Analogy matching with function, flow and performance

Multiple methods exist to achieve design innovations. Analogical reasoning is one such method that has been shown be effective. The Design Analogy Performance Parameter System (DAPPS) project presented here is developing a method to aid in analogy generation by specifying a set of critical functions and desired design performance improvements. DAPPS uses performance parameter metrics to compare user inputs to potential analogical sources, thus stimulating analogical reasoning and innovative designs. We showcase the validation aspect of the DAPPS project. Proof-of-concept has previously been performed and implemented via the Design Repository & Analogy Computation via Unit-Language Analysis (DRACULA) framework. The steps for validation of DRACULA have been divided into two parts: 1) generation of numerical metrics with which multiple analogical generation methods may be compared and 2) case study assessments which will compare between various these methods. Previous works have shown that within a design problem there are functions that are the most important to meet the product requirements or customer needs. These functions have been defined as critical functions. In many products, there are multiple critical functions that create a critical chain. These critical chains are the primary focus of the comparison of the various analogical generation methods. Critical chains have both functional groupings and architecture. The functional groupings of the chains are the functions contained within the chain while the architecture is the order of the components. Within the architecture, five different ways to relate two architectures have been identified, including: identical, mirrored, disordered, mirror disordered, and unique. By comparing the function chains of analogical sources to design problems in both the functional groupings and the five architectural relations, we show a correlation in design characteristics such as innovativeness, ability to be implemented, similarity, and applicability of analogical sources. The correlation of design characteristics is the primary focus of research. If this new method of measuring the relationships between function chains proves effective, then it can be applied to DRACULA and DAPPS to validate the method as well as guide research towards the improvement of the DRACULA analogy matching algorithms.