A Bionics-based Methodology For Conceptual Design Of Technical Products

After a systematic analysis of the background and state-of-the-art of research in computer aided conceptual design (CACD), a bionics-based methodology is originally proposed for CACD of technical artifacts, aiming at solving some crucial issues in this research area. The primary contributions are as follows.First, a product gene based approach is proposed for principle conceptual design of material transforming products. Enlightened by organism genetics, the concept of product gene is proposed for principle conceptual design of products of such kind after the similarities between products and organisms is systematically analyzed. The central dogma of principle conceptual design is proposed, composed of the processes of copy, transcription, translation and reverse transcription of product genes. After a systematic comparison of genetic engineering with principle conceptual design, a novel approach based on genetic engineering is proposed for computer aided principle conceptual design. The principle conceptual design of a coins-assorting device demonstrates that the product gene based approach to principle conceptual design can assist designers in retrieving more feasible principle solutions in a wider solution space, which can therefore improve the problem-solving ability of CACD systems.Secondly, a product gene based approach is proposed for principle conceptual design of energy transforming products. With the product gene model for principle conceptual design of material transforming products as a blueprint, the product gene model for principle conceptual design of energy transforming products is proposed. The solving features and the function-based behavioral features of this kind of product genes make it possible for CACD systems to efficiently propose principle solutions to complex functions in a finite solution space. Thereafter, three solving approaches, i.e. a heuristic approach based on product gene, a heuristic approach based on the shortest route knowledge and an exhaustive approach based product gene, are proposed to meet the need of principle conceptual design dealing with the transformation of multiple different energy flows and different requirements on solving quality and efficiency. Thecreative conceptual design of a device for generating electrical power and light with sea wave is undertaken with the proposed approaches to demonstrate their feasibility.Thirdly, a symbiosis-based approach is proposed for evolutionary design of functional structure. Referring to the evolutionary method of organisms based on the symbiotic theory, the symbiotic relations between functions in conceptual design are summarized, i.e. the relations of supplying action conditions, removing adverse means behaviors, smoothing away harmful side effects and eliminating or prohibiting environmental influences. Such functional relations are the basis for generating auxiliary functional structures and their carriers for feasible principle solutions. Then a process model integrating principle conceptual design with functional structure design is proposed for CACD, which can dynamically generate the auxiliary functional structure of a feasible principle solution with respect to the differences between its action conditions, mean behaviors, side effects and environmental influences and existing design constraints and resources. The conceptual design of a wood stick supplying device demonstrates that the above process model is consistent with the cognitive model of design and prone to successful product development.Finally, a CACD platform based on bionics is developed. Based on the above researches, a CACD prototype system is developed based on the inheritance and reorganization of product genes, which is composed of three sub-systems, i.e. the product gene based prototype system for principle conceptual design of material transforming products, the product gene based prototype system for principle conceptual design of energy transforming products and the functional structure evolutionary design system based on the symbiotic theory. Thi...