explained, and general principles of the evolution of the product concept are formulated.

A prolegomenon to a semiotic theory of creativity

This paper aims to investigate creativity in a semiotic perspective and encourage researchers of the engineering community to a broad discussion of the creative process. After an introduction to the modern study of creativity, we argue that although semiotics is often seen as opposed to cognitive science, these two different ways of approaching creativity phenomena are complementary. We then show that the creative process can generally be described in terms of sing systems and morphisms that allow for formal and unambiguous interpretation of both semiotic and cognitive aspects in development of conceptual spaces. Fundamental laws of creativity dynamics are discussed, and several illustrative examples from engineering and science are given.

The mechanism of creative reasoning and emergent constructions in conceptual design

Creativity is ubiquitous but crucial in many fields of human activity. This paper endeavors to explore a scientific basis for creativity in engineering design. First, creativity is extensively reviewed from the standpoint of different disciplines — philosophy, psychology, and computer sciences. Computational modeling of creativity is then considered, and a mathematical model of the design process is proposed. Finally, creative reasoning is explicated in terms of the introduced model, and some by-effects of creativity, including the phenomena of externality and emergence, are discussed. There is a fairly large bibliography.