An investigation of the option space in conceptual building design for advanced building simulation

This article describes research conducted to gather empirical evidence on size, character and content of the option space in building design projects. This option space is the key starting point for the work of any climate engineer using building performance simulation who is supporting the design process. The underlying goal is to strengthen the role of advanced computing in building design, especially in the early conceptual stage, through a better integration of building performance simulation tools augmented with uncertainty analysis and sensitivity analysis. Better integration will need to assist design rather than automate design, allowing a spontaneous, creative and flexible process that acknowledges the expertise of the design team members. This research investigates and contrasts emergent option spaces and their inherent uncertainties in an artificial setting (student design studios) and in real-life scenarios (commercial design project case studies). The findings provide empirical evidence of the high variability of the option space that can be subjected to uncertainty analysis and sensitivity analysis.     

The conceptual framing,design and evaluation of device ecologies for collaborative activities

A variety of computing technologies, in addition to the personal computer, are now commonly used in many settings. As networking infrastructures mature, it is increasingly feasible and affordable to consider closer integration and use of these heterogeneous devices in tandem. However, little is known about how best to design or evaluate such ‘device ecologies’; in particular, how best to combine devices to achieve a desired type of collaborative user experience. A central concern is how users switch their attention between devices, to utilize the various elements to best effect. We describe here the development of an ecology of devices for groups of students to use when engaged in collaborative inquiry-learning activities. This included a multi-touch tabletop, laptops, projections, video streams and telephone. In situ studies of students and tutors using it in three different settings showed how individuals and groups switched their foci between the multiple devices. We present our findings, using a novel method for analysing users’ transitions between foci, identifying patterns and emergent characteristics. We then discuss the importance of designing for transitions that enable groups to appropriately utilise an ecology of devices, using the concepts of seams, bridges, niches and focal character.     

Constraint-based functional design verification for conceptual design

In the early stages of mechanical product design, designers not only need to determine the physical structure of the design, but also need to verify that the design functions properly with the allowable values or ranges of values of the relevant design attributes. Existing work on design verification is either aimed at specific design problems, which are generally carried out at the downstream design stages, or aimed at deriving design behavior using a behavioral simulation approach. Functional design verification has largely been neglected by the research society. To tackle this problem, we propose a generic constraint-based approach that is based on a comprehensive functional design model. A number of strategies are proposed for the approach, including strategies for design variables reduction, variable dependency graph development, constraint propagation, and dynamic verification of a design over an assigned set of attributes (variables). The approach is implemented as part of a functional modeling design environment. A simple design verification case is presented to illustrate our approach.     

视觉传达设计视角下响应式协同育人平台设计与实现

让学习者能高效地从Web中提取有效知识,是长期以来互联网领域不断探索的重要内容.以视觉设计为研究对象,对平台的视觉设计要素进行分析,以视觉信息传达为主题,结合平台界面设计的基本原则,从主题、色彩、文字等方面研究视觉信息传达对平台界面设计的重要作用,强调合理设计界面中的主题、色彩、文字等信息,将平台界面设计得更加有条理,...     

A communication model for structural design objects. I: Channels and medium

Design objects of integrated engineering systems frequently communicate data and information among each other. The data to be communicated is usually characterized by considerable variability in format and structure. This warrants the development of a uniform mechanism for communicating data and information among design objects. Recent advances in the object-oriented paradigm and the emerging agent-oriented paradigm gave promise to the development of such mechanism for inter-object communication that was difficult to achieve previously. This paper and its companion paper address this issue and propose an object communication model. Specifically, this paper identifies the communication channels among structural engineering design objects and proposes a communication medium based on messenger object for conveying message arguments and responses. The unified modeling language (UML) is used to present the model and its ingredients. A note on implementation of the messenger object, using C++ STL, is shown. Examples to demonstrate the capability of the communication model are presented. The proposed communication model will impose a uniform and consistent mechanism for communicating data and information among design objects. Other ingredients of the communication model such as performatives and protocols are addressed in the companion paper.     

Nonverbal communication interface for collaborative virtual environments

Nonverbal communication is an important aspect of real-life face-to-face interaction and one of the most efficient ways to convey emotions, therefore users should be provided the means to replicate it in the virtual world. Because articulated embodiments are well suited to provide body communication in virtual environments, this paper first reviews some of the advantages and disadvantages of complex embodiments. After a brief introduction to nonverbal communication theories, we present our solution, taking into account the practical limitations of input devices and social science aspects. We introduce our sample of actions and implementation using our VLNET (Virtual Life Network) networked virtual environment and discuss the results of an informal evaluation experiment.     

