Design Shell for Parametric Design at Embodiment Stage

The embodiment design stage involves determination of geometric sizes, key parameter values, and matching of component variables to system requirements. This embodiment design stage can be parametrically represented as an iterative design-redesign problem. This paper presents a domain independent characterization of such problems; the characterization includes problem definition, design relations/procedures, and measures of goodness. The paper also discusses representation issues and solution techniques for design-redesign problems. Design tasks are differentiated as domain independent or problem specific and the scope of each design task with respect to the characterization is delineated. A Design Shell implemented on the basis of this characterization is described. This shell can be configured for evaluating designs in any domain. A case study illustrates the use of this Design Shell in characterizing a specific design problem and exploring its design space.