In: Intelligent Systems: Technology and Applications,. 2002. Book chapter.
Abstract: Abstract. This chapter aims to develop a methodology and framework for integrated intelligent design of products and processes. The relevant literature on the development of methodologies and systems for integrated intelligent design is first reviewed. Then an AI protocol-based method is proposed for integrated intelligent design of products and processes and decision making processes in distributed design systems. A multi-agent framework is developed to facilitate the concurrent integration of multiple cooperative knowledge sources and software for product-process design. The emphasis of this chapter is on the application of the proposed AI protocol-based method and multi-agent framework to concurrent intelligent design for product-assembly processes, which integrates product design, design for assembly, assembly planning, assembly system design, and assembly simulation subjected to econo-technical evaluations. A unified class of knowledge-intensive Petri nets is used as an AI protocol for modeling design processes and handling both the integration and negotiation problems among intelligent agents. The detailed cooperative and collaborative mechanisms and algorithms are given based on the knowledge object cooperation formalisms. A prototype system is implemented under a multi-agent framework for assembly-oriented product-process design with concurrent integration of multiple cooperative knowledge sources and software. Thus, product-assembly process design would be carried out simultaneously and intelligently in a truly integrated intelligent design system.
Keywords: Artificial intelligence; intelligent CAD; integrated product-process design; hybrid intelligent.