Decision support for conceptual bridge design

A knowledge based, decision support tool for the conceptual design of bridges is described. The system incorporates a restructured version of a knowledge base (KB) for conceptual bridge design. The restructuring results in a KB which can be readily altered and extended by system users who are not expert knowledge engineers. This is achieved by using a novel form of KB in which the knowledge is fragmented into separate concepts associated with design solutions. The system also includes a new style of user interface which provides a critiquing style of interaction with the KB only interacting with the user when it detects a possible error or a more suitable design solution. The new system has been developed using object oriented programming techniques which result in a structured and robust style of KB.     

Information frameworks for conceptual engineering design

An information modeling approach is used to gain an understanding of the information and decision content of conceptual engineering design. Information frameworks are presented that attempt to represent the key decisions made during conceptual design. Elements of the frameworks are derived from results from design theory and methodology and decision theory. Using a number of products, the frameworks are demonstrated in simulated design situations. The models provide an explicit, generic and consistent perspective for identifying the information content of conceptual designs.     

Creating shared design thinking process for collaborative design

Shared understanding about both the design content and the design process has significant meaning for collaborative design, which influences the quality of final products. Existing approaches have difficulties in supporting designers to structure and share their design thinking while they are performing practical tasks. In this paper we propose Shared Design Thinking Process Model (S-DTPM) to support collaborative design, which is based on co-evolutionary design theory and existing design rationale frameworks. Two principles for S-DTPM have been considered. The elements and representation schema of S-DTPM have been discussed in detail. Based on S-DTPM, a prototype system has been developed for supporting collaborative thinking and capturing shared design rationale. An example, collaborative design is taken to validate the proposed model. S-DTPM can help designers to create shared understanding about the design as well as record shared design thinking process for future use such as design review, design change and redesign.     

An end-to-end communication architecture for collaborative virtual environments

Synchronous collaboration in virtual reality spaces has specific requirements that differ from those of other application data, leading to a different communication approach. Update messages corresponding to the change in the state of a shared object must be communicated both reliably and in a timely manner among users. While a lot of research has been done in terms of transmission of update messages representing the motion of avatars and objects, very few works focus on collaboration itself. Here, we present an architecture that supports tightly coupled collaborative tasks to be performed efficiently in virtual environments. The architecture consists of an application-general layer which is mapped into a communication protocol. An implementation is also presented as proof of concept.     

Design formalism for collaborative assembly design

Joints in product design are common because of the limitations of component geometric configurations and material properties, and the requirements of inspection, accessibility, repair, and portability. Collaborative product design is emerging as a viable alternative to the traditional design process. The collaborative assembly design (AsD) methodologies are needed for distributed product development. Existing AsD methodologies have limitations in capturing the non-geometric aspects of designer's intent on joining and are not efficient for a collaborative design environment. This paper introduces an AsD formalism and associated AsD tools to capture joining relations and spatial relationship implications. This AsD formalism allows the joining relations to be modeled symbolically for computer interpretation, and the model can be used for inferring mathematical and physical implications. An AsD model generated from the AsD formalism is used to exchange AsD information transparently in a collaborative AsD environment. An assembly relation model and a generic assembly relationship diagram are to capture assembly and joining information concisely and persistently. As a demonstration, the developed AsD formalism and AsD tools are applied on a connector assembly with arc weld and rivet joints.     

Distributed AEC databases for collaborative design

The Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) design process for a facility involves participation of many design specialists. These participants are architects, engineers (structural, mechanical and electrical) and contractors, who may be independent design professionals or design teams within an organization. From the viewpoint of information processing, two characteristic features distinguish the AEC design process from many other design domains. Firstly, there is a massive volume of design data involved in the design of each of its component specialties. Secondly, the specialization of the disciplines themselves warrant substantial autonomy. For design automation, this autonomy should be realized without sacrificing the collaborative nature of the multidisciplinary AEC design process. We propose autonomous AEC databases to deal with the first issue, and a global constraint maintenance mechanism for the second. Autonomous design databases can support the existing local applications in architectural, structural and mechanical engineering, and construction domains. However, a set of inter-disciplinary constraints needs to be enforced to ensure spatial and functional consistency of the design. A global constraint checking mechanism frees designers from the burden of keeping track of various design changes that may result in cross-functional conflicts. In this paper, we discuss the relevant issues for constraint management on distributed AEC databases. Although specific AEC examples will be used, the presentation is general enough to be applicable to other design domains, such as VLSI and manufacturing.     

