Abstract: This study investigates differences in brain activity among thirty-seven engineering students during sketching in a creativity test and a design task. Using EEG data, we first examined the impact of baseline selection (eyes-open vs. eyes-closed) on the representation of results in terms of de/synchronization across frequency bands from theta (4–7 Hz) to lower gamma (30-45 Hz). Specifically, an eyes-closed baseline allowed for the observation of alpha desynchronization during sketching, whereas an eyes-open baseline, which better aligns with real-world design conditions, shifted the pattern to synchronization. Under the eyes-open baseline, the comparisons between the two sketching tasks revealed the following results: (1) regions that showed significant bilateral TRP asymmetries in creativity test sketching also exhibited differences in design sketching across frequency bands from theta to beta band. Areas that exhibited significant bilateral TRP asymmetry only in design sketching were located in the temporal sites (theta and beta), suggesting these areas within the corresponding frequency bands could serve as indicators for distinguishing between the two cognitive tasks. (2) Statistically significant differences between the two sketching tasks in channel comparisons were primarily observed in the theta and sub-alpha bands, especially in the left frontal and right hemisphere areas. (3) The beta band exhibited similar behavior across both sketching tasks, indicating shared cognitive processes in different sketching contexts. (4) While the lower gamma band did not show significant differences in channel comparisons between tasks, it exhibited distinct bilateral TRP asymmetry in the frontocentral area only in the creativity test, highlighting the potential of bilateral asymmetry as a more sensitive measure for distinguishing between design and creativity tasks.

Keywords: adult | article | cognition | controlled study | creativity | diagnosis | electroencephalogram | electroencephalography | human | male | right hemisphere

Abstract: This paper reviews 89 studies on AI in product platform design, further focusing on 21 multi-domain contributions. The dominant archetype is AI as a Tool × Method × Solution Proposal, with AI mainly used for automation and optimization. Collaborative roles remain rare, especially in requirements and architecture phases. Robust evaluation of AI benefits is largely missing, revealing an automation-centric paradigm and key gaps for co-intelligent, cross-domain platform development.

Keywords: artificial intelligence (AI) | co-intelligence | multi-/cross-/trans-disciplinary approaches | product platform

Abstract: This paper explores proactive manufacturing repurposing as a strategic design and business opportunity beyond traditional sustainability and crisis-driven motivations. Through the analysis of nine case studies across diverse sectors, we identify key external and internal factors that influence firms' ability to repurpose components and products across applications. At the external level, market demand, technology cycles, and infrastructure compatibility shape the feasibility of second-life applications. At the internal level (design-related factors), product design features—especially modularity and life-cycle alignment—emerge as critical enablers or constraints. The findings highlight the need for cross-application opportunity assessment tools and design methodologies that balance upstream performance requirements with downstream repurposing potential. This study opens new avenues for circular design, strategic innovation, and repurposing-aware product development.

Keywords: Cross-application innovation | Design for circularity | Manufacturing strategy | Modular product design | Proactive repurposing

Abstract: This study examines designers\' cognitive and emotional experiences during the design thinking process and the effect of time constraints. Using the MetaCogno tool, 83 participants reported moment-to-moment experiences across Problem Analysis, Ideation, Evaluation, and Sketching. Positive experiences dominated, with time-limited designers showing higher enjoyment, focus, and engagement. Findings highlight the dynamic interplay of cognition and emotion, and suggest that time pressure can enhance focus and motivation during design.

Keywords: cognitive-emotional experiences | design process | design thinking | human behaviour | neurocognitive design

Abstract: Designers use GenAI tools during bioinspired design (BID) process to understand biological inspiration. We investigate the influence of using ChatGPT with BID on their creative thinking. We present BID stimuli to 30 designers in three modes: BID only, ChatGPT only, and BID + ChatGPT; and record their EEG data across four design phases. Their creativity is analyzed through convergent and divergent thinking (CT and DT), measured by average β and α TRP, respectively. Results show that BID stimuli\'s influence on CT and DT is mode and phase dependent, indicating CT and DT as continuous processes.

Keywords: biologically inspired design | ChatGPT | design creativity | design neurocognition | idea generation

Abstract: Image-generation tools have been widely adopted in product conceptual design, showing promise in supporting cognitive activities and fostering creativity. However, existing studies have primarily focused on the aggregate-level impact, overlooking individual differences in designers' cognitive styles, making it difficult for AI to understand and adapt to the needs of different groups. To fill this gap, we aim to explore whether and how image-generation tools affect designers' cognitive styles and to analyze the relationship between cognitive style and design performance. Through a within-subject experiment, we invited 28 designers to complete conceptual design tasks under SK-condition (traditional sketching) and AI-condition (image-generation tools). We found that AI-condition significantly influenced designers' cognitive styles, with approximately 50% of designers exhibiting cognitive style shifts. Although changes in cognitive style did not have a significant impact on design performance, there was a significant association between cognitive style and design performance under AI-condition. Designers identified as Treasure Hunters performed best in novelty, variety, and fluency, while those exhibiting Focused Prober style, traditionally associated with experts, performed worse under AI-condition. These empirical findings provide valuable insights for customising tools and educational approaches that align with the needs of different cognitive styles.

Keywords: cognitive process | cognitive style | design performance | Generative artificial intelligence | product conceptual design

Abstract: Design Science is the discipline that studies the creation of artifacts – products, services, and systems and their embedding in our physical, virtual, psychological, economic, and social environments. This editorial is a collective effort of the Design Science Journal's editorial board members, past and present. The journal's inaugural 2015 editorial, “Design Science: Why, What and How,” reflected the thoughts and vision of that first editorial board for the new journal and the discipline it represented. The present contribution offers the reflections of editors who served the journal in the past 10 years. The individual contributions were not primed and are presented here unedited for conformity or consistency. Differently from the 2015 editorial, there is no effort to synthesize the individual contributions, leaving the task to our readers, who can draw their own conclusions about the Design Science Journal and community accomplishments to date, and the challenges ahead.

Keywords: Design | Design Science | Designing | Engineering Design | Product Development

Abstract: Microplastics released from synthetic garments pose a complex challenge to society and the environment. Textiles contribute to microplastic pollution throughout their entire lifecycle—from design and production to washing and use to their disposal—and can enter the environment through wastewater, soil, and air. The detachment of fibre fragments and their fate in the environment has received attention in the recent literature but lacks a harmonised research methodology and a holistic approach to the topic. This work presents a model to estimate the flows of microplastic fibres and synthetic garments in geographical Europe, expressed in tonnes per year. It was developed through a search of the literature to provide an estimate of synthetic fibres entering the environment and to identify the connections between the stakeholders involved. A first-level multicriteria decision analysis was conducted to recognise relevant pollution flows: the study revealed significant but poorly understood pathways, such as the flow of microplastics in the indoor and outdoor air during garment wear. Also, the flow of microplastics from the combined sewer overflow of untreated water during heavy precipitation and the flow to the agricultural land from the application of sewage sludge result in relevant pathways to water and soil, respectively. By fostering collaboration across multiple actors, the transition toward sustainable textile practices can significantly reduce fibre pollution.

Keywords: lifecycle analysis | microfiber | microplastics | textile sector

Abstract: Current quantitative methods for estimating product-related environmental emissions face limitations in supporting sustainable design, particularly in second-life product strategies. This paper highlights challenges in accurately assessing emissions and environmental impacts under existing regulations, which often fail to reward designs enabling circularity. Through examples of current practices, it underscores methodological ambiguities and regulatory gaps, proposing a research agenda for improved tools and frameworks. These advancements aim to better support the design, production, and certification of sustainable, second-life-ready solutions, fostering more effective environmental impact reduction. Additionally, the paper emphasizes the need for regulatory adaptation to incentivize circular design practices, ensuring a fair evaluation of products conceived for second-life applications.

Keywords: circular economy | design for x (DfX) | ecodesign | systems engineering (SE) | uncertainty

Abstract: Products are often optimized for most likely conditions, but unexpected variations can render designs ineffective. Using examples from engineering systems, this paper explores the benefits of leveraging non-linear payoff functions, where small changes in conditions lead to disproportionate outcomes. By analyzing the direction and curvature of these functions near observed boundaries, designers could gain an understanding of behavior beyond expected ranges. Non-linear modeling can aid in assessing design margins, especially in long-lived systems. Integrating this approach into design processes can be helpful and effective in considering the preparedness of a system in the face of unexpected events of different natures.

Keywords: complexity | design for x (DfX) | design resilience | non-linear payoff functions | robust design

Abstract: The value-creation opportunities enabled by the ubiquitous availability of data indisputably lead to the necessity of restructuring innovation processes. Moreover, the variety of stakeholders potentially involved in innovation processes and the apparent heterogeneity of scenarios and contexts imply much less established practices and routines and not yet constituted reference frameworks to lead the transition to data-driven product innovation. In this context, the paper attempts, from the analysis of the data-driven innovation processes of 36 Italian companies, to recognise the emerging innovation opportunities offered by the rich network of the resulting data flows. However, these opportunities also imply new tasks, which in turn raise further concerns. Building on data-driven design literature and on industrial practices in the field of innovation management, the authors discuss the role that research achievements in the field of engineering design can play in addressing such concerns.

Keywords: data-driven design | digital design paradigm | digital innovation | digitalisation | innovation process

Abstract: In recent years, the application of ergonomics to workplace safety monitoring has gained increasing interest from companies and public institutions, allowing for the evaluation of the potential impact that dangerous situations may have on workers during their routine activities. This study presents a method for real-time monitoring of human physiological and motor responses to simulated workplace hazards during virtual reality safety training. The setup allows for precise measurements of both physiological and postural parameters during simulated scenarios. Moreover, a representative case study involving the sudden arrival of a forklift in a warehouse is presented. Five healthy participants were exposed to this scenario, with changes in heart rate variability and trunk posture being captured. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of sensor-based monitoring in detecting stress responses and postural adaptations to hazardous stimuli. This approach provides a basis for understanding human responses in simulated hazardous environments and may help to optimize safety training aimed at increasing workers' risk perception and improving overall workplace safety. Although based on a small sample, the findings provide preliminary insights into the feasibility of sensor-based monitoring during VR safety training.

Keywords: heart rate | kinematic analysis | markerless motion analysis | posture | safety | trunk | virtual reality

Abstract: The use of virtual reality (VR) in higher education and training has been widely explored in various fields, with divergent results. This study examines whether VR is a suitable learning support tool compared to traditional methods, such as 2D static slides or physical models, focusing on usability, workload, and learning effectiveness in an engineering education context. A total of 184 first-year BSc engineering students voluntarily participated in an experimental activity. Participants were divided into three groups, each experiencing a different learning condition: slides-based, VR-based, and physical model-based. The study design ensured comparability across conditions using 3 out of 4 levels provided by the ICAP (Interactive, Constructive, Active, Passive) framework. Usability was assessed using the System Usability Scale, workload via the NASA Task Load Index, and learning outcomes through a task-based test. The study found no significant differences in test scores across the three conditions. However, participants in the VR-based and physical model-based conditions reported significantly higher usability and lower perceived workload compared to the slides-based condition. The VR-based condition provided an immersive environment while maintaining comparability in cognitive engagement. The findings demonstrate that VR can serve as an effective alternative to traditional learning methods, particularly for enhancing usability and reducing cognitive workload. However, its integration must be carefully designed to ensure cognitive engagement and optimize learning outcomes. This study highlights VR's potential in engineering education and underscores the importance of aligning tools with pedagogical goals.

Keywords: engineering education | learning | usability | virtual reality | workload

Abstract: The engineering-to-order (ETO) sector, driven by the demands of new energy transition markets, is witnessing rapid innovation, especially in the design of complex systems of turbomachinery components. ETO involves tailoring products to meet specific customer requirements, often posing coordination challenges in integrating engineering and production. Meeting customer demands for short lead times without imposing high price premiums is a key industry challenge. This article explores the application of artificial neural networks as an enabler for design automation to deliver a first tentative optimal design solution in a short period of time with respect to more computationally demanding optimization methods. The research, conducted in collaboration with an energy company operating in the Oil & Gas and energy transition markets, focuses on the design process of reciprocating compressors as a means of study to develop and validate the developed methodology. Three case studies corresponding to as many representative jobs related to reciprocating compressor cylinders have been analyzed. The results indicate that the proposed method performs well within its training boundaries, delivering optimal solutions and providing reasonably accurate predictions for target configurations beyond these boundaries. However, in cases requiring a creative redesign using artificial neural networks may lead to errors that exceed acceptable tolerance levels. In any case, this methodology can significantly assist design engineers in the efficient design of complex systems of components, resulting in reduced operating and lead times. © The Author(s), 2025.

Keywords: design automation | engineering design | machine learning | neural networks | product development

Abstract: This paper investigates the relationship between brain activity, measured by electroencephalography (EEG) data, and the performance assessment result of engineering design activities involving different cognitive processes. Employing a novel signal processing pipeline, we analyzed EEG variations of 37 subjects during two design tasks that mostly leverage, respectively, convergent and divergent thinking: the design with morphological table (task and the problem-solving task. The EEG recordings underwent meticulous artifact removal, allowing for a comprehensive investigation into the statistical relationships between frequency bands, channels, and design outcome performance metrics. The developed models linking better design outcomes with brain (de)synchronization demonstrated remarkable accuracy, precision, and recall across performance metrics for both tasks. Notably, the EEG data in theta band measured from the frontal area at both hemispheres and a left parietal/occipital channel were essential for estimating better design performance with brain desynchronization. On the contrary, the model based on brain synchronization produces precise estimations of design performance with alpha band and channels in temporal and parietal areas. These findings highlight EEG variation as a viable proxy for design performance, paving the way for more effective performance prediction models with fewer sensors.

Keywords: conceptual design | creativity and concept generation | design evaluation

Abstract: The paper presents an overview of current training endeavours for technology-related/professional skill acquisition in immersive environments together with educational/training needs that emerge from the literature. The aim is to establish a general framework for the design and development of educational initiatives for lifelong learners, both HEI students and professional. The paper details how immersive technologies enable a wide variety of skills (e.g. psychomotor, spatial, procedural, decisional skills) to be acquired and trained while reducing the costly and risky conditions of on the field training.

Keywords: Education Framework | Immersive Environment | Professional Skill Training

Abstract: Digital transformation of industrial training processes is still an ongoing process. The transformation requires a specific training model to be applied to an already structured context, to experienced workers, sometimes with their needs and specific skills, and the solution is designed considering a series of boundary conditions. To design a new training model that the industry will accept, it is important to consider the design space offered by technology, but at the same time, to consider human complexity. This paper proposes a methodology to analyze current training strategies in the industrial sector to design new tools according to a digital transformation logic that considers the underlying principle of the human centricity of Industry 5.

