Abstract
One of the problems in building collaborative and intelligent design systems is the difficulty in integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Computer Supported Collaborative Work (CSCW) with design knowledge to generate results to the satisfaction of designers who often have high demands on aesthetics as well as scientific aspects of a supporting tool. In this paper, we present an open and flexible design computing architecture, which has the characteristics of both Client/Server (C/S) model and distributed model. Two collaboration processes (synchronous and asynchronous) are facilitated in this proposed architecture. For the design of agents, we propose a new model to deal with various types of knowledge sources, which have to be incorporated in the collaboration process. Versioning and locking mechanisms are implemented to support synchronous and asynchronous collaborations. Based on this architecture, a collaborative design environment has been implemented using the standard of Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM).
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Frazer, J. H. “Design Workstation on the Future”. Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference of Computer-Aided Industrial Design and Conceptual Design (CAID & CD’ 2001), International Academic Publishers, Beijing, 2001;17–23.
Campbell M, Cagan J, Kotovsky K. Agentbased synthesis of electromechanical design configurations, 1998.
Cutkosky, M.R., Englemore, R.S., Fikes, R.E. Genesereth, M.R., Gruber, T.R., Mark, W.S., Tenenbaum, J.M., Weber, J.C.: PACT: An expriment in integraging concurrent engineering systems. IEEE Computer 26(1) (1993) 28–37
Whitehead, S. A complexity analysis of cooperative mechanisms in reinforcement learning.
Wellman, M.P.: A computational market model for distributed configuration design. AI EDAM 9 (1995) 125–133.
Tan, M. Multi-agent reinforcement learning: Independent vs. Cooperative agents. Multi Learning: Proc. of the Tenth International Conference, San Mateo, CA: Morgan Kaufmann, 1993.
Matthew I. C., Jonathan C. & Kenneth K. A-Design: An Agent-Based Approach to Conceptual Design in a Dynamic Environment. Research in Engineering Design, 1999; 11:172–192.
Lander, E. S., “Issues in Multiagent Design Systems”, IEEE Expert, 1997; 12(2): 18–26.
Goldstein D., An agentbased architecture for concurrent engineering. Concurrent Engineering: Research and Applications 1994; 2:117–123.
Hong Liu & Zongkai Lin. A Cooperative Design Approach in MADS. Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on CSCW in Design (CSCWD’99), Compiegne, France, Sep.29–Oct.1, 1999; 297–303.
Fang Weidong, Liu Peiyu and Zhang Zhidong, The Computer Supported Cooperative OOT System, OOT China’99 & Tools Aisa’99, 1999, Nanjing P. R. China.
Fang Weidong, Liu Shuchang, Liu Peiyu and Xu Liancheng, Cooperative Work Model for Class Evolution, Computer Science, vol 25, 1998.5
Tomiyama, T. From general design theory to knowledge-intensive engineering. AIEDAM, 1994;8(4):319–333.
AAAI-91, 607–613,1991.
Grecu DL, Brown DC, Design agents that learn. AIEDAM, 1996; 10:149–150.
Jennings, N.R. Commitments and conventions: The foundation of coordination in multiagent systems. The Knowledge Engineering Review, 1993; 8(3): 223–250.
Liu H., Zeng G. Zh. & Lin Z.K. An agent-oriented modelling approach. ACM Software Engineering Notes, 1998;23(3):87–92.
Tang, M. X. Knowledge-based design support and inductive learning. PhD Thesis, Department of Artificial Intelligence, University of Edinburgh, 1996.
Tang, M.X. A knowledge-based architecture for intelligent design support. The Knowledge Engineering Review, 1997;12(4):387–406.
Hong Liu, Tang M.X. & Frazer, J. H., Supporting Learning in a Shared Design Environment. International Journal of Advances in Engineering Software, Elsevier, 2001; 32(4): 285–293.
Frazer, J. H. Creative Design and the Generative Evolutionary Paradigm. In P. Bentley ed. Creativity and Design, 2000.
Chan K. H., Frazer J. H. and Tang M. X., 2000, Handling the evolution and hierarchy nature of designing in computer-based design support systems, in the proceedings of the third international conference on computer aided industrial design and conceptual design, 26–27th November, published by International Academic Publisher.
Durfee, E.H., Lesser, V.R. and Corkill, D.D. Trends in Cooperative Distributed Problem Solving. In: IEEE Transactions on Knowledge and Data Engineering, March 1989, KDE-1(1), pages 63–83.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2003 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Fang, W., Tang, M.X., Frazer, J.H. (2003). Supporting Collaborative Product Design in an Agent Based Environment. In: Chung, P.W.H., Hinde, C., Ali, M. (eds) Developments in Applied Artificial Intelligence. IEA/AIE 2003. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 2718. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-45034-3_45
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-45034-3_45
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-40455-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-45034-4
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive