A BOTTOM-UP APPROACH FOR AUTOMATED SYNTHESIS SUPPORT IN THE ENGINEERING DESIGN PROCESS: PROTOTYPES

In the engineering design process without computer support, the amount of knowledge and experience of the engineers determine the design speed and ultimately the quality of the solution. The currently available CAD support focuses on analysis, leaving the critical process of finding a solution proposal to human designers. Prototypes of a new type of CAD tool are presented which automatically generate, evaluate and improve multiple solutions. It allows the designer to explore a detailed solution space, providing insight in the possibilities and constraints of a design. The paper shows the feasibility of a bottom-up approach to successfully develop design tools.