Keywords: Digital transformation | Industrial training | Industry 5.0

Abstract: Virtual Reality (VR) technology has the potential to revolutionize engineering education by providing students with real-world simulation scenarios. This paper presents a user study to measure the effectiveness of VR applications in teaching technical representation and machine elements to first-year mechanical, energy, and aerospace engineering students. The VR application was designed to immerse the students in a virtual mechanical workshop where they could interact with a 3D model of a gearbox and access task instructions and technical drawings through an interactive whiteboard. A total of 448 students voluntarily participated in the one-hour lecture and were divided into groups of two to use the available 15 headsets. The study was assessed by analyzing the log files and their answers to a satisfaction and usability questionnaire. The results indicated that the VR application was an effective supplement to traditional instruction, as the students reported that it helped them better understand technical representation concepts and made the learning experience more enjoyable.

Keywords: Engineering education | Laboratory experience | User-centered evaluation | Virtual Reality

Abstract: Service and digital transitions create a range of solutions by combining their features and introducing both human and automated agents as intermediaries. The paper classifies non/digital product/service and explores how these transitions change user involvement. A model is proposed to assess the user's role with human (service) and automated (digital) intermediaries. Utilizing user journey phases, the model is applied to four case studies, revealing commonalities in transition occurrences. Evidence suggest a potential adoption in design identifying the key phases per each transitions.

Keywords: digital transition | human behaviour | service transition | user involvement | user-centred design

Abstract: This study explores Machine Learning (ML) integration for household refrigerator efficiency. The ML approach allows to optimize defrost cycles, offering energy savings without complexity or cost escalation. The paper initially presents a State-of-the-Art of ML potential to improve functionality and efficiency of refrigerators. Since frost is the cause of significant energy losses, a ML-based Virtual Sensor was developed to predict frost formation on the evaporator also in low -level refrigerators. The results show the environmental significance of ML in enhancing appliance efficiency.

Keywords: artificial intelligence (AI) | case study | machine learning | sustainability | virtual sensors

Abstract: Creativity is long regarded as one of the fundamental traits that indicates design capability. The concept of creativity encompasses the capacity to produce innovative and novel concepts or ideas, to devise or articulate imagination and intellect, and to stimulate the potential of imagination and ingenuity embodying their capacity to conceive, craft, and develop innovative ideas for products. Previous studies have revealed the connection and functionality between meditation and creativity. However, general creativity measurements, which studies to date have mainly focused on, might not be able to demonstrate the performance of designers in a creative process adequately.Therefore, this study applied a design task-based evaluation with traditional TTCT assessment, which might be more suitable to describe the creative performance of novice designers. The study aims to explore: (1) the relationship between short-term meditation and creativity; (2) the effects of short-term meditation on the design qualities in design tasks of novice designers. 42 first-year design students were recruited and were divided into meditation group (n = 24) and control group (n = 18). Participants conducted a demographic survey and the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT, in its figural variant) firstly. The meditation group was then given a 110-minute audio tape-based meditation intervention, and the control group was given a 110-minute audio tape intervention, which is a recording of scientific articles. Both interventions were performed twice on a weekend. After that, TTCT was given to the participants again. Then each participant received an interview on the changes in mood state and creativity. After the TTCT on the second day, the participants completed the Design with Morphological Table Task (DwMT) to assess their design qualities in a product design task. Through data analysis, TTCT results indicate that short-term meditation can significantly improve the creativity of novice designers and the meditation group outperformed the control group significantly in fluency and elaboration. DwMT results show that the meditation group significantly provided better design qualities than the control group.

Keywords: Creativity | Design quality | Product development | Short-term meditation

Abstract: Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are gaining momentum as potential solutions to restore, preserve and enhance ecosystem services for societal challenges, in general. In particular they improve ecological, social and economic urban resilience. As nature provides structure and carries out functions in NbS, from a designer's perspective, it is beneficial to explore and understand the strategies and mechanisms that living systems deploy to carry out those functions (ecosystem services) we are looking for. To date, exploration of the biological and ecological domains has mainly been instrumental in answering the question: how does nature provide ecosystem services? This type of broad inquiry, however, may not allow the identification of best practices to set up successful NbS projects. What if the question was: how would nature design and implement NbS? This inquiry falls within the domain of biomimicry. This work mainly aims at introducing the benefits that biomimicry or a biologically-inspired design (BID) approach could bring to address technological barriers and knowledge gaps currently hampering NbS diffusion. The work starts by clarifying if and how bio-inspiration is embedded within the main definitions of NbS (which also lead to determining the official definition of NbS by the European Commission). Furthermore, initial elements are provided to apply a bio-inspired approach to NbS. The approach is demonstrated on three levels: i) Formulation of broad principles/guidelines for NbS (based on Life Principles); ii) Generation of bio-inspired ideas (for green-grey, blue-green infrastructure) and identification of existing bio-inspired solutions which could improve various phases of the NbS project cycle (through multiple inquiries in Asknature.org); and iii) Indication of on-going biomimetic research and development, which could assist in innovating NbS.As the scientific literature seems rather dry on this specific topic, this work, far from being exhaustive, aims to contribute to kick-starting the missing dialogue surrounding NbS and bio-inspiration; a dialogue among the scientific community, as well as among all the actors involved in the NbS project cycle.

Keywords: Biologically-inspired design | Biomimicry | Green-grey infrastructure | Nature-based solutions

Abstract: In recent years, research reached a very high level of development and validation of augmented prototyping systems in support of collaborative design activities. However, there is still great scepticism in companies when it comes to integrating these new technologies within a consolidated working model. Among others, the main barrier to overcome concerns the lack of understanding of the impact of AR systems on the key objectives of a business, such as improving its efficiency and revenue. For this reason, this paper aims to quantify these indicators by observing the technological impact not on a single design session but on an entire product development process, during which the aspects related to its integration are also considered. Thanks to the collaboration with a design agency, it was possible to compare parameters such as the lead time, number of iterations, person-hours and costs between two similar and realistic projects in which only one was supported by projection-based AR technology.

Keywords: co-design process | industrial validation | key performance indicator | spatial augmented reality | technology acceptance

Abstract: This document is one of the chapters of a book series

Abstract: The participation of end-users in co-design sessions has always been challenging. Despite a long history of trials and research, finding the best way to go about this form of collaboration in early innovation phases is still an open question for many companies. At the cutting edge of innovation, design agencies are becoming increasingly involved in co-design today. Direct face-to-face collaboration with end-users is a key factor for the success of co-design, and ICT solutions must therefore allow active involvement of all participants and their direct interaction. This paper reports an original evaluation of a Spatial Augmented Reality (SAR) environment dedicated to supporting co-design sessions. It investigates collaborative interactions and explores the role of design artefacts in the collaborative process. Observations of a conventional co-design situation are compared with those of sessions assisted by SAR technology. These two contrasting environments reveal both similarities and differences. The results show that within the SAR-supported environment there is an increase in end-users' interaction density within the design activities. We observed that providing tangible artefacts augmented by digital content increased the density of interactions and encouraged greater sharing in co-design meetings.

Keywords: Boundary objects | Co-design | Design collaboration | End-users' participation | Gesture interactions | Mixed artefacts | Product visualisation | Spatial augmented reality

Abstract: This paper explores the suitability of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) as an enabler of Design Automation in the turbomachinery industry. Specifically, the paper provides 1) a preliminary estimation of the effectiveness of ANNs to define values for design variables of reciprocating compressors (RC) and 2) a comparison of ANNs performance with traditional and more computationally demanding methods like CFD. A tailored ANN trained on a dataset composed by 350+ Baker Hughes' RC automatically assigns values to 8 geometrical variables belonging to multiple parts of the RC in order to satisfy two target conditions linked to their thermodynamic performance. The results highlight that the ANN-assigned parameters return an optimal solution for RC also when the target values do not belong to the training dataset. Their predictive capacity for RC thermodynamic performance, with respect to CFD, are comparable (i.e. less than 2% in terms of calculated absorbed power) and the approach enables a significant gain in terms of computational time (i.e. 2 minutes vs 10 hours). Future perspectives of this work may involve the integration of this tool in an advanced DA method to lead Design Engineers (DEs) during the whole design process.

Keywords: Artificial intelligence | Computational design methods | Embodiment design | Optimisation | Turbomachinery

Abstract: This paper presents an EEG (Electroencephalography) study that explores the correlation between the EEG variation across design stages and the quality of the design outcomes. The brain activations of 33 volunteers with engineering backgrounds were recorded while performing a design task using a morphological table to develop an amphibious bike. The EEG variations from the analysing/selecting stage to the illustrating stage were analysed based on the EEG frequency band and channel sets. A significant correlation between the detail level of the design outcome and the power variation mode was observed in theta, alpha and gamma bands, each involving different channel sets. Compared to the assessment results from two evaluators, using EEG variations as a proxy of the detail level of the design outcome could reach a maximum accuracy of 0.727, precision of 0.765, and recall of 0.889. These results also provide suggestions on the selection of the frequency bands and channel sets to achieve better prediction performance according to each metric.

Keywords: Design cognition | Design Quality | Electroencephalography | Human behaviour in design | Research methodologies and methods

Abstract: Spatial-Augmented Reality (SAR) technology has the potential to impact decision-making in various design fields, such as architecture, engineering, and product design. However, despite its benefits, SAR technology has not yet been fully embraced by professionals. This study aims to identify the essential features of a SAR platform that would meet the demands and expectations of different design activities, including product appearance, interface, and ergonomics. The research involved experts who used a SAR platform in real-life product development, and data was collected through semi-structured questionnaires and interviews. The analysis revealed a significant correlation between the features of the technology, considering both potential and already available ones, and the needs of specific design sectors during product development processes. The study's outcomes provide valuable insights for advancing SAR technology in the design field and promoting its adoption by professionals.

Keywords: Augmented Reality | Design activity | Technology assessment

Abstract: The Agenda 2030 calls for collective awareness, starting with individuals. The interaction between users and household appliances produces a relevant amount of data that can be elaborated through Machine Learning algorithms to guide users towards sustainable behaviours. In particular, the data already available on household appliances can be conveniently used to create Virtual Sensors, increasing the overall information about the system. This paper focuses on the description of the pipeline for the creation of Virtual Sensors and applies it to a no-frost refrigerator. The Data Acquisition phase is described and feeds the Model Creation phase. For the case study, the data have been discretized and labelled to train a Random Forest algorithm. The validation of the model has been done on an independent dataset. An analysis of the minimum prediction accuracy required for the model is reported. Furthermore, experimental data shows the effect of hot load positioning on the compressor\'s working time rate.

Keywords: Artificial intelligence | Case study | Machine learning | Sustainability | Virtual Sensors

Abstract: Idea selection is crucial in design as it impacts the outcome of a project. A collaborative design activity could be considered as a social process where the interactions and individual states (such as the importance in the team and self-efficacy level) could affect decision-making. It is often seen in design teams that some individuals, referred to as \'influencers\' in the article have more capacity to influence than others, hence they govern the team process for better or worse. Due to the limited work done in the past to study the effect of these influencers on design outcomes, the work aims at increasing the understanding by presenting some insights from its agent-based simulation. The simulation results show how different influencer team compositions affect design outcomes in terms of quality and exploration of the solutions. The idea selection starts with the agents who are ready with their solution in their \'mind\'. The work presented in this article describes a framework for simulating decision-making during idea selection by considering the influencer and majority effect. The empirical study presented in the article verifies the model logic, that is, the presence of influencer and the majority during idea selection and supports the assumption that individuals\' agreement on solutions proposed by other team members depends on the degree of influence and past agreement. The results of the simulation show that teams with well-defined influencers produced solutions with higher variety and had more uniform contributions from team members, but also produced solutions of lower quality.

Keywords: Agent-based approach | Design team collaboration | Idea selection | Influencers

Abstract: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the acceptance of virtual team collaboration as a replacement for face-to-face collaboration. Unlike face-to-face collaboration, virtual collaboration is influenced by unique factors, such as technology mediation. However, there is a lack of rigorous research that assesses the impact of virtual collaboration on the engineering design process. Therefore, the current study investigates the effect of virtual team collaboration on design outcomes by means of the model of influence, learning, and norms in organizations (MILANO) framework. To tailor MILANO for virtual collaboration, this paper first presents an empirical study of human design teams, which shows how model parameter values for face-to-face collaboration (like self-efficacy, perceived influencers, perceived degree of influence, trust and familiarity) differ from appropriate parameter values for face-to-face collaboration. The simulation results for both virtual and face-to-face collaboration show how design outcomes differ with collaboration mode. Unlike teams with a few well-defined influential individuals, the mode of collaboration does not have a significant impact on teams where all individuals are equally influential. Virtual collaboration also results in lower exploration and variety than face-to-face collaboration.

Keywords: agent-based design | collaborative design | creativity and concept generation | design education | design process | design representation | team dynamics

Abstract: Because of its size, high segmentation within the global market and challenges driving its development, the separation technology sector could benefit from a bio-inspired approach to innovation to create more efficient and sustainable solutions. The potential for bio-inspired innovation is still largely untapped and Biologically-Inspired Design (BID) methods and tools are still largely underutilised, especially within the industry. A new BID method, called Guild-Based (GB) BID, is proposed to create a database of a large set of biological solutions – identified by a function – where biological information is structured to be more effective and usable within the industrial environment. A database for the separation technology sector has been set up and populated with 118 relevant biological solutions responding to the main function ‘to separate'. The database has been utilised to generate several clusters of solutions depending on the level of detail of the formulated problem. In particular, these include broad design principles of separation, taxonomies of biological solutions for specific separation problems and novel design concepts for two specific separation technologies (a desalination technology and an antibacterial surface). Furthermore, because of a large dataset of biological solutions, the possibility of determining the frequency of occurrence of specific separation strategies in nature can trigger reflections on the impact of existing separation technologies and taking decisions on future related R&D paths. More tests need to be conducted in the industrial environment; however, the results achieved so far indicate that the method proposed can indeed be instrumental to generating innovative ideas of interest to the separation technology sector.

Keywords: bio-inspired innovation | biologically-inspired design | desalination | ideation | separation technologies

Abstract: This work investigates how the concept of affordance should be revised following the digital evolution. Starting from a review of the literature about affordance, the most acknowledged constructs are compared with the variegated definitions of digital artefacts. The paper proposes a definition of digital affordance, overcoming the inconsistencies identified in the literature. The study is enriched by a series of interviews to investigate the final users\' perception of affordance. Finally, the paper shows the application of the proposed model with a case study related to food delivery services.

Keywords: affordance | digital design | human behaviour | smart products engineering | user-centred design

Abstract: Social influence is not evenly distributed in teams. Some individuals, referred to here as influencers, become more influential than others. Consequentially, these influencers play a significant role in shaping project performance. The current work simulates the presence of influencers during idea generation in co-design teams to better understand emergent socio-cognitive phenomena. Besides providing, a novel approach for modelling learning in concept generation the model highlights the results related to individual cognition during idea generation. Idea quality and exploration of design space are affected by the presence of influencers in design teams. Teams with no well-defined influencers produce solutions with high general exploration but less quality. In contrast, the agents in the teams with only one influencer produce solutions high quality than those teams with no influencers.

