Design methodologies in mechanical engineering

The following is a description of the work at Aberdeen University concerning the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques in engineering design. This paper is based on the results of research in two fields which have traditionally been treated separately: methodologies in engineering design and artificial intelligence techniques, such as knowledge representation and inference. By attempting to integrate methodological approaches of specification expansion, solution generation and design assessment within an artificial intelligence framework, it should be possible to enhance significantly the capabilities of designers. This paper explores the current state of the art in both domains and attempts to explain how it may be possible to merge them in a new and useful manner. Also included are a description of the on-going work in Aberdeen and a brief outline of the first computerized implementation, the Design Specification Expansion system.