This dissertation focuses on defining underlying mechanisms to enable the bio-inspired design of aerodynamic and/or hydrodynamic vehicles that operate within complex environments. This dissertation introduces four overarching research gaps found in current bio-inspired design research and four corresponding approach questions that guide the framework of the presented research. This research...
Over 54 million people report having disabilities in the United States. In addition, there are 40.3 million people 65 years and older living in America. As the population continues to live longer and problems with obesity continue to increase, the number of people with limited capabilities will escalate as well....
Due to the growing complexity, sophistication, and interconnectedness of present day engineered products and services, the use of ontologies in engineering design is becoming more widespread. An ontology provides a standardized way of describing concepts in a domain of interest and the relationships between these concepts to better understand the...
Analysis of alternative concepts has a significant impact on design project outcomes, and yet many design teams fail to consider a significantly broad range of conceptual solutions. Within the realm of conceptual design exists a technique called design by analogy (DBA) -- the practice of reapplying old solutions to new...
Biological organisms, phenomena and strategies, herein referred to as biological systems, provide a rich set of analogies that can be used to inspire engineering innovation. Biologically-inspired, or biomimetic, designs are publicly viewed as creative and novel solutions to human problems. Moreover, some biomimetic designs have become so commonplace that it...
Since the Industrial Revolution, automated systems have increasingly become a part of everyday life. Automated systems range in scale and scope from simple assists to complete robotic replacements. Inexpensive integrated circuits, sensors and microprocessors have allowed automated systems to become smaller, cheaper and more prevalent. Identifying appropriate opportunities for automation,...
The purpose of this work is to build a foundation of understanding and methodologies as the steps toward automating functional modeling. We have achieved significant progress in the automatic generation of functional representations, which can be connected at the interface of components to create a functional model. This work highlights...
This thesis is the combination of two research publications working towards automating functional modeling. Functional modeling is an underutilized yet critical tool for concept generation and product design. Understanding the difficulty both novice and expert designers have in implementing functional modeling in their design process, this research sets out to...
Some successful products are still developed and produced without the benefit of modern design techniques. One such product is a vibratory conveyor that has been developed largely through prototype iteration. The manufacturer has collaborated with Oregon State University to introduce model-based design into the development process. This research details a...
This research presents a methodology to analyze customer needs and direct the gathering of customer needs that both span the need space and are independent. An ontological categorization, the fundamental research contribution of this work, is created to support both aims of the overall methodology. Providing designers with a customer...