Abstract: This paper presents results from an experiment studying differences between designing and problem-solving in professional industrial designers, using EEG to measure neurophysiological activations. We compare neurophysiological activation and frequency bands power between three prototypical tasks, a problem-solving layout design task, an open layout design task and an open design sketching task. The study draws on the neurophysiological results from 18 exper iment sessions with professional designers. Results indicate significant differences in activations between the problem-solving task and the open design tasks, in terms of aggregate, temporal and frequency bands power across participants. Higher alpha, theta and beta frequency band values play a key role in the open design sketching task when compared to the layout tasks.

Abstract: This paper presents results from a design neurocognition study on the effect of gender on EEG frequency band power when performing constrained and open design. We used electroencephalography to measure the brain activity of 84 professional designers. We investigated differences in frequency power associated with gender of 38 female and 46 male designers, while performing two prototypical design tasks. The aim of the study was to explore whether gender moderates brain activity while performing a constrained versus an open design task. Neurophysiological results for aggregate activations across genders and between tasks indicate a main effect of gender for theta, alpha 2, and beta 1 frequency bands. Females show higher theta, alpha 2, and beta 1, namely in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, right occipitotemporal cortex, secondary visual cortex, and prefrontal cortex in both tasks. Females show higher beta bands than males, in areas of the left prefrontal cortex, in the constrained design. While in the open design, females showed higher theta, alpha, and beta 2 in the left prefrontal cortex and secondary visual cortex for all frequency bands. Results within gender between tasks indicate higher theta and alpha in the prefrontal cortex in the constrained design for both genders. Whilst for open design, results indicate higher theta and alpha 1 in the right hemisphere and higher alpha 2 and beta bands across hemispheres for both genders. Results within gender reveal common brain areas and frequency bands in distinguishing constrained from open design.

Keywords: Constrained and open design | designing | electroencephalography | gender differences | problem-solving

Abstract: Mass Personalisation (MP) is becoming more significant to answer diversifying customer needs, as a result of the advancements in digital manufacturing. In contrary to the modular design in mass customisation, Design for MP (DfMP) proposes more profound changes in product and active user involvement in the design process, while maintaining mass efficiency. Traditional product development methodologies fall short in guiding MP, as it has the distinct differences with product variability and the customer involvement with specific needs. In this study, a dedicated design methodology for MP is presented, focussing on these key dimensions. The proposed methodology guides the designer through the development process of a user modifiable design and demonstrates how to facilitate the user involvement in reaching a personalised design. It proposes a flexible and adaptable seed design architecture, and an interactive customer co-creation process. The development of a seed design, construction of its design space, and management of the solution space with a design solution algorithm are elaborated. The application of the methodology was illustrated on the personalisation of knitted footwear, and 3D printed saxophone mouthpiece. The examples show the potential of the methodology to deal with coupled MP cases. A systematic approach to DfMP will allow expanding MP to more products, and acts as a foundation for the customer co-creation oriented design in the context of this emerging paradigm.

Keywords: Customer Co-creation | Design Automation | Digital Manufacturing | Mass Personalization Design Methodology

Abstract: Projector-based Spatial Augmented Reality (P-SAR) is a technology that allows to alter the external appearance of a physical object by means of an almost infinite variety of computer-generated contents. Thanks to the adoption of colored lights, a projected image acquires coherent spatial properties with respect to the data it represents; this has been demonstrated to facilitate the users' interpretation of complex information. The current paper presents the development of a P-SAR system aiming at supporting the real-time visualization and the inspection of engineering simulation results. Particular attention is paid on detailing the algorithms necessary for the generation of the color maps to be displayed on the prototype's surface. These are interpolated starting from a discrete array of output data coming from a generic simulation to resemble the configuration of sensors commonly adopted in real experimental setups. An illustrative case study applied to CFD analysis is finally discussed to show the applicability of such immersive environments in engineering fields that require to perform testing activities with equipment like wind tunnels.

Keywords: Engineering analysis | Simulation | Spatial augmented reality

Abstract: Design space is a common abstraction used in the investigation of design cognition. Characteristic properties of design spaces and how they change are underexplored. Design spaces can vary with the design task and its constraints, which are assumed to result in differences in neurocognitive processes. We review general cognition, creative cognition and design neurocognition EEG studies. We analyzed the brain activity of 32 professional mechanical engineers and industrial designers while performing constrained and open design tasks. The neurophysiological activations during reading the task, earliest reaction, and open externalization stages of constrained and open design are compared based on EEG frequency band power. Significant differences between constrained and open design for the beta bands were found in the earliest reaction stage. Significant differences between constrained and open design for alpha 2 and the beta bands were found in the open externalization stage. We discuss the results and relate the higher brain activity and significant differences in open design to cognitive functions of interest to design cognition. We show that EEG brain activation is sensitive to the level of constraints in designing, in particular alpha 2 and beta bands can act as proxies of the change and expansion of design spaces.

Keywords: constrained and open design | Design spaces | design spaces index | electroencephalography | industrial designers | mechanical engineers

Abstract: Users acceptance of innovative product appearance authoring tools based on Spatial Augmented Reality (SAR) is still limited due to their perception of a high technology complexity and a low performance/functionality of the current interaction systems. The integration of SAR technologies in professional design activities is still marginal, though many studies in this field have already proved their potential as supporting tools. To overcome this barrier, efficient means for interacting with the digital images projected onto the surfaces of real objects are essential. The aim of the current study is to respond to this demand by proposing and validating three UI configurations displayed by an unique and portable device embedded with a touch screen. These interface layouts, designed to cooperate with the output of the SAR system and to not affect the well-known benefits of its augmented environment, provide different types of visual feedback to the user by duplicating, extending or hiding the information already displayed by the projected mock-up. The experimental study reported here, performed with a panel of 41 subjects, revealed that accuracy, efficiency and perceived usability of the proposed solutions are comparable with each other and in comparison to standard desktop setups commonly used for design activities. According to these findings, the research simultaneously demonstrates (i) the high performances achieved by the touch device when coupled with a SAR system during the execution of authoring tasks, (ii) the capability of the projected mock-up to behave as an actual three-dimensional display for the real time rendering of the product appearance and (iii) the possibility to freely select - according to the users preference, the design task or the type of product - one of the three UI configurations without affecting the quality of the result.

Keywords: Authoring tool | Human-Computer interface | Interface validation | Spatial Augmented Reality | Touch interaction | Usability evaluation

Abstract: It is known that wherever there is human interaction, there is social influence. Here, we refer to more influential individuals as influencers, who drive team processes for better or worst. Social influence gives rise to social learning, the propensity of humans to mimic the most influential individuals. As individual learning is affected by the presence of an influencer, so is an individual\'s idea generation. Examining this phenomenon through a series of human studies would require an enormous amount of time to study both individual and team behaviors that affect design outcomes. Hence, this paper provides an agent-based approach to study the effect of influencers during idea generation. This model is supported by the results of two empirical experiments which validate the assumptions and sustain the logic implemented in the model. The results of the model simulation make it possible to examine the impact of influencers on design outcomes, assessed in the form of exploration of design solution space and quality of the solution. The results show that teams with a few prominent influencers generate solutions with limited diversity. Moreover, during idea generation, the behavior of the teams with uniform distribution of influence is regulated by their team members\' self-efficacy.

Keywords: agent-based approach | collaborative design | design outcomes | exploration | idea generation | influencers | quality

Abstract: Previous research has shown that experienced and novice individuals behave and think differently. Although experienced individuals are better at solving problems, organisations are constantly forming teams of experienced and novice designers to work together on their projects. It is crucial to understand how these teams affect the design outcomes. Therefore, the aim of the study is to investigate how collaborative design teams perform when composed of varying numbers of experienced and novice agents. Specifically in this paper, teams work on a routine task and design outcomes are measured in terms of quality, variety, and exploration of the design space. Since the parameters in the empirical laboratory experiments are difficult to control, an agent-based model was used to simulate these teams. In general, the results show that a team of novice agents with a small number of experienced agents produces solutions of higher quality than an all novice team of agents. However, an all novice team of agents does provide a higher variety of solutions. These results have important implications when teams of experienced and novice designers are formed to work together in practice.

Keywords: Collaborative design | Computational design methods | Design process | Human behaviour in design | Teamwork

Abstract: This paper presents an EEG (Electroencephalography) study that explores correlations between the neurophysiological activations, the nature of the design task and its outputs. We propose an experimental protocol that covers several design-related tasks: including fundamental activities (e.g. idea generation and problem-solving) as well as more comprehensive task requiring the complex higher-level reasoning of designing. We clustered the collected data according to the characteristics of the design outcome and measured EEG alpha band activation during elementary and higher-level design task, whereas just the former yielded statistically significant different behaviour in the left frontal and occipital area. We also found a significant correlation between the ratings for elementary sketching task outcomes and EEG activation at the higher-level design task. These results suggested that EEG activation enables distinguishing groups according to their performance only for elementary tasks. However, this also suggests a potential application of EEG data on the elementary tasks to distinguish the designers' brain response during higher-level of design task.

Keywords: Creativity | Design cognition | Electroencephalography | Human behaviour in design | Neurocognition

Abstract: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the acceptance of virtual team collaboration as a replacement for face-to-face collaboration. Unlike face-to-face collaboration, virtual collaboration has different factors like technology mediation influencing communication that affects a team's processes. However, there is a lack of rigorous research that assesses the impact of virtual teaming on the engineering design process. Therefore, the current study investigates the effect of virtual team collaboration on design outcomes by means of the MILANO (Model of Influence, Learning, and Norms in Organizations) framework. To tailor MILANO for virtual collaboration, this paper first presents an empirical study of human design teams, that shows how the model parameters for face-to-face collaboration (like self-efficacy, perceived influencers, perceived degree of influence, trust and familiarity) must be modified. The empirical study also shows the positive impact of effective communication on conflict resolution, task cohesion and the model parameters listed above. The simulation results for both virtual and face-to-face collaboration show how design outcomes differ with collaboration mode.

Keywords: Agent-based model | Communication | Design outcomes | Face-to-face collaboration | Virtual collaboration

Abstract: Enhancing the appearance of physical prototypes with digital elements, also known as mixed prototyping, has demonstrated to be a valuable approach in the product development process. However, the adoption is limited also due to the high time and competence required for authoring the digital contents. This paper presents a content authoring tool that aims to improve the user acceptance by reducing the specific competence required, which is needed for segmentation and UV mapping of the 3D model used to implement a mixed prototype. Part of the tasks related to 3D modelling software, in fact, has been transferred to simpler manual tasks applied onto the physical prototype. Moreover, the proposed tool can recognise these manual inputs thanks to a computer-vision algorithm and automatically manage the segmentation and UV mapping tasks, freeing time for the user in a task that otherwise would require complete engagement. To preliminarily evaluate effectiveness and potential of the tool, it has been used in a case study to build up the mixed prototype of a coffee machine. The result demonstrated that the tool can correctly segment the 3D model of a physical prototype in its relevant parts and generate their corresponding UV maps.

Keywords: Augmented reality | Computational design methods | Industrial design | Mixed prototyping | New product development

Abstract: Individual traits strongly impact team composition and the biases arising from them can also impact design activities. One such bias highlighted in the study is the familiarity bias (i.e., a bias that might be present between the two individuals due to their prior acquaintance). In order to detect the familiarity bias, participants from 4 universities who evaluated their peers and rated them for (1) their perceived degree of influence, (2) trust, (3) the amount of agreement they had with the other team member and (4) the amount of agreement the other individual in the team had with them. It was found that familiarity bias exists in collaborative teams. Its impact on the four variables, especially on influence, was discovered. In the end, the study briefly highlighted the importance of studying the factors (like the one revealed in this study) that affect influence in design teams as it eventually impacts design outcome. It was found that the individuals who explore most idea clusters, are less likely to be perceived influential and teams having the most influence produced a smaller number of idea clusters. Overall, the study contributes to understanding the factors affecting human cognition and behaviour in the design teams.

Keywords: Collaborative design | Design cognition | Design education | Teamwork

Abstract: Editorial

Abstract: Saxophonists have different expectations from the saxophone mouthpiece, as it significantly affects the playability and the sound of the instrument. A mass personalization paradigm provides unique products to cater to their needs, using the flexibility of additive manufacturing. The lack of quantitative knowledge on mouthpiece design hinders the personalization attempts. This study aims to lay out how design parameters affect mouthpiece characteristics. Twenty-seven 3D-printed mouthpieces with varying design parameters are used in conjunction with an artificial blowing machine, to determine the acoustical relevance of the various mouthpiece designs on four selected mouthpiece features. The influence of the design parameters is evaluated statistically and via a case study with five saxophonists. The analysis shows that seven out of nine parameters tested affect the mouthpiece characteristics by relatively different amounts. A user study demonstrates that saxophonists confirm the results in 7 of 10 cases, and they prefer personalized mouthpieces in 4 of 5 cases. The results present a key contribution to the understanding of mouthpiece design. The findings provide valuable insights for new mouthpiece design and mouthpiece personalization.

Keywords: 3D printing | Artificial blowing | Mass personalization | Mouthpiece design | Single-reed woodwinds

Abstract: In this paper, we present results from an experiment using EEG to measure brain activity and explore EEG frequency power associated with gender differences of professional industrial designers while performing two prototypical stages of constrained and open design tasks, problem-solving and design sketching. Results indicate no main effect of gender. However, among other main effects, a consistent main effect of hemisphere for the six frequency bands under analysis was found. In the problem-solving stage, male designers show higher alpha and beta bands in channels of the prefrontal cortices and female designers in the right occipitotemporal cortex and secondary visual cortices. In the design sketching stage, male designers show higher alpha and beta bands in the right prefrontal cortex, and female designers in the right temporal cortex and left prefrontal cortex, where higher theta is also found. Prioritising different cognitive functions seem to play a role in each gender\'s approach to constrained and open design tasks. Results can be useful to design professionals, students and design educators, and for the development of methodological approaches in design research and education.

Keywords: Design cognition | Frequency bands | Gender | Human behaviour in design | Industrial design

Abstract: Extended Reality technologies, including Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR), are being applied in a wide variety of industrial applications, but their use within design practice remains very limited, despite some promising research activities in this area over the last 20 years. At the same time, design practice has been evolving to place greater emphasis on the role of the client or end-user in the design process through ‘co-creative design' activities. Whilst offering many benefits, co-creative design activities also present challenges, notably in the communication between designers and non-designers, which can hinder innovation. In this paper, we investigate the potential of a novel, projection-based AR system for the creation of design representations to support co-creative design sessions. The technology is tested through benchmarking experiments and in-situ trials conducted with two industrial partners. Performance metrics and qualitative feedback are used to evaluate the effectiveness of the new technology in supporting co-creative design sessions. Overall, AR technology allows quick, real-time modifications to the surfaces of a physical prototype to try out new ideas. Consequently, designers perceive the possibility to enhance the collaboration with the end-users participating in the session. Moreover, the quality and novelty of ideas generated whilst using projection-based AR outperform conventional sessions or handheld display AR sessions. Whilst the results of these early trials are not conclusive, the results suggest that projection-based AR design representations provide a promising approach to supporting co-creative design sessions.

