Conceptual Modeling for Design Formulation

A design methodology is developed for the preliminary stage of building design. The methodology applies a theory of conceptual structure to model building design processes and incorporates the top-down approach of design decisions from a total system point of view. This design approach accounts for the uncertainties in the structural design processes and information, and provides a vehicle for formulating complex engineering decisions. The computing aspects of the design processes are categorised as arithmetic and reasoning formulations for capturing design information. The computing formulations are represented and manipulated, in the present study, using fuzzy logic, and their applications are illustrated with examples of building component design. The research results enable the implementation of a computer-aided tool for structural engineers to enhance their design decisions.     

Evolutionary algorithms and de novo peptide design

One of the goals of computational chemistry is the automated de novo design of bioactive molecules. Despite significant progress in computational approaches to ligand design and efficient evaluation of binding energy, novel procedures for ligand design are required. Evolutionary computation provides a new approach to this design issue. This paper presents an automated methodology for computer-aided peptide design based on evolutionary algorithms. It provides an automatic tool for peptide de novo design, based on protein surface patches defined by user. Regarding the restrictive constrains of this problem a special emphasis has been made on the design of the evolutionary algorithms implemented.     

支持进化的协同设计系统研究及实现

提出了一个支持进化的协同设计框架系统clientAgentDcsign1.0,将进化技术和协同技术结合到一起用于新产品的开发。系统利用改进后的遗传算法实现进化设计,多Agcnt则为协同环境提供框架支持。以此系统为基础,以Vc 6．0及实体造型引擎ACIS为工具开发了一个用于建筑设计的协同创新平台HouseDev。     

Lowering Costs of Timber Shear-Wall Design using Global Search

This paper describes the application of a new global search technique, PGSL, that reduces structural costs for multi-storey timber housing. This technique is integrated within a computer aided design system that calculates production costs using a detailed product model. The cost calculation module was calibrated in collaboration with an industrial partner, and was tested on a full-scale completed project called Winter City 2000 in Sweden. It is found that the production cost for the shear-walls in the test case can be reduced by up to 10% due to an optimally directed search for structural designs. By using an explicit representation of the structural components in the shear-wall, it is also possible to increase the reliability of cost calculations.     

基于Inventor的产品外观设计与实现

随着计算机技术的发展,计算机辅助设计(CAD)的水平有了很大的提高,CAD已不仅仅局限于进行二维图纸设计,而是能够建立真实地反映系统的三维实体模型,并且可以将多个三维实体模型装配为系统进行机构动态分析。Inventor是以实体建模为主,兼顾基础曲面建模的混合型三维建模的通用CAD软件系统。其核心组成部分为零件设计、装配设计、工程图纸;此外,Inventor还有一些特定行业的功能:动力学仿真模块、有限元应力分析模块、管路设计模块等。     

Metamodels for Computer-based Engineering Design: Survey and recommendations

The use of statistical techniques to build approximations of expensive computer analysis codes pervades much of today’s engineering design. These statistical approximations, or metamodels, are used to replace the actual expensive computer analyses, facilitating multidisciplinary, multiobjective optimization and concept exploration. In this paper, we review several of these techniques, including design of experiments, response surface methodology, Taguchi methods, neural networks, inductive learning and kriging. We survey their existing application in engineering design, and then address the dangers of applying traditional statistical techniques to approximate deterministic computer analysis codes. We conclude with recommendations for the appropriate use of statistical approximation techniques in given situations, and how common pitfalls can be avoided.     

