Design Using Case-Based Reasoning

Abstract

Design is one of the most knowledge- and expertise-intensive processes in product development. Expert designers are individuals with deep understanding of the domain, of the physical laws governing it, of the manufacturing operations available, of the industrial setups, and so forth. A good designer does not produce only a functional design, but also one that is producible, maintainable, testable, and marketable. This paper will describe our work in automating the design process for the manufacturing domain. We are using an innovative technique in Artificial Intelligence called Case-Based Reasoning. This paper will briefly describe Case-Based Reasoning, and will concentrate on our work in process planning, product redesign for criteria other than functionality, and product design testing. We describe a total of three systems that we have developed and which are parts of a large project in Intelligent, Computer-Aided Design (ICAD).