Keywords: Co-creation | Co-design | Design representation | Prototype | Spatial augmented reality

Abstract: The preservation of cultural heritage often involves the design of systems with different purposes, as for example the devices for extraction of data from inaccessible locations and/or demonstrative models. For the latter, when the starting information about the model to be designed is incomplete, the task is not trivial, and different interpretations of the system can lead to different design outcomes. Moreover, other requirements concerning size, materials and interactivity, make this a real engineering design task, where actors with conflicting needs can be involved. Accordingly, to ensure a comprehensive fulfilment of the task, it is possible to follow engineering systematic design approaches that, even if originally developed for the development of industrial systems, can be conveniently used for different fields of application. More specifically, these design methods ensure the design of cost-effective solutions by reducing the useless and costly design iterations that often characterize non-structured procedures. In particular, the present paper shows the application of systematic methods for the interpretation, the design and the development of realistic physical models from some of the Leonardo da Vinci's machines, for the Museo Leonardiano of Vinci (Italy). The followed approach allowed to efficiently gather the starting list of design requirements, and to engage a successful interaction among the designers, the historians, the museum staff and the architect involved in the showroom design. The key points of the systematic design methodology are presented in this paper, together with some applicative examples from the Da Vinci's models. Other possible application of systematic design approaches are also presented, with the aim of showing some representative examples were the Engineering design and problem-solving methods can support the preservation of cultural heritage.

Abstract: No abstract

Abstract: The study of surprising product features is crucial for designing products that potentially trigger attention and curiosity. Through a tailored questionnaire, this study gathered reactions from 100 respondents to solutions which were considered to be surprising. The data about surprise emergence and its modalities were processed using a situated FBS-based cognitive framework, shifted to the perspective of the user/observer. Data analysis shows that FBS variables and the related cognitive processes are suitable for describing similarities and differences in the reasoning path of users when surprise emerges. This confirms that individually pre-conceived expectations are crucial to surprise emergence and that these expectations relate to functional, behavioural or structural variables with similar mechanisms that depend on thinking processes triggered by product features.

Keywords: creativity | design cognition | design research | evaluation | user behaviour

Abstract: Design Computing and Cognition has been through the years a recurring topic of AI EDAM special issues. A regular stream of articles is constituted by updated and extended versions of papers presented at the homonymous conference, the International Conference on Design Computing and Cognition (DCC). This special issue embeds a selection of suitably extended and updated papers that were presented at DCC'18 and are complemented by further contributions aimed to depict the latest research and some relevant trends in this domain. The growth of awareness about the fundamental importance of ‘designing' changes in all dimensions of society is accompanied by the increased rigor of research in Design, along with the differentiation of research motivations and objectives. Similarly, in the computational domain, design research can be carried out by conjecturing design processes, constructing computational models of those processes, and then examining the behaviors of the resulting computational systems in simulated experiments.

Abstract: Editorial

Abstract: Editorial

Abstract: This paper reports an experiment that aims at providing new evidence to reinforce contradictory conclusions, as available in engineering design literature, on the effect of analogical distance on ideation performance of designers. The experiment involved 84 graduate students in Mechanical Engineering, with typical competencies on engineering design, but without any specific skill on analogy-based idea generation. The subjects were exposed to three different treatments (near-, medium-, far-field analogies) whose design performance has been compared to a control group. The observation confirms that designers not specifically trained in designing-by-analogy get benefit from sources of inspiration that share the same (sub-)functions and context of the target system, as their idea generation process lead to ideas having higher novelty and quality compared to the outcomes of subjects exposed to more distant analogies. The observed results also show that the exploration of the design space gets positively affected.

Keywords: Analogical reasoning | creative process | creativity evaluation | idea generation | inspiration

Abstract: Mass-personalization (MP) presents an opportunity to meet diversifying customer needs in consumer products market with a near mass-production efficiency. Traditional product development methodologies fall short to guide design for MP and a dedicated systematic methodology is essential. The proposed approach bases on a dynamic product template that automatically adapts with user input and produces a reliable output. This paper presents the workflow towards mass-personalization of saxophone mouthpieces with focus on design automation.

Keywords: additive manufacturing | co-design | design methods | mass personalization

Abstract: Social media influencers (SMI) are gaining interest and many are studying their influence on the online audience, little is known about the role played by them in offline teams. One such attempt to study the effect of influencers in co-design team is presented in this paper, where individuals who are confident in their abilities drive the team process. Thus, self-efficacy is considered for determining influencer behaviour. Results expose the relationship between self-efficacy and influencer status on the design process, besides briefly highlighting the effects on above-average teams.

Keywords: co-design | design education | design teams | influencers | self-efficacy

Abstract: Designers usually spend non-negligible efforts in performing comprehensive design space explorations, but important information exchanged in conceptual design sessions is often lost, even about the rationale behind the preferred solutions. As a part of a broader investigation concerning the impact of knowledge coming from previously performed design tasks, this paper describes an experiment aimed at assessing the impact on the design outcomes of two representations used to share existing design information. In particular, the authors compared a function structure, together with a morphological chart, against a hierarchically organized tree of problems and solutions. The design experiment has been performed with a sample composed by 35 engineering students, which have been opportunely subdivided in three groups. The experiment has been structured in three phases and the acknowledged literature metrics for assessing idea generation effectiveness have been applied to assess the design outcomes produced by students. Obtained results show that providing information with the two investigated representations leads to potential advantages in terms of Variety of devised concepts. Moreover, additional analysis of the results highlight that the considered representations lead to different idea-generation paths.

Keywords: Conceptual design | creativity | design information | design methods | engineering design

Abstract: The paper presents a comparative study that explores the effectiveness of creative stimuli to foster the generation of creative ideas in non-trained professionals during a co-creative design session. Solution-related stimuli (e.g. patents or biological strategies) are confronted with problem-based stimuli (e.g. TRIZ contradictions or Ideal Final Result), which are less studied in the literature. The 40 participants to the experimental activity benefited from both kind of stimuli, but the solution-related ones allowed a more comprehensive exploration of the design space.

Keywords: collaborative design | creative stimuli | design creativity | idea generation | open innovation

Abstract: The paper presents the original integration of ICT tools and e-learning platform into an infrastructure to support Project-based learning for a design class that is geographically distributed across different countries. 30 Mechanical Engineering students from 4 European countries tested the infrastructure prototype for the development of an innovative solution in the field of white goods. The results produced evidence about the suitability of the proposal together with strong and weak points of the infrastructure, that can support further development and adaptation into different contexts.

Keywords: collaborative design | design education | distributed design | e-learning | project-based learning

Abstract: This paper aims at checking the capabilities of tools to support coding activities for protocol design analysis to improve the efficiency of the process. The application of existing coding schemes to different protocols from real collaborative design sessions allows showing that the approach and the proposed tools can be flexibly adopted for various type of design tasks (product interface design and packaging design). The experiments to check the effectiveness of the proposed tools involved non-expert coders to create challenging experimental conditions and explore. This also allows exploring the viability of approaching the coding stage by non-expert coders in design protocol analysis, with a double goal: the positive results obtained show that is possible to release experts from time-demanding and HR consuming activities and, at the same time, obtain multiple parallel coded protocols for more reliable analysis. The outcomes are also discussed in terms of the implications on the development of similar supporting tools.

Keywords: Cognition | Creativity | Packaging design | Product interface design

Abstract: The paper presents the application of non-specialized lexical database and semantic metrics on transcripts of co-design protocols. Three different and previously analyzed design protocols of co-creative sessions in the field of packaging design, carried out with different supporting tools, are used as test-bench to highlight the potential of this approach. The results show that metrics about the Information Content and the Similarity maps with sufficient precision the differences between ICT- and non-ICT-supported sessions so that it is possible to envision future refinement of the approach.

Keywords: big data analysis | collaborative design | human behaviour | research methodologies and methods | text mining

Abstract: The exploitation of wood biomass for thermal energy production often represents an effective complementary source to petroleum, especially where there is the availability of extended forests. Focusing the attention on household plants, the wood pellet currently constitutes a widespread biofuel, which however is characterized by non-negligible production costs. Wood microchips constitute a recently developed alternative, which compensates its inferior characteristics by an easier production process. To obtain these biofuels, the particle size reduction is crucial, because it sensibly influences the power consumption of the drying processes, as well as the raw material supply strategies. In this context, this paper presents an innovative grinding technology, which can be exploited to produce wood particle sizes for both wood pellets and microchips production. In particular, the prototype of the grinder and the experimental plant are shown, which have been used for performing preliminary biofuel production tests. The main design characteristics of the prototype are provided, together with preliminary experimental results that provide first evidences about the potentialities of the proposed wood grinding technology.

Keywords: Biofuel | Grinding | Microchips | Wood drying | Wood grinder | Wood pellet

Abstract: Function-Based (FB) representations of complex systems play an important role in Biologically Inspired Design (BID) by easing the knowledge interchange among biologists, engineers and designers. Many representations have been proposed by scholars over the years, but none of them has ever become a clear favorite. As a matter of fact, each model represents the system from a distinctive perspective. This paper explores the effects of these different representations as creative stimuli for students in order to obtain recommendations for fostering innovation in education and training practices. After introducing a selection of FB models for BID, the paper describes an experiment designed to allow a quantitative comparison of the outcomes of a BID design challenge among undergraduate students attending a course on methods and tools for conceptual design. An analysis of the results of the experiment is followed by the authors\' reflection on directions for educational development.

Keywords: Biologically Inspired Design | Design creativity | Ideation | Knowledge representation

Abstract: The paper discusses the outcomes of tailored ideation workshops (duration: 3 hours) for students of Design Engineering, not trained in design creativity dimensions and their assessment. 65 participants generated ideas to address a design problem, first individually and then in groups of 4/5 people. They were asked to cluster their ideas intuitively and then according to the structure of the genealogy tree. The reflections on the ideation experience (structured consistently with the Kolb cycle) helped them to easily consolidate their understanding of typical metrics of creativity (Novelty, Quality, Quantity and Variety). A survey questions them after four months from the workshop and the results show that the metrics are still clear, despite some controversial results appear for quantity. The investigation also shows that novelty has become the main driver to self-Assess the effectiveness of their creative ideation performance.

Keywords: Creativity Measurement | Experiential Learning | Genealogy tree | Ideation | Innovation

Abstract: Mass customization and product platform design can exploit the benefits of modularity and provide personalized devices at competitive costs through economies of scope. However, customization-intense platforms can have thousands of potential configurations, whose development and verification must be prioritized. This paper develops a value analysis methodology that is able to rank alternative platform configurations according to customers' preferences. It introduces Logit value, a definition of value based on a well-known stated choice model and explains the five steps of platform-based value analysis. Since product platforms are complex technical systems, particular attention is given to the gathering of information, the automatic generation of platform architectures and the visualization of results. A case study based on Google ARA's Spiral-2 modular smart phone concept demonstrates an application of the methodology and shows its potential benefits. The case study leverages data from a conjoint analysis and survey of 200 potential customers in Puerto Rico and a generated set of over 21,000 potential configurations of which less than 1% are shown to be non-dominated. The value analysis identifies module types that are compatible with the modular product platform and appear in a high percentage of Pareto architectures. Knowledge pertaining to non-dominated configurations can provide insights into module development strategy and verification/validation activities.

Keywords: Automatic architecture synthesis | Choice model | Customization | Modularity | Open innovation | Product platform | Value analysis

Abstract: Preface

Abstract: We present results from an EEG experiment EEG to measure neurophysiological activation to study novice and experienced designers when designing and problem-solving. We adopted and extended the tasks described in a previous fMRI study. The block experiment consists of 3 tasks: problem-solving, basic design, and open layout design. The block is preceded by a familiarizing pre-task and extended to an open design sketching task. Results from 36 sessions of mechanical engineers and industrial designers indicate significant differences in activations between the problem-solving and the design tasks.

Keywords: design science | design thinking | experienced | novices | problem solving

Abstract: Author would like to make corrections in the original publication. Author would like to add a reference to the part 4.3.1 (page 11, in the middle of line 12). The stimuli based on the technical trends of evolution were five stimuli that three of them were ready as TRIZ material course (Souchkov 2017) and two others were prepared by authors.

Abstract: This paper presents the outcomes of an exploratory research to clarify the performance of R&D designers when involved in design task for the ideation of the next generation of a technical system. The research aims also at clarifying if creative stimuli play a role in supporting ideation after idea generativity decreases because of natural exhaustion or the emergence of fixation. The effect of precedents (singular as patents, and structural as technology evolution trends), as well as design strategies (in the form of a design procedure for inventive problem solving) on idea generation, is compared by means of an experiment involving 24 R&D Iranian engineers. Precedents demonstrated to be more effective than design strategies in supporting productivity in idea generation, while generally they are not effective enough to support the generation of candidate ideas for the next generation of a technical system with a robust repeatability. The main recorded lacks depend on the capabilities of creative stimuli to support the generation of novel ideas, as they are generally effective in providing good results with reference to technical plausibility and relevance for a target audience. The results of the experiment are also discussed with reference to the efficiency of the design process (number of generated ideas per time unit). The outcomes of such studies, as part of a broader research objective, serve as input to support the development of a serious game to support R&D engineers to face design tasks for the next generation of technical systems with higher motivation and engagement, providing them with an improved design experience.

Keywords: Creative stimuli | Design models | Design precedent | Design strategies | Novelty | Radical innovation | Technological shifts

Abstract: This paper aims at assessing the impact of inventive design education on students attending a class on Methods and Tools for Systematic Innovation. The study stems from the difficulty to understand how much personal inventive talent influences the final evaluation, especially in a context where students are asked to solve open problems, as conceptual design ones. To overcome the potential bias due to the individual talent, the authors propose to determine the impact of their teaching activity by means of an ex-ante/ex-post correlation analysis. Several cohorts of students along the years have been asked to solve some design problems at the beginning of the course, when no topics have been thought yet. An adapted creativity metrics enriched to map course contents measures the students' performance at the beginning ot the class (ex-ante). These results get correlated to the students' final grades (ex-post) in order to highlight areas where teaching has a stronger impact and those where talent remains predominant.