基于免疫原理的逻辑电路设计算法

硬件进化是基于进化计算和可重构硬件的新兴研究领域。逻辑电路的进化设计是硬件进化的主要研究方向之一。文章将生物免疫系统的进化非选择机制引入到逻辑电路设计中,提出了相应的逻辑电路设计算法,并给出了该文算法和进化算法的对比实验结果,结果表明该文算法更加有效。     

改进量子多目标进化算法用于SOC软硬件划分*

采用量子多目标进化算法对从任务级进行抽象建模所得到的系统模型进行软硬件划分,并针对SOC系统设计中存在的特点,对量子多目标进化算法进行改进。采用量子个体编码方案,避免个体编/解码的冗余。并将Pareto最优概念与多目标优化相结合,从而实现了兼顾系统面积、功耗、时间等参数的软硬件划分方法。仿真对比实验结果表明,该算法一次运行可以获得多个Pareto最优解,为各个目标函数之间权衡分析提供了有效的工具,提高了设计效率。在满足系统性能要求下,可为复杂SOC系统提供多个设计目标的全局优化方案。     

Emergence of Collective Behavior in Evolving Populations of Flying Agents

We demonstrate the emergence of collective behavior in two evolutionary computation systems, one an evolutionary extension of a classic (highly constrained) flocking algorithm and the other a relatively un-constrained system in which the behavior of agents is governed by evolved computer programs. The first system demonstrates the evolution of a form of multicellular organization, while the second demonstrates the evolution of a form of altruistic food sharing. In this article we describe both systems in detail, document the emergence of collective behavior, and argue that these systems present new opportunities for the study of group dynamics in an evolutionary context. We also provide a brief overview of the breve simulation environment in which the systems were produced, and of breve’s facilities for the rapid, exploratory development of visualization strategies for artificial life.     

参数化零部件库建库技术研究与实践

在论述特征、事物特征表、特征造型与参数化设计的相互关系的基础上, 提出了基于通用CAD 系统的参数化零部件设计思路。在研究Inventor 平台二次开发的基础 上,提出了基于Inventor 的参数化零部件库的构建方法和关键的实现代码,并通过实例验证 了该方法的可行性。     

On the impact of software evolution on software clustering

The evolution of a software project is a rich data source for analyzing and improving the software development process. Recently, several research groups have tried to cluster source code artifacts based on information about how the code of a software system evolves. The results of these evolutionary approaches seem promising, but a direct comparison to traditional software clustering approaches based on structural code dependencies is still missing. To fill this gap, we conducted several clustering experiments with an established software clustering tool comparing and combining the evolutionary and the structural approach. These experiments show that the evolutionary approach could produce meaningful clustering results. While the traditional approach provides better results because of a more reliable data density of the structural data, the combination of both approaches is able to improve the overall clustering quality. A review of related studies shows that this approach of combining dependency information is also successful in other software engineering applications.     

The KeY tool

KeY is a tool that provides facilities for formal specification and verification of programs within a commercial platform for UML based software development. Using the KeY tool, formal methods and object-oriented development techniques are applied in an integrated manner. Formal specification is performed using the Object Constraint Language (OCL), which is part of the UML standard. KeY provides support for the authoring and formal analysis of OCL constraints. The target language of KeY based development is Java Card DL, a proper subset of Java for smart card applications and embedded systems. KeY uses a dynamic logic for Java Card DL to express proof obligations, and provides a state-of-the-art theorem prover for interactive and automated verification. Apart from its integration into UML based software development, a characteristic feature of KeY is that formal specification and verification can be introduced incrementally.     

Application of 3D Solid Modeling and Simulation Programs to a Bridge Structure

. This paper presents our work on the integrated use of computational methods (e.g. geometric modeling, simulation, visualization and optimization) for structural analysis and design. The focus in this paper is on 3D solid modeling and dynamic simulation. The paper describes our program system comprising the in-house program FEM90 integrated with commercial CAD and optimization programs. The program system is tested on a major bridge structure example. The example shows that 3D solid modeling and simulation are versatile tools for design of structures.     

PoliawaC: design and evaluation of an awareness-enhanced groupware client

Presenting the activities of others at the user interface — thereby providing awareness — a is crucial aspect of CSCW systems. However, this problem is often neglected by existing designs. This paper discusses design requirements, introduces a notification design framework and describes the functionality ofPoliAwaC, a groupware client aimed specifically at supporting awarenes.PoliAwaC provides a variety of different graphical notification mechanisms which can be coupled to specific working situations using the AREA model. We also report on the evaluation of the system under real-life conditions in a German federal ministry.     