A lean-server foundation for collaborative design

The design framework research community utilizes the Internet as a facilitator for collaborative activities. The ability to support coordination and high-level communication is imperative in any collaboratory. A novel approach using lean-servers is an alternative method for providing a functional server-side computing model that meets the implementation requirements for a collaboratory. The server brokers Internet requests directly within a design application by providing a gateway to the application's programming interface using a HyperText Transfer Protocol compliant layer. This allows requests to be managed directly by the application rather than requiring auxiliary services. Macros are used to provide content and context sensitive responses. A prototype system, called the Systems Programming Architecture for Collaborative Engineering, is described as one scenario for implementing the lean-server technology. Usability of the approach is demonstrated through a Design of Experiments example that is representative of modern design methods. This example also demonstrates coordination because it executes asynchronously with multi-user intervention at any time during the process. In hindsight, the lean-server approach is an enabling technology for collaborative design and focuses future research on methods for communicating reasoning, experience, and other information during design decision-making processes.     

Computer-mediated communication in collaborative writing

The purpose of this study was to determine if using computers to communicate during group writing tasks is an effective mode of communication. Three-person teams wrote term papers in one of three conditions: face-to-face (FTF), synchronous computer-mediated communication (Netmeeting), or email. The participants were given 6 weeks to complete the task. Product differences showed only that email groups produced shorter rough drafts than FTF groups, indicating the rough draft was not as well thought out in the email groups. Process measures demonstrated that, overall, communication styles that afforded interactivity were utilized effectively in a collaborative writing setting. Furthermore, lack of expressiveness did not appear to deter groupwork. The results suggest that email alone may not be an appropriate setting for writing collaboratively; whereas teams in a synchronous computer-mediated communication setting, such as Netmeeting, should be able to produce quality work satisfactorily.     

Designing collaborative knowledge building environments accessible to all learners: Impacts and design challenges

The present study attempted to investigate whether young learners who were new to knowledge building approaches could work towards advancing both individual and collective knowledge, and whether knowledge building could be beneficial to both high-achieving and low-achieving students. Findings reported in this paper are from one and a half-year design research for science learning in one primary school in Singapore. In this study, we closely examined the design and enactment of the Knowledge Building Community model in one class with high-achieving students and two classes with mixed-ability students. The research consists of two phases: Phase I Cultivating a collaborative knowledge building culture and Phase II Progressive Knowledge Building using Knowledge Forum. Data were collected from multiple sources, including knowledge assessment, conceptual understanding tasks, and the content analysis of Knowledge Forum postings. The results in Phase I show that while it is critical for students to monitor and build knowledge for their own understanding, they had difficulties developing such skills. In both phases, we found positive impacts on academic achievements showing improvement of student understanding in the course of reflective thinking and progressive inquiry. Overall, quantitative data suggest that the collaborative knowledge building environment was beneficial for both high-achieving and low-achieving students. We conclude by discussing some of challenges and issues in designing collaborative knowledge building environments for young learners with diverse abilities.     

面向飞行器概念设计的动网格技术

在弹簧近似光滑法和局部网格重构法两种动网格方法的基础上,结合类型函数/形状函数方法,针对飞行器概念设计阶段方案多变、参数变化快的特点,对二元机翼随参数变化的翼型提出了相适应的动网格方法.该方法根据参数的影响,将变动的边界信息传递到网格上,网格随之迭代变化.相对于常用动网格方法,该方法具有更强的参数表现力和适应力,使得网格生成更快速.对类型函数/形状函数转换方法(CST)拟合的NACA2415翼型在不同迎角情况下的低速湍流流动进行了数值模拟.计算结果表明,该动网格技术较好地模拟出了翼型的流动特性,较准确地得出了翼型的气动力系数,对飞行器概念设计阶段的参数确定具有实用价值,显示了该动网格方法的准确性和便捷性.