Keywords: Conceptual design | Creativity | Design education

Abstract: Envisioning the emergence of a new technological paradigm involves several issues, spanning from strategic assessments and managerial actions to design decisions and technology related choices. The present study focuses on this latter perspective, by proposing a model that estimates the success probability of innovative products as a function of design actions. This focus on the design decisions that underlie radical shifts is not conflicting, but complementary to the more traditional perspectives of forecasting that consider environmental variables or process management factors. The model is based on a database of past successful and unsuccessful innovations, which are used to build a logistic regression model, whose evidences can assist both designers and managers. The former get advice on how specific design choices affect product perception and innovation adoption, while the latter are supported in identifying the most promising projects. The model is illustrated through two cases of digital products.

Keywords: Design decisions | Product success | Radical innovation | Technology paradigm emergence

Abstract: No abstract

Abstract: No abstract

Abstract: The dynamics of design teams play a critical role in product development, mainly in the early phases of the process. This paper presents a conceptual framework of a computational model about how cognitive and social features of a design team affect the quality of the produced design outcomes. The framework is based on various cognitive and social theories grounded in literature. Agent-Based Modelling (ABM) is used as a tool to evaluate the impact of design process organization and team dynamics on the design outcome. The model describes key research parameters, including dependent, independent, and intermediates. The independent parameters include: duration of a session, number of times a session is repeated, design task and team characteristics such as size, structure, old and new members. Intermediates include: features of team members (experience, learning abilities, and importance in the team) and social influence. The dependent parameter is the task outcome, represented by creativity and accuracy. The paper aims at laying the computational foundations for validating the proposed model in the future.

Keywords: Collaborative design | Design management | Process modelling

Abstract: The observation of designers' behaviour in collaborative design activities and the analysis of protocols improved the understanding of how novel ideas emerge, what occurs among designers and, indirectly, what methods have a good impact on the outcomes. Yet, protocol analysis requires recording the design sessions, often in a simulated environment, thus introducing a bias in the observation. Moreover, the analysis takes up to 1000 times the duration of the observed design session. These limitations definitely hinder the scalability of this practice to large experiments in real operational environments. This paper investigates the possibility to use the data collected in log files, automatically recorded during collaborative design sessions assisted by an ICT design support tool, as a means to extract relevant information about the design process and ultimately to infer insights about co-designers' cognition during the session. In this perspective, the paper proposes a set of metrics tailored to an Augmented Reality-based collaborative design tool. The study has been carried about by processing the data collected in 5 real case studies conducted in three different design companies.

Keywords: Big data | Collaborative design | Design informatics | Design Protocol Analysis | Human behaviour in design

Abstract: Many scholars argue that very early design phases are not supported adequately in many respects, although they are at the cornerstone of successful new product development. Difficulties in developing appropriate methods emerge because of the need to account for uncertainties and ambiguities that feature the Fuzzy Front End. This is likely the reason behind the limited industrial adoption of existing design methods, especially those that are oriented to support Product Planning. In this context, the thrust of the paper is the attempt to identify key activities and functions featuring Product Planning. The study entrusts figures about the foreseeable growth of the intensity of research displayed by classes of methods supporting different functions in Product Planning. As the data, emerging from the application of S-curves, indicate no preferential direction in the medium term, other phenomena are monitored that might overturn the conventional systematic course of action to design in the early stages. The ‘trial-and-error' learning approach characterising agile strategies can be seen as a partial answer to the expected demise of research about Product Planning. Beyond these conclusions, the paper includes a frame of reference that classifies Product Planning methods (adequately reviewed) beyond the classical distinction between responsive and proactive approaches.

Keywords: agile product development | Early design phases | fuzzy front end | product planning | S-curves

Abstract: No abstract

Abstract: Systematic conceptual design approaches foresee the realization of abstract representations, according to their specific formalisms and rationales. Therefore, even if not explicitly conceived for this purpose, they implicitly allow to store information about the explored design space. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of the re-use of the recalled representation is unclear, especially if reused by designers not comprehensively learned about the original method. This paper shows an experimental investigation on this argument, where a sample of thirty-five MS engineering students is involved.

Keywords: Conceptual design | Design creativity | Design knowledge | Design representations | Engineering design

Abstract: This paper presents evidence supporting the hypothesis that, for designers not specifically trained in designing-by-analogy, the sources of inspiration that share the same (sub-functions) and context of the target system lead to ideas having higher novelty and quality. The exploration of the design space gets positively affected as well. These evidence emerge after the statistical analysis of the results of an experiment that involved 84 graduate students in Mechanical Engineering, with typical competencies on engineering design, but without any specific skill on analogy-based idea generation.

Keywords: Creative stimuli | Design-by-analogy | Experiment | Idea generation

Abstract: The paper presents a coding scheme for design protocol analysis of collaborative sessions supported by Augmented Reality. It maps verbal interactions during creative sessions, so as to distinguish co-designers' intentions and the related contents characterizing the characteristics of the design proposal in terms of items and related parameters. Three different co-creative sessions and a tailored metrics allowed for checking the coding scheme effectiveness, showing good mapping capabilities and versatility of application also to compare similar sessions carried out with and without AR support.

Keywords: Collaborative design | Design cognition | Design creativity | ICT for design | Protocol analysis

Abstract: Editorial

Abstract: This paper proposes a method to speed up the quantitative description of interaction occurrences during co-creative design sessions. Protocol analysis is traditionally used for such studies but it requires capturing video and cumbersome post session analyzing - making it too time consuming for analyzing a large number of sessions. We developed a new \'on the fly\' method based on direct observation and compared the results obtained by this method to those obtained with traditional post-session coding method. Results were found to be very similar, whilst analysis time was significantly reduced.

Keywords: Augmented reality (AR) | Co-design | Design research methodology | Protocol analysis

Abstract: Analysing and comparing the results from design experiments is a crucial but often time consuming process. This problem becomes critical when a large number of experiments are to be analysed in order to evaluate the performance of a new tool or technology. In this paper we present an example of how this challenge is being addressed within the SPARK (Spatial Augmented Reality for Co-Creativity) H2020 project, which is currently developing an augmented-reality system to assist designers and non-designers to co-create more effectively. To evaluate the co-creative sessions a suite of metrics has previously been defined for the project. The scope of this paper is to radically speed up the application of the metrics by adjusting metrics and - more importantly - the way of collecting the data on co-creative sessions. The paper will be of interest to others doing quantitative analysis of creative design sessions.

Keywords: Co-creation | Data collection | Design metrics | Mixed prototype | Spatial augmented reality

Abstract: This paper discusses how Spatial Augmented Reality (SAR) can support design sessions in the fields of product, interface and packaging design. We analyse how the scope of a design session and the type of collaboration require different features of the SAR technology. We benchmark a SAR platform under development within the SPARK project (http://spark-project.net/) and state of the art solutions against the proposed classification framework to evaluate the current state of the platform, its limitations and to outline SAR technology requirements for future development possibilities.

Keywords: Collaborative design | Design creativity | Mixed prototype | Participatory design | Spatial augmented reality (SAR)

Abstract: This paper investigates the impact of information extracted from patents on the creative performance of R&D engineers involved in new product design tasks. The creative stimuli originated by domain specific patent sources are proposed in the form of problem-solutions maps possibly enriched with TRIZ contradiction models related to the challenges addressed by the patents. The effectiveness of this kind of creative stimuli has been checked with a two-phase experiment that involved 56 professional engineers as testers subdivided into design teams of 2 people each. The teams were initially asked to brainstorm and generate innovative ideas in the field of devices for walking support (walkers). The 28 teams were, then, exposed to 4 different treatments (7 teams each): simple brainstorming as control group, problem-solution maps with and without related TRIZ contradiction models, patent-text used as far-field sources of analogy. The results of the experiment show that the problem-solution maps alone enhance variety of generated solutions, while enriched by the TRIZ contradiction models have a higher impact on novelty despite with a smaller variety.

Keywords: Conceptual design | Creativity | Early design phases | Patents | TRIZ

Abstract: Scholars argue about the role played by surprise in making new products creative. Different perspectives evaluate surprise as a nuance of novelty, an independent dimension, or an emotional reaction to new products. The paper proposes a framework of factors supposedly characterizing the emergence of surprise in terms of individuals' interpretations and/or modifications of products' behavior and structure. Moreover, it illustrates the outcomes of a preliminary empirical investigation about the manifestation of unexpectedness according to such a framework: the proposed factors have been checked by interpreting the motivations leading to the presence of surprise in 12 new lamps described in the literature. The experiment states the reasonability of the described factors and, as a consequence, the paper provides a contribution to better articulate the debate in the research arena.

Keywords: Creativity | Diversity | Emotion | Novelty | Surprise

Abstract: Design education is a highly debated topic since decades, yet the focus on multi-disciplinary classes has gained a paramount importance due to the multi-disciplinary nature of today's global challenges. This paper contributes to the discussion through the description of the Design Methods and Processes course at Alta Scuola Politecnica, an original educational experience jointly developed by Politecnico di Milano and Politecnico di Torino with a highly selected number of MS students from Architecture, Industrial Design and all branches of Engineering. After positioning this discussion with respect to the relevant literature, the paper describes the educational model of this course and the reflections made after 5 years of implementation. Students show to catch the essence of the design workflow thanks to the educational path structured as a problem-analysis-and-solving process. However, dealing with multi-disciplinary task demands a careful composition of students' teams since it can positively/negatively affect the learning experience as well as students' motivations.

Keywords: Design education | design practice | educational background | multi-disciplinary design | team working

Abstract: The recently launched SPARK project (www.spark-project.net), aims to understand how Spatial Augmented Reality (SAR) technology can be used to support the co-design process. The project aims to develop, build and test a SAR technology for co-design. This paper presents the testing of a suite of metrics to assess the performance of co-design sessions in industry. These metrics will be needed in the SPARK project to help iteratively develop that technology, as well as to provide insights into the overall effects of using SAR tools in co-design. The aim of the study reported in this paper was to design, develop and test a process for applying a suite of co-design session metrics. During the study, the metrics application process was applied to two industry cases and based on the outcomes, refinements were made. This resulted in a proposed process for the evaluation of the effectiveness of co-design sessions. The work presented in this paper will be of particular interest to other researchers seeking to evaluate the impact of a product development tool on a specific design session.

Keywords: Case study | Collaborative design | Performance measurement | Research methodologies and methods | Spatially Augmented Reality

Abstract: The paper presents an investigation that aims at describing the behaviour of designers, designers' client and products' end user in collaborative design sessions, which are characterized by language barriers and significant differences in the background and competencies of the involved stakeholders. The study has been developed within a European project aimed at developing a Spatial Augmented Reality based platform that enriches and facilitates the communication in co-design. Through the analysis of a real case study in the field of packaging design involving a team of ten design actors, the paper analyses with an original joint approach both the gestures and the verbal interactions of the co-design session. After describing the two tailored coding schemes that capture different facets of, respectively, the gestures and the content of the communication occurring between the participants, the paper describes the partial results and the outcomes of the joint analysis, revealing the importance of combining the two forms of study to suitably characterize the behaviour of the design actors.

Keywords: Collaborative design | Communication | Creativity | Gestures | Human behaviour in design

Abstract: According to several literature sources, Product Planning is acknowledged as a primary driver of future commercial success for new designed products, and it is schematically constituted by the identification of business opportunities and the selection of most promising alternatives. Despite the recalled relevance of Product Planning, it emerges that a marginal quantity of companies have adopted formal methods to carry out this task. The paper attempts to provide a major understanding about such a limited implementation of Product Planning techniques and other open issues emerging from the analysis of the literature concerning the initial phases of engineering design cycles. The presented study investigates the claimed benefits of methods described in the literature, the level to which such tools are diffused through educational programs in Technical Institutes, the expectations and the demands of a sample of enterprises with respect to new tools supporting Product Planning. It emerges that, whereas existing methods strive to fulfil relevant properties according to the perception of the companies, limitations come out in terms of the transfer of the proposed techniques and their perceived reliability.

Keywords: Design education | Fuzzy front end | Idea generation | Industrial survey | New product development | Review of design methods

Abstract: This paper presents a methodological tool to support the search for Natural Sources of Inspiration so as to spark new ideas in designers along Bio-Inspired Design activities. The proposed tool leverages the correlation between the NIST Functional Basis and the Biomimicry Taxonomy, to allow designers with no or scarce biological knowledge to search already existing databases of natural phenomena. The methodological framework is structured so that its implementation in a CAx system can be promisingly carried out.

Keywords: Bio-Inspired Design | Biomimetics | Biomimicry

Abstract: In the decades, systematic innovation has been enriched of techniques that help people in continuous/disruptive product/service improvement. Products benefit from more tools than services, but even in those scientific papers and practitioner contributions are drawing a viable path. Authors gave their contribution in this field sharing an experience in logistics innovation: one interesting outcome was a method that brought personnel with average technical knowledge to solve problems with a relatively simple method derived by TRIZ and Axiomatic Design. One evidence was that people need few techniques to solve most of problems provided these were well stated, so that the work left open the following issue: \"what important to invest in? Problem solving tools or problem formulation ones?\" So some approach with the aim of evaluating the innovation gap of a service and formulating the problems that must solved to fill those gaps are investigated in this paper. The paper starts its analysis from the definition of a service though its intangibility, then it investigates how LESE (Laws of Engineering Systems Evolution) can be used to identify improvement paths and, eventually, it proposes a selection of Inventive Standards suitable for service improvement and innovation. The evaluator can perform an exhaustive analysis or a rough one depending on she/he is looking for quick idea of service maturity level or needs to define a complete problem solving work to assign to a project team. This contribution on systematic service innovation aims to stimulate a debate on the more promising research directions on next years\' service innovation research.

Abstract: This paper aims at contributing to Eco-Efficiency and Design for Sustainability by debating on the impact of design choices on Quality of Life. During the last two decades Eco-Efficiency has been characterized by an unbalanced evolution: the progression of scientific knowledge and industrial practice on resources assessment has not been followed by an equivalent attention to the contribution of product functionality and related performance to users\' quality of life. Starting from this consideration, the paper highlights that by concentrating resources on attributes that effectively improve the quality of life, a company would be able to enhance product sustainability. Actually, the typical background of a product designer is often limited in terms of specific tools and techniques for sustainability practices, and certainly there is a lack of means to analyze the relationship between customer requirements and product impact on customer\'s life. The present work proposes to connect the ultimate objectives of design, quality of life or well being, to product requirements, with the aim of maximizing their proper fulfillment within a sustainable approach. The proposed prototype procedure drives the development team to consider the final effect of each characteristic of the product within the customer\'s life and assists the selection of different conceptual solutions. A case study related to Beauty and Grooming illustrates the proposed procedure and allows to discuss its potential and limits.

Keywords: Customer satisfaction | Degrowth | Effective solution | Product development | Quality of life | Sustainable development

Abstract: Understanding users' choices is the key to both plan and design a product having higher chances of market success. Designers and marketing professional adopt different approaches for such investigation and the lack of a shared perspective between them can represent, by itself, one of the causes of no success in the market arena. This paper presents an approach that aims at focusing on how customers/users interpret product features and link them to their own needs. The theoretical framework behind the proposed approach is based on the latest updates of the situated FBS framework. An illustrative application in the field of sport shoes clarifies strengths and weaknesses of the proposal.

