Introduction

Abstract

The development of mankind has depended on the ability to modify and shape the material that nature has made available, in ways to provide them their basic needs, and security and comfort required for their survival and advancement. They have devised tools for hunting, implements for agriculture, shelter for safeguard against the vagaries of nature, and wheels for transportation, an invention mankind has always been proud of. Much of the aforementioned design accomplishments have resulted even before mankind may have learnt to count. The then trial-and-error and/or empirical design procedures have been systematized to a great extent using the human understanding of the laws of physics (on force, motion and/or energy transfer) with concepts from mathematics. An idea to fulfill a need and then translating the idea into an implement forms the core of activities in design. Design and manufacture is innate to the growth of human civilization.