Providing an appropriate search space to solve the fatigue problem in interactive evolutionary computation

The user fatigue problem in interactive evolutionary computation (IEC) is a complex and interesting issue. If the IEC search space is created from the experience or knowledge of domain experts rather than from users values, it causes two potential problems which lead to fatigue problems in IEC: 1) inefficiency and 2) boredom. Therefore, we propose a customer values-based IEC model, solving the fatigue problem by avoiding the potential problems. A case study involving the design of mineral water bottles was used to verify the anti-fatigue capability of the users when using the proposed model. For comparison with the traditional domain knowledge-based model, we built two IEC systems, a customer values-based system and a traditional system, and conducted a user burden test and a system efficiency test over a two-week period. The results of both tests show that our proposed system performed better than the traditional system in designing mineral water bottles. Fang-Cheng Hsu, Ph.D.: He received his M.S. degree from Tamkang University, Taiwan, in 1985 and Ph.D. degree from Department of Information Management, National Central University, Taiwan, in 2000. He is an associate professor of Information Management at Aletheia University in Taiwan. Prior to this, he was on the faculty at Tamsui Oxford College. His current research interests include interactive evolutionary computation and evolutionary computation-based decision support systems. Peter Huang: He received his B.A. degree from Department of Information Management, Aletheia University, Taiwan, in 1997, and M.B.A. degree from Graduate Institute of Management Science, Aletheia University, Taiwan, in 2003. He is on staff at Information Technology Total Services and is a part-time lecturer at Aletheia University. His current research interests are decision analysis and interactive evolutionary computation.     

A Prototype Software Framework for Internet-Enabled Collaborative Development of a Structural Analysis Program

. This paper describes a prototype implementation of a software platform that enables the utilization and collaborative development of structural analysis programs, taking advantage of the Internet and web-based technologies. The new platform would allow users to have easy access to the structural analysis platform via the Internet. Users can have direct access to the analysis program and the analysis results by using a web-browser or other application programs, such as MATLAB. Furthermore, the platform is intended to serve as a common finite element structural analysis tool for which researchers and users can build, test, and incorporate new developments. Researchers and developers can link the analysis platform with their developments by utilizing pre-defined Internet-enabled communication interfaces. The prototype system is applied to perform a nonlinear dynamic analysis for a two-dimensional frame structure. It is shown that the Internet-enabled collaborative paradigm can potentially provide greater flexibility and extendibility than traditional structural analysis programs, which are typically packaged individually.     

Evolutionary optimization of a geometrically refined truss

Structural optimization is a field of research that has experienced noteworthy growth for many years. Researchers in this area have developed optimization tools to successfully design and model structures, typically minimizing mass while maintaining certain deflection and stress constraints. Numerous optimization studies have been performed to minimize mass, deflection, and stress on a benchmark cantilever truss problem. Predominantly, traditional optimization theory is applied to this problem. The cross-sectional area of each member is optimized to minimize the aforementioned objectives. This paper will present a structural optimization technique that has been previously applied to compliant mechanism design. This technique demonstrates a method that combines topology optimization, geometric refinement, finite element analysis, and two forms of evolutionary computation—genetic algorithms and differential evolution—to successfully optimize a benchmark structural optimization problem. A nontraditional solution to the benchmark problem is presented in this paper, specifically, a geometrically refined topological solution. The design process begins with an alternate control mesh formulation, multilevel geometric smoothing operation, and an elastostatic structural analysis. The design process is wrapped in an evolutionary computing optimization tool set.     

支持进化的计算机辅助设计环境

介绍一个支持进化的计算机辅助设计环境。多Agent系统的结构为设计人员在该环境下的协作及资源共享提供了支撑框架，基于树结构的遗传算法为拓宽设计人员的思维空间提供了一种工具。文中用一个手机设计实例描述了该环境中进化设计的过程。该实例用基于数学表达式二叉树的遗传算法及数学软件工具MATLAB生成形状草图，用基于特征的设计产品树产生可选的部件组合。由于进化过程由设计人员引导，因此可以较快地实现令人满意的结果。