Keywords: Customer Review | External World | Illustrative Application | Product Development Process | Product Planning

Abstract: In its hyper-inflated usage, innovation simply means \"something new\", and is applied to any technical novelty. In its true meaning, innovating means designing something that will not only work under a technical point of view, but will also make business sense. \"Design for Innovation\" means considering that design cannot simply focus on a narrow meaning of \"product use\", because this could severely limit the diffusion of innovative products. The paper proposes an original model for representing what we call \"beyond-use situations\" and the influences among the actors involved in the innovation diffusion process. Taking inspiration from social influence network models and from the Multi-issue Actor Strategy Analysis Model (MASAM), the paper presents an operational methodology to assess the influence of different actors on the decision to adopt a new product. In turn, such methodology should support design teams to conceive novel solutions more likely to become factual innovations. The paper also describes a computer-implementable technique, loosely derived from Quality Function Deployment, to practically apply the proposed methodology. An industrial case study from the medical-care sector illustrates its logic and operational steps.

Keywords: Innovation diffusion | Multi-issue Actor Strategy Analysis Model | Multi-stakeholder | Native needs | Reported needs

Abstract: As technical systems become more interconnected and the speed of innovation increases, the importance of engineering changes is on the rise. Several research works addressed how to increase the easiness of change in technical systems, but until a common terminology is established, ambiguity prevents an effective communication of knowledge and an adequate comparison of best practices. This paper reviews the literature on change-related lifecycle properties (the \"Ilities\") and proposes a unified vocabulary. Nine frameworks about change-related Ilities are analyzed in details; then, the main properties of engineering changes are highlighted. Finally, the article rearranges the content of the nine frameworks according to the engineering change properties and presents a method to identify unambiguously change lifecycle properties based on a distinction between key change features and secondary change features.

Keywords: change propagation | changeability | innovation barriers | System lifecycle properties | technology infusion

Abstract: The paper presents the analysis of an original online survey that aims at checking the factors triggering surprise in randomly chosen evaluators who were submitted a set of surprising products. The authors use the answers to check the capability of a situated FBS-based model to help catch the main factors triggering surprise in products, here seen as a mismatch between what is interpreted and previously conceived expectations. The survey questionnaire shows to be effective in grabbing surprising factors and the results demonstrate that the model allows a strong ex-post convergence in the investigation of surprising factors.

Keywords: Cognitive processes | Function-behaviour-structure | Surprising products

Abstract: The field of Business Process Reengineering (BPR) has recently observed the birth of Decision Support Systems (DSSs) as a solution for overcoming the limitations of previous initiatives. The numerous failures concerning earlier BPR implementations are mostly ascribed to the introduction of best practices from other industrial experiences without proper adaptation to the local specificities, as well as by the inadequate consideration of uncertainty issues within decision making. A considerable amount of DSSs integrates issues dealing with customer opinions and behaviours and takes into account the uncertainties related to the relevance and the implications of the gathered feedbacks. In such a context, the paper describes an algorithmic model (implemented in a computer application) for supporting decision making that quantitatively relates the phases of a business process with its outputs, with reference to the contribution in generating customer value. The proposed decision support method can be advantageously employed especially in those cases characterized by time pressure and impossibility of performing suitable customer surveys. The model sheds light on process value bottlenecks and provides indications about the most beneficial reengineering activities. Context uncertainties are managed by applying Monte Carlo simulation. Such a measure allows evaluating the share of risk ensuing from redesigning certain business process phases.

Keywords: Business Process Reengineering | Customer perceived satisfaction | Decision Support Systems | Monte Carlo simulation | Process Value Analysis

Abstract: No abstract

Abstract: This paper presents the first results of a Ph.D. program aimed at investigating the domain interface between TRIZ and Biomimetics within the scope of inventive design. Indeed, a few authors have already proposed as a relevant direction of research the identification of integration opportunities between TRIZ and Biomimetics towards a more effective and efficient inventive design methodology. The paper presents a comparison between the tools based on functional modeling used during the process of problem solving within TRIZ and Biomimetics. This comparison intends to elicit overlaps, complementarities and incongruences of these techniques. The indications about how to improve the process of describing natural solutions in an engineering way and how to describe technical problems in order to use natural information as source of inspiration are given by analyzing few examples. The results are discussed in terms of necessary modifications in the engineering problem description in order to use a database of biological functions (i.e. The Biomimicry Taxonomy) as a source of natural knowledge in the process of inventive design.

Keywords: Bio-inspired design | Biological functional database | Biomimicry taxonomy | Inventive design

Abstract: No abstract

Abstract: This paper proposes a model aimed at representing the cognitive processes occurring in a design task while analysing needs and requirements with respect to the different stakeholders who might influence the purchase decision. The model builds on Gero's situated FBS framework, by introducing two original elements: from the one hand, needs and requirements are explicitly represented, thus differentiating from the Function, Behaviour, Structure variables. On the other hand, the external world is split into several ones, each representing the reality of a different stakeholder. Thanks to this integration, the earliest stages of the design cycle can be investigated in details by observing, representing and analysing the designer's behaviour through his elementary thinking processes. The ex-post analysis of a brainstorming session within an Italian company producing lines for bottling beverages clarifies the structure of the modelling approach and its benefits.

Abstract: During the last decades, product design has yielded several interest by scholars, leading to a great amount of contributions concerning design methodology. Some of them, beyond modeling the whole design process, propose their model of the early design activities devoted to the development of the product concept, i.e. The conceptual design phase. These design approaches are widely diffused in academia. However, some uncertainties appear in literature, concerning their efficacy in performing innovative design. This observation forms the basis of this work, which aims at improving classical design processes by integrating their procedure with the TRIZ base of knowledge. To achieve such an objective, authors' approach consists in considering generally valid steps of the conceptual design process, and then in identifying most suitable TRIZ tools for each of them. A structured list of suggestions concerning the proposed integration is finally presented, together with an explanatory case study application of the proposed improvements.

Keywords: Conceptual design | Design methods | Design models | TRIZ

Abstract: This paper proposes a new modelling framework aimed at overcoming the current limitations of existing techniques for the representation of products and processes within a Technology Forecasting study. Starting from the review of the available modelling approaches, the authors define system requirements as the key elements to represent both drivers and barriers for the evolution of technical systems, analysed in the context of a business process. The new proposal allows such requirements to be mapped in an integrated and scalable model connecting finished goods with the related business processes, so as to collect the knowledge from different experts and stakeholders in a unified and manageable description, thus reducing the risks due to uncertain and partial representation. The paper presents also an example of application in the field of pharmaceutical tablet manufacturing, focusing on the industrial processes requiring the granulation of pharmaceutical powders. An in-depth discussion about the emerged criticalities supports the definition of further developments to make this approach more repeatable and suitable for Technology Forecasting methodologies.

Keywords: Decision making | Process model | Product model | Technology evolution | Technology forecasting

Abstract: It is commonly recognized that the definition of product requirements is an essential step of any design process. Many techniques have been proposed for building a suitable design specification, i.e. for defining a set of requirements characterized by validity, completeness, operationality, non-redundancy, conciseness and practicability. Among them, several methods and tools primarily aim at populating the design specification: some of them focus on very specific objectives but are applicable in many different domains (e.g., Design for X). Others are domain specific, but try to cover the entire scope of the specification (e.g., checklists and standards). This paper describes an abstract-level checklist for requirements definition, suitable for any field of application, aiming at producing exhaustive lists of requirements. A previous experimental application with Mechanical Engineering students clearly showed that the proposed multi-purpose checklist allows populating design specifications more complete than those defined without any support. This paper follows up demonstrating the capability of the novel checklist against the checklist for conceptual design by Pahl and Beitz.

Keywords: Design education | Design methods | Design specification | Requirements | Requirements checklists

Abstract: This paper aims at exploring the opportunities coming from the application of the OTSM-TRIZ Network of Problems as a means for mapping the design steps of engineering students coping with design problems. Both the design rationale and the design protocol can be analyzed to support the evaluation of the overall outcomes of students downwards a course on systematic design, considering both the ideas they generate and the process they follow for the ideation. The paper proposes a few improvements for the OTSM-TRIZ Network of Problems, so as to adapt it for such a purpose. Some demonstrations of the applicability of the proposed method are presented by means of two different design problems faced by groups of students having homogeneous levels of expertise and engineering skills. The results, got through a research method here detailed, highlight that the proposed approach allows the evaluators/analysts to carry out the time-demanding protocol studies with significant savings in time. Moreover, this model allows the definition of appropriate metrics to carry out homogenous and more objective evaluations among students.

Keywords: Design rationale | Design skills | Engineering students evaluation | OTSM-TRIZ Network of Problems | Protocol analysis

Abstract: Change propagation has been investigated in many case studies; anyway, the effect of architectural choices like the degree of modularity or the presence of bus elements is still unclear. This paper evaluates the probability density functions of three change propagation indices (Incoming Change Likelihood, Incoming Change Impact and Outgoing Change Risk) in order to understand if architectural choices affect the change propagation behaviour of a technical system. The indices are obtained from 13,824 DSMs generated with Monte-Carlo methods; on each DSM, 12 feasible change behaviour samples are mapped. First, a small set of synthetic results is compared with a case study as an initial validation. Then, the three indices\' overall distributions are shown. Finally, the entire indices\' database is subdivided into four clusters (Integral, Modular, Star, Modular-Star) according to the architecture type of the original DSM. The comparison of the clusters shows that the presence of modules in the architecture significantly decrease the risk for change propagation, while the presence of bus components has a more limited effect.

Keywords: Change propagation | Design engineering | Product architecture

Abstract: In the past decades, several scientists endeavored to study and develop biomimetic solutions both for industrial and scientific purposes; nevertheless, only recently, systematic investigations of the bio-inspired design (BID) approach emerged. Even though several BID causal models appeared in engineering design literature during the last decade, none of them has still been adopted as a basis for the development of further design tools and methods. This paper aims at defining a common ontological basis for the functional-causal models by integrating the existing BID models to gain from the synergic effect of their hybridization. The thorough analysis proposed here shows the complementarity of the holistic perspective of the SAPPhIRE representation with the detailed description of system internal structure of the DANE modeling approach; moreover, the ontology of the two models do not conflict with each other and, as such, can be used as a reference to build an integrated model.

Keywords: Bio-inspired design | Causal model | DANE | SAPPhIRE | SBF

Abstract: This paper presents an original approach for the analysis of design protocols. It presents a coding scheme based on the OTSM-TRIZ Network of Problems, so as to map the protocols by both considering design moves and their mutual relationships with links. Stemming from this coding scheme, the authors propose a novel set of rules for the identification of cognitive processes to be integrated into a Computer-aided tool, so as to reduce the time employed for the analysis of design protocols. The five preliminary tests carried out to verify the potentiality and the feasibility of the approach have demonstrated that it provides good results both in terms of quality and in terms of time-savings for the whole protocol analysis.

Keywords: Computer aided analysis | Computer aided design | Computer programming | Network protocols

Abstract: Among the open research issues in the field of inventive design, a careful attention should be dedicated to the definition of means to measure and improve the efficiency of educational and training processes as well as to assess the benefits of the introduction of TRIZ expertise into R&D and engineering teams. In fact, while TRIZ methods and tools have gained a certain acknowledgment as a means to improve problem solving and inventive design skills, a dominant model about its introduction in an industrial organization is still missing. The paper presents a study aimed at measuring the impact of TRIZ learning (tools and logic) with respect to individuals' talent. The paper proposes an original methodology to investigate human approaches to inventive design tasks: definition of the test (Sample group and control group, Inventive problems); evaluation criteria (Aptitude to follow a logical problem analysis path; Aptitude to explore various perspectives of the problem; Aptitude to generalization; Overall correctness of the problem analysis task; Completeness of the analysis); comparison and correlation criteria (Pearson correlation). The proposed investigation methodology is clarified through the description of an exemplary application in design courses at Politecnico di Milano and at the Università di Firenze.

Keywords: Human behaviour | Inventive design | Problem solving

Abstract: One of the most important objectives of modern product development is the fulfillment of the requirements derived from stakeholder/customer needs. For this reason, modern design processes start from an accurate definition of those final product features able to satisfy a given set of customer needs. However, it is well acknowledged that, during a common design process, it is often possible to find requirements conflicting with each other. Thus the choice of a successful design strategy is critical. The aim of this work is to investigate the possibility to find a rule suitable to indicate the best side of the contradiction to process in order to solve technical problems, also usable by engineers with limited experience with TRIZ. The analysis has been formerly operated on well-known solved problems belonging to Classical TRIZ literature; the emerging evidences have been further checked on a set of case studies from the authors' industrial experience.

Keywords: ARIZ | Contradictions | Design process | Design requirements

Abstract: The growing complexity of technical solutions, which encompass knowledge from different scientific fields, makes necessary, also for multi-disciplinary working teams, the consultation of information sources. Indeed, tacit knowledge is essential, but often not sufficient to achieve a proficient problem solving process. Besides, the most comprehensive tool of the TRIZ body of knowledge, i.e. ARIZ, requires, more or less explicitly, the retrieval of new knowledge in order to entirely exploit its potential to drive towards valuable solutions. A multitude of contributions from the literature support various common tasks encountered when using TRIZ and requiring additional information; most of them hold the objective of speeding up the generation of inventive solutions thanks to the capabilities of text mining techniques. Nevertheless, no global study has been conducted to fully disclose the effective knowledge requirements of ARIZ. With respect to this deficiency, the present paper illustrates an analysis of the algorithm with the specific objective of identifying the different types of information needs that can be satisfied by patents. The results of the investigation lay bare the most significant gaps of the research in the field. Further on, an initial proposal is advanced to structure the retrieval of relevant information from patent sources currently not supported by existing methodologies and software applications, so as to exploit the vast amount of technical knowledge contained in there. An illustrative experiment sheds light on the relevance of control parameters as input terms for the definition of search queries aimed at retrieving patents sharing the same physical contradiction of the problem to be treated.

Keywords: ARIZ85 | Explicit knowledge | Information retrieval | Patent

Abstract: Scholars argue about the role played by surprise in making new products creative. Different perspectives evaluate surprise as a nuance of novelty, an independent dimension or an emotional reaction to new products. The paper illustrates the outcomes of an empirical investigation about surprising artefacts, resulting in the individuation of factors impacting the manifestation of unexpectedneb in terms of individuals' interpretations and/or modifications of products' behaviour and structure. Such factors have been checked by interpreting the motivations leading to the presence of surprise in 12 new lamps described in the literature. The experiment states the reasonability of the described factors and, as a consequence, the paper provides a contribution to better articulate the debate in the research arena.

Keywords: Diversity | Novelty | Surprising products

Abstract: Among the studies dedicated to design creativity, a significant attention is given to the investigation of its dimensions, such as novelty and usefulness. The underlying assumption is that an enhanced knowledge of them is helpful to better understand limitations of current design approaches, and improve methods and tools. While there is still a lively discussion about these dimensions, some authors highlight that among them surprise deserves to be considered an independent aspect that differs from novelty. In fact, the latter concerns unprecedented peculiarities of an artefact, while surprise tells about the unexpectedness of a feature whatever is the degree of difference with pre-existing ones. Having observed the lack of reference models to investigate the emergence of surprise when a user first meets a new artefact, the authors propose an original model to describe the occurring cognitive processes. The model exploits some fundamental concepts of Gero's situated FBS framework and represent surprise as a mismatch between the interpretation of reality given by an observer and her/his expectations due to previous experiences. The model is illustrated by means of three examples.

Keywords: Creativity | FBS | Situatedness | Surprise

Abstract: This paper describes the first outcomes of a joined research project between Politecnico di Milano and Whirlpool Europe aimed at establishing a systematic industrial approach to anticipate technological demands and solutions to manufacture future household appliances, by taking into account emergence, performances and drawbacks of manufacturing technologies. This work adds new elements of analysis to the forecasting approach proposed by the authors in previous publications and updates its metric for classifying Evaluation Parameters with a detailed set of criteria to characterize the outcomes, the drawbacks and the main resources consumption of a generic industrial process. Such set allows a preliminary extraction of information from technical experts, with no specific TRIZ know- how, in order to ease the process of identifying the main barriers (in TRIZ terms, contradictions) limiting the development of current technologies and/or their substitution with new industrial processes. The original content of the paper is clarified by means of a case study related to an application of the methodology concerning the foaming process of domestic refrigerators.

Keywords: Evaluation parameters | Maturity assessment | Technology benchmarking | Technology forecasting

Abstract: Product Architecture definition plays more and more a crucial role for enhancing product customizability, easing after-sale management and reducing manufacturing costs. Despite major efforts have been dedicated to the development of methods and tools supporting Product Architecture definition for "Adaptive Design" tasks, no real means are available while addressing more radical innovation activities. The paper proposes a critical overview of TRIZ models and tools to evaluate their potential integration into a comprehensive methodology for Product Architecture definition. A comparison with the three major modularity methods is performed with the aim to establish how TRIZ can be located thereupon to current state of the art of Product Architecture management. An academic case study is discussed, in order to show how the OTSM Network of Problems approach can bring a significant contribution in that sense.

Keywords: Modularity | Original Design | Product Architecture | TRIZ

Abstract: Enhancing the ability of solving non-typical problems especially in engineers is an important issue for any R&D&I department. Consequently, some initiatives have been launched recently to foster new educational approaches and methods. The system of OTSM-TRIZ games, developed by Tatiana Sidorchuk and Nikolai Khomenko, proposes a series of games for 3-8 years old kids to lead them thinking according to the OTSM-TRIZ postulates and models, without learning TRIZ tools directly. This paper postulates that these games can be efficiently used also for stimulating creativity of engineering students, with interesting insights on their behaviors when challenged through unexpected situations and tasks. Some of these games have been tested both with 12 years old Iranian kids and with MS students in Mechanical Engineering of Politecnico di Milano. The research shows improvement in creativity indexes for MS engineering students under the condition of the proposed experiment. First, in the paper a thorough description of the classical OTSM-TRIZ games is provided. Then, after presenting the experimental activities run with kids and university students, their behavior is discussed so as to extract some general guidelines about the implementation of these educational practices in different contexts, as well as some preliminary assessment on the resulting outcomes.

Keywords: Imagination abilities | OTSM-TRIZ Games | Students creativity | Thinking abilities

Abstract: No abstract

Abstract: The paper presents an overview of the FORMAT methodology, an approach for technological forecasting capable of satisfying the need of manufacturing industries to better support decision-making processes in planning corporate strategies for R&D. The methodology has been developed within the FORMAT consortium, gathering partners from both industry and academia in a Marie-Curie EU funded project of the 7th Framework Programme - IAPP PEOPLE. The methodology is intentionally shaped as a generic one, so as to foster its adoption by the wider audience, but it suggests the adoption of several TRIZ techniques and models to support the forecast. Its exemplary application in the field of forming technologies for domestic refrigerators aims at showing its potential and viability in a real industrial context. The paper is supplemented by a case study in the white goods manufacturing (forming techniques for the inner liners of domestic refrigerators).

Keywords: Laws of engneering systems evolution | Logistic regression | Manufacturing technologies | S-curve analysis | Techological Forecasting | Vacuum forming

Abstract: As design of interactive products started to address the whole user experience, User Experience (UX) became an established field of research. Nevertheless UX design presents some risks, such as providing users with experiences that they do not wish. Furthermore, UX methodologies lack prescriptive tools for guiding designers. This paper establishes a link between UX research and Affordance theory and postulates the concept of Experience Affordances. Affordances represent a first step toward the development of prescriptive methods and help preventing designer from imposing experiences to users. Thus, a framework for describing product experience in terms of affordances is exposed and discussed by analysing exemplary products. In concluding the paper, the implications of the framework are presented.

Keywords: affordance | design theory | philosophy of design | product design | user experience

Abstract: No abstract

Abstract: The paper proposes an extension of the Gero's Function-Behaviour-Structure (FBS) framework aimed at representing Need and Requirements and their relationships with the Function, the Behaviour and the Structure of an artefact. Needs and Requirements can be modelled as further types of variables to describe with the same formal approach of the situated FBS model the transformation processes which occur in the earlier stages of design, when the requirements still need to be specified. Furthermore the external world where needs are situated is split into the complementary perspectives of the different stakeholders influencing the adoption process of a new product, i.e. into buyers, users, beneficiaries and other outsiders. The extended model aims at supporting a more careful and detailed investigation of the processes that occur in the earliest stages of design, and specifically what happens in new product development activities. As carefully discussed in the introduction of the paper, such a shift in the designer's perspective appears as a crucial step to build an efficient design methodology for innovation.

Keywords: Design for innovation | FBS framework | Multi-stakeholders analysis | Needs identification

Abstract: In a recent project the authors proposed the adoption of Optimization Systems [1] as a bridging element between Computer-Aided Innovation (CAI) and PLM to identify geometrical contradictions [2], a particular case of the TRIZ physical contradiction [3]. A further development of the research has revealed that the solutions obtained from several topological optimizations can be considered as elementary customized modeling features for a specific design task. The topology overcoming the arising geometrical contradiction can be obtained through a manipulation of the density distributions constituting the conflicting pair. Already two strategies of density combination have been identified as capable to solve geometrical contradictions.

Keywords: Computer-aided conceptual design | Computer-aided innovation | Embodiment design | TRIZ

Abstract: Users\' emotions are crucial for purchasing decisions. Designing products that evoke positive emotions requires knowledge about users and their psychological needs: the research on User Experience (UX) aims at creating such knowledge. Several UX researchers highlighted that positive emotions emerge in user/product interactions, when user\'s psychological motives and needs are met and her/his expectations fulfilled or exceeded. How can users\' motives be acquired? User research in industrial practice usually contributes with insights about users in form personas, user feedback and interviews, but not explicitly with the motives to be addressed. This work aims at creating a systematic method for deriving and understanding users\' motives through the analysis of stories, such as those in product reviews. The identified motives can serve as input for UX design. Thus, basing of existing techniques for the narrative analysis of stories, a method for extracting users\' motives is proposed and an exemplary application shown.

Keywords: Design methods | Storytelling | User experience | User' Motives

Abstract: The paper describes an operative algorithm to guide decision makers in identifying and selecting the best maintenances solution strategy to follow when problems occur. The aim of the algorithm, inspired by the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving, and specifically by the body of knowledge of its further development entitled OTSM-TRIZ, is to address the identification of problems using Root Cause Analysis (RCA) techniques for a structured reasoning approach: A six steps procedure has been formulated to systematically structure the problem context using RCA, generate partials solutions and assess the potential effects of each solution in the maintenances strategy. A case study has been developed, to test the algorithm effectiveness and usability, in collaboration with the Chilean company ARAUCO S.A., one of the major forestry companies in the world. The results demonstrate the efficacy of the algorithm to support decision makers in correctly implementing the identified problem solutions within the company.

Abstract: The engineering design community is debating since more than two decades on the development of models and methods suitable for analyzing the cognitive processes that occur within design activities. An acknowledged model in this domain is the situated FBS framework that describes the design process as consisting of elementary sub-processes defined in terms of modifications on functions, behavior and structures. This framework has been successfully applied to the analysis of the information gathered within industrial innovation projects and to the related design activities. However, it is definitely unusual to use it for analyzing a design method itself, so as to highlight its potential shortcomings and suggest directions of further development. In this paper, the authors investigate this original application through a detailed examination of the IDIM, an interaction design integrated method aimed at generating and validating innovative design suggestions related to interaction issues. The highlighted criticalities are discussed and some suggestions for possible IDIM improvements are depicted. © 2013 The Design Society.

Keywords: Cognitive processes | Design methods | FBS framework | Human behavior in design | User centered design

Abstract: The assessment of creativity arouses increasing interest within design community. The literature witnesses efforts to quantitatively measure creativity, although commonly considered intrinsically subjective. Recent experiences show a good degree of convergence between assessments employing more objective metrics and evaluations of creativity made by experts in design and innovation. With the overall goal of determining whether such judgments are reliable and repeatable, the present paper analyzes creativity assessments of commercial products performed by skilled and novice designers in order to highlight further differences due to accumulated experience. The investigation is carried out by means of a suitable questionnaire asking to evaluate the creativity of 10 market successes and 10 commercial flops. The experiment tests also whether commercial results can strongly influence the perception of creativity. The outcomes reveal that experience is supposed to play a not negligible role in evaluating creativity, while the question about the impact of market success requires further investigation. © 2013 The Design Society.

Keywords: Creativity | Experts' assessment | Innovation | Novices' assessment

Abstract: The paper proposes an extension of Gero\'s Function-Behaviour-Structure (FBS) framework aimed at representing Needs and Requirements and their relationships with the Function, the Behaviour and the Structure of an artefact. Needs and Requirements are modelled as further types of variables to describe, with the same formal approach of the situated FBS model, the transformation processes, which occur in the earlier stages of design. The proposed model is clarified through an application to the information gathered within an industrial project to reduce water and energy consumption of a washing machine. By situating Needs and Requirements into the FBS framework, it is possible to properly represent all the tasks and the related cognitive processes characterising the earliest stages of the new product development.

Keywords: design model(s) | product design | product development | specification

Abstract: In a recent project the authors have developed an approach to assist the identification of the optimal topology of a technical system, capable of overcoming geometrical contradictions that arise from conflicting design requirements. The method is based on the hybridization of partial solutions obtained from mono-objective topology optimization tasks. In order to investigate efficiency, effectiveness and potentialities of the developed hybridization algorithm, a comparison among the proposed approach and traditional topology optimization techniques such as Genetic Algorithms (GAs) and gradient-based methods is presented here. The benchmark has been performed by applying the hybridization algorithm to several case studies of multi-objective optimization problems available in literature. The obtained results demonstrate that the proposed approach is definitely less expensive in terms of computational requirements, than the conventional application of GAs to topology optimization tasks, still keeping the same effectiveness in terms of searching the global optimum solution. Moreover, the comparison among the hybridized solutions and the solutions obtained through GAs and gradient-based optimization methods, shows that the proposed algorithm often leads to very different topologies having better performances. © 2012 Springer-Verlag London Limited.

Keywords: Computer-aided conceptual design | Computer-aided innovation | Embodiment design | Genetic algorithms | Topological optimization

Abstract: The paper aims at exploring the opportunities for improving the Human Computer Interaction (HCI) of Computer-Aided systems for supporting designers in carrying out the early stages of the Product Development Process (PDP). In details, the authors stem from the analysis of the latest advancements and issues in the field of Question and Answer techniques, which they have already implemented in algorithms for supporting the analysis of inventive problems. According to the analysis, they identify two basic directions to improve the HCI in such systems. Literature evidences concerning the different approach of designers according to their experience point out the need of producing more flexible systems, tailored for both skilled individuals and novices. Moreover, the need emerges to both foster creativity with meaningful stimuli and introducing pictorial communication within a dialogue flow, so as to follow the common cognitive path emerged by the analysis of design protocols. The discussion shows that the combination of textual and graphical interactions is crucial to support the cognitive processes in design. Such blend allows to introduce stimuli viable to reduce design fixation and psychological inertia, that affect negatively the outcome of the idea generation stage. © 2013 CAD Solutions, LLC.

Keywords: Cognition | Computer-aided innovation | Emotion | Engineering design | HCI

Abstract: Companies willing to introduce radical innovations have to face the tough task of correctly evaluating manifold aspects concerning the lifecycle of the new products to be launched. In such a circumstance severe difficulties arise because, at the very beginning of the design process, project teams own limited and unreliable information about the performances viable to positively impact value for customers and consequently the commercial success. The present paper suggests an original approach for the anticipatory assessment of the expected market appraisal of a new product profile. The proposed "Value Assessment Metrics" (VAMs) is a tool to estimate the success potential of a new artefact through a balance of its functionalities and features with respect to the alternatives existing in the market. The metrics are defined through an induction process from a large collection of successful innovations and market failures. After reporting the methodological approaches adopted to build the VAMs, the first based on Logistic Regression, the second on Neural Networks, the paper presents their preliminary validation and two example applications to the proposition of an innovative lipstick and a concealed hinge. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Keywords: Decision support | Functional classification | New Product Development | TRIZ | Value Assessment Metrics

Abstract: This paper proposes a Computer-Aided tool aimed at increasing the efficiency of the Product Development Process by bridging the definition of system requirements to the preliminary assessment of the impacts of design choices on product characteristics. In details, it supports the designer in the definition of desired and undesired characteristics of a technical system throughout its entire lifecycle, according to a standardized set of criteria for eliciting and organizing knowledge from experts. The Computer-Aided tool also assist the user in managing the complex network between design variables and system requirements, characterizing their cause-and-effect relationships with the objective of determining critical parameters for product design. The paper also presents an exemplary application of the software prototype in the field of washing machines with the purpose of highlighting that a progressive integration of this kind of instruments into existing CAD/CAE tools also allows to promptly determine a connection between requirements and objectives of physically based simulations. © 2013 CAD Solutions, LLC.

Keywords: Design variables | PLM | System parameters | System requirements

Abstract: Guest editorial

Abstract: Nowadays, a growing consensus is attributed to conceptual design in the perspective of developing effective and successful products; as a consequence, major efforts should be dedicated within the Computer-Aided Innovation field to correctly support this task. A particular line of evolution of these systems concern computer coaches, i.e. software applications capable to assist users along each step of design activities. In such perspective the authors have developed a dialogue-based system supporting a natural language questioning procedure to investigate technical problems through TRIZ way of thinking.Anemerging deficiency of its first version concerns limited capabilities in providing a broad screening of the issues and features relevant within the encountered inventive problems. The integration of a further analysis module supporting the logic of the TRIZ System Operator has allowed the individuation of effective resources for breaking technical conflicts inherent to the investigated systems or formalizing contradictions in TRIZ terms. The paper provides further support about the need of developing broad thinking skills in engineering education. The new generation of Computer-Aided systems is extending its scope, by supporting the user already from the early design stages, where creativity and cognitive processes are of paramount importance. In such context, the authors have developed a natural language dialogue-based framework capable to coach designers in investigating non-routine technical problems through a TRIZ way of thinking. The first version of the questioning procedure has showed limitations in terms of the capability to widen the designer's perspective, resulting in the overlooking of aspects relevant for the problem. The new version of the dialogue-based system integrates a further analysis module, here presented, supporting the logic of the TRIZ System Operator. New tests demonstrate that the modification allows to improve the quality of the analyses, especially in terms of the identification of features to be advantageously redesigned in order to solve the addressed problems. © 2013 TEMPUS Publications.

Keywords: Broad-spectrum investigation | Computer aided innovation | Dialogue-based system | Inventive problem analysis | TRIZ

Abstract: CAD systems are nowadays extending their domain of application towards the preliminary phases of the design process, with the emergence of Computer-Aided Innovation - CAI. However, the first generation of CAI commercial software is far from achieving the intended objectives; among them, the diffused TRIZ-based systems made no exception. Particular limitations are highlighted within the embodiment design stage with reference to the support provided by CAx tools in fulfilling product specifications, whenever the generated solutions do not satisfy system requirements. The authors propose to overcome the current limitations by implementing a dialoguebased system into the framework of existing CAD applications, to support the designer in overcoming problems emerged during the initial design stages. The manuscript illustrates a refined set of requirements for a Dialogue-Based CAD system according to the outcomes of a testing campaign carried out with a preliminary version of a question-answer framework. The proposed instrument is capable to measure the achievement of all the major characteristics highlighted by the survey of established models for carrying out embodiment design. © 2013 CAD Solutions, LLC.

Keywords: Dialogue-based interaction | Embodiment design | Innovation

Abstract: An emerging thread of research is represented by the attempt of quantitatively assessing creativity, its dimensions, and how it influences the design process. The purpose of the task is to compare design options, thus allowing to select the most innovative and supposedly profitable alternative. The endeavor of previous works has consisted in the assessment of creativity concerning designers, methodologies, concepts, and products. As the scope of engineering design is expanding so to include not traditional aspects of the product development process, the paper proposes metrics tailored to evaluate the creativity of services. Such metrics are built as a result of the extension and adaptation of previously formulated criteria, including the evaluation of novelty and usefulness. A sample of successful innovative services is considered, giving rise to a considerable variability of creativity scores. The outcomes may represent a starting point for a wider discussion about which dimensions of creativity majorly impact the success of products and services in the marketplace.

Keywords: Creativity assessment | Degree of novelty | Design of services | Usefulness

Abstract: In this paper a 9-step method is proposed to study the evolution of technical systems. Merging the potential of TRIZ and patent analysis, a structured approach is defined to properly analyse the state of the art of a technology and retrieve useful insights to identify and structure new development strategies. Past-present evolutionary dynamics are quantitatively described, while indications for new possible development scenarios can be also extrapolated. Starting from a detailed breakdown of the technology under analysis, a list of evaluation parameters is defined to classify inventions and thus monitor the technology advancements by means of the TRIZ Laws of Engineering Systems Evolution. The aim of this study is to foster the diffusion of more reliable and systematic approaches to innovation especially in those industrial sectors where high risks and investment costs tend to favour short-term technological advances rather than long-term ones. Two case studies were developed within the context of the mining industry. Specifically, the study is part of a research project founded by the Chilean Economic Development Agency (CORFO) whose objective is to support companies of the Atacama region, in the identification of new technological opportunities to renew their production process. © 2013 - Society for Design and Process Science.

Keywords: Network of Evolutionary Trends (NET) | Technological Forecasting | Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ)

Abstract: Computers actually support, almost automatically, routine tasks such as those related to the optimization in design. Besides, the scientific community shows a growing interest in developing computer systems to aid non-routine tasks as a key to enhance individuals' creativity and innovation potential. In such a context, several attempts have been made to create tools based on the TRIZ logic to support inventive problem solving; some of them have been commercialized since decades, but still there is no established paradigm and all of them suffer from several limitations. So far the analysis of those limitations has been focused on the structure and on the nominal features of the software tools, while no in-depth and systematic investigation has been made to identify the reasons behind the partial failure of the existing systems. This paper proposes a set of general criteria to perform the evaluation of computerized tools supporting inventive design and reports an exemplary application, through protocol analysis, to the dialogue-based computerized algorithm for problem analysis, published by the authors in the past. © Springer-Verlag London 2013.

Abstract: The aim of this extended editorial is to offer a perspective on design creativity and innovation research on the occasion of launching the International Journal of Design Creativity and Innovation. Thirty six members of the editorial board present their expectations, views, or opinions on the topics of the journal. All of these articles are presented in Section 2. In Section 3, summaries of the 36 articles are consolidated. This editorial also analyzes keywords from each of the articles, and the results are visualized in Section 4. The keyword analysis covers not only those words taken directly from each of the articles but also the implicit keywords that are suggested by the explicit ones. We believe this extended editorial will help the researchers, in particular young researchers, comprehend the essence of design creativity and innovation research and obtain a clue to tackle the new discipline.

Keywords: Analysis | Design creativity | Innovation | Perspective

Abstract: The capability of anticipating the main features of future products and related manufacturing processes is more and more a critical asset in industry, due to the innovation-based competition of markets and to the extremely reduced lead time of modern product development cycles. The paper presents a survey of TRIZ, the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving, as a reference methodology to support design activities driven by the forecasted evolution of technical systems. TRIZ postulates, models and tools are described in the scope of technology forecasting and discussed within a more general design science perspective. The discussion highlights strengths and weaknesses of the theory and suggests relevant directions for further research in the field.

Keywords: innovation | inventive design | technology forecasting

Abstract: An emerging thread of research is represented by the attempt of quantitatively assessing creativity, its dimensions and how it influences the design process. The endeavour of previous works has consisted in the assessment of creativity concerning designers, methodologies, concepts and products. As the scope of engineering design is expanding so to include not traditional aspects of the product development process, the paper proposes metrics tailored to evaluate the creativity of services. Such metrics are built as a result of the extension and adaptation of previously formulated criteria, including the evaluation of novelty and usefulness. An exemplary sample of successful innovative services is considered, giving rise to a considerable variability of creativity scores. The outcomes may represent a starting point for a wider discussion about which dimensions of creativity majorly impact the success of products and services in the marketplace.

Keywords: Creativity assessment | Degree of novelty | Design of services

Abstract: No abstract

Abstract: No abstract

Abstract: The paper presents the research activity developed by the authors in the field of computer-aided inventive problem solving: an original model and a dialogue-based software application have been developed by integrating the logic of ARIZ (Algorithm for the Inventive Problem Solving) with some OTSM-TRIZ (General Theory of Powerful Thinking) models in order to guide a user also with no TRIZ education to the analysis of inventive problems. The paper demonstrates that through a dialogue-based interaction it is possible to guide the user towards a proper formulation of the problem statement, which is an essential step of any conceptual design activity. The proposed software system, although still at a prototype stage, has been tested with students at Politecnico di Milano and at the University of Florence. The paper details the structure of the algorithm and the results of the first validation activity; then, it discusses about the possibility to integrate the proposed approach into a new generation of CAD systems. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Computer-Aided Innovation | Conceptual design | Dialogue-based system | OTSM-TRIZ | Problem solving

Abstract: Several scholars dealing with business innovation individuate a great role played by customer value in achieving market success. With this perspective the investigation of prescriptive means for New Value Proposition represents a promising, although still poorly explored, domain. The paper presents an original approach to investigating past success stories focused around approaches derived from "Blue Ocean Strategy", for this new dimensions of performance and value have been introduced. The lesson learned from this survey is that certain strategies based on the fulfilment of established or overlooked customer needs provide greater market appraisal. This article introduces some preliminary directions to support the rethinking of products and services.

Abstract: The Chapter illustrates an exemplary application of the tools proposed by IPPR to face product reengineering with a value-oriented approach. The case study regards the building of a new value profile for a professional blow dryer employed in the hairdressing industry. The sector is characterized by conservativeness, as well as the innovation of equipment presents a slow pace and mostly involves the maximization of established performances. The implementation of the IPPR roadmap for the third class of reengineering problems has led to the determination of two partially diverging value transitions synthesized by different product embodiments. The second alternative infringes to a certain extent the recommendations suggested by the New Value Proposition Guidelines. A conducted survey, involving some dozens of professionals, has revealed a considerable appreciation of the idea underpinning the first option and some criticism with regards to the second candidate value profile. The outcomes additionally show a possible market segmentation according to the kind of business and clientele of the respondents.

Keywords: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome | Esthetical Quality | Hair Dryer | Product Profile | Quality Function Deployment

Abstract: This Chapter presents an overview of the IPPR methodology aimed at clarifying the involved activities and how they are organized in the methodological workflow. The analysis and solution path of the suggested approach consists in three main steps. The first step is aimed at defining a multi-domain model of the business process to support the subsequent analysis tasks and the representation of the relevant information. The second step supports the user in the identification of the business process weaknesses according to the classes of problems defined in Chap. 1, thus leading to the definition of meaningful directions for their solution. The last step suggests suitable methodological approaches for the identification of physical solutions aimed at implementing the improved business process. The specific tools involved in each step of IPPR method are detailed in Chap. 3.

Keywords: Business Process | Customer Requirement | Customer Satisfaction | Quality Function Deployment | Tacit Knowledge

Abstract: The application of IPPR to a reengineering problem belonging to class 1, i.e. organizing a new process to overcome market boundaries, is here presented. The case study concerns the manufacturing of pellet that is a bio-fuel obtained through the processing of the wood coming from the sustainable exploitation of forests. Due to several under capacities which afflict the value chain, the present industrial process is not capable to provide a convenient output starting from the available resources. This drawback has resulted in the impossibility to follow the dynamics of the market demand of such bio-fuel, which is grown dramatically during the last years. In such a context, IPPR has led to the identification of meaningful directions of evolution aiming at making the process more efficient and consequently boosting its potentialities in satisfying the market demand. Eventually, a countercheck has been performed in order to verify the reliability of the provided outcomes. The feedbacks have confirmed the coherence among the outputs of IPPR and those available in the acknowledged literature.

Keywords: Business Process | Customer Requirement | Wood Chip | Wood Pellet | Wood Waste

Abstract: The introduction of the book is dedicated to outline the scientific context within which Integrated Product and Process Reengineering (IPPR) has been developed, as well as the basic motivations of the work. The disciplines aimed at proposing alternative configurations of industrial processes and products/services, i.e. Business Process Reengineering (BPR) and New Product Development (NPD), are analyzed by pointing out the main strengths and weaknesses. The birth of IPPR is a contribution for filling the gap between the expected outcomes of the present methodologies and the practical displayed results. The present Chapter clarifies the main concepts employed within the presented methodology and provides suitable definitions for the most relevant notions. Furthermore, a classification of common industrial problems is presented, for which different tools are suitable to reengineer the current business. As a result of a broad review of the existing techniques, the purpose of the book is clarified, illustrating the main strategic and methodological objectives to be pursued throughout original tools focused on customer value.

Keywords: Business Model | Business Process | Customer Requirement | Customer Satisfaction | Quality Function Deployment

Abstract: The Chapter presents the application of IPPR to a reengineering problem belonging to class 2, i.e. individuating the bottlenecks that generate loss of competitiveness. The case study concerns a branch of the Italian footwear industry which is represented by firms producing “accessible fashion” shoes. During the last years such a sector has experienced serious problems in preserving its competitiveness. The most critical factor has been identified as the timeliness in responding to a market demand characterized by rapidly mutating conditions. The aim of IPPR in such context was the individuation of proper reengineering actions allowing more dynamic business process resetting. The outcomes of the performed analysis suggest to reorganize the whole process according to quick response strategies. A verification through literature sources has confirmed the appropriateness of the provided indications.

Keywords: Business Process | Business Process Model | Customer Requirement | Customer Satisfaction | Manufacturing Activity

Abstract: This Chapter faces the implementation of the workflow foreseen by the IPPR methodology. Several instruments, both well established and originally developed within IPPR, are suggested to support the user in the execution of the involved activities. The adopted Multi-domain process modeling technique is capable to organize the relevant information concerning manifold features about the industrial activities and their outputs, which are comprehensively individuated through the CRs checklist. The Kano model is proposed to classify the customer requirements according to their appraised function in delighting the buyer or avoiding his/her dissatisfaction, which is a relevant facet for the problems grouped in the class 2. Moreover, for the classes of problems 1 and 2, proper metrics are proposed for the calculation of the Phase Overall Satisfaction, the estimation of the resources consumption and the computation of relevant value indexes. The last coefficients are used to build graphical maps, such as the Assessment Charts, aimed at facilitating the identification of the process criticalities in terms of value bottlenecks and the subsequent reengineering actions. The definition of new product profiles, which is the main scope when facing the class 3 of reengineering problems, swivels on the adoption of the New Value Proposition Guidelines, adopted as systematic tool to support the early phases of NPD activities. The Lifecycle System Operator and the Functional Features clustering model represent useful supports to identify business opportunities and to aid the creative generation of new value profiles. Eventually, specific guidelines to select proper redesign tools of processes and products are suggested to support the activities included in the step 3 of IPPR.

Keywords: Business Process | Customer Requirement | Customer Satisfaction | Product Attribute | Resource Consumption

Abstract: The Chapter presents a discussion about the global achievements of IPPR. The proposed method represents an original contribution in terms of the tools for supporting both BPR and NPD tasks. More specifically, it suggests modeling techniques capable to represent the functioning of a business process linking the phases to the aspects of value supplied to the user. Novel assessment metrics have been defined aimed at identifying the process bottlenecks in terms of the ratio between generated customer satisfaction and involved resources. Furthermore, original guidelines have been identified to support the user in performing new value proposition tasks oriented towards the definition of new product profiles. The tests have confirmed reliability and consistency of the feedbacks provided by IPPR. Eventually, further studies have been planned to expand the potentialities and the reliability of the methodologies, among them some are included in ongoing research activities.

Keywords: Business Process | Computerize Decision Support | Customer Satisfaction | Product Platform | Product Service System

Abstract: According to the current trend to extend the domain of application of Engineering Design to the whole Product Cycle, i.e. from the definition of the product profile to the management of the dismantling procedures, the authors are investigating the possibility to define a practical toolkit to support the earliest stages of product development both in terms of prescriptions to generate new value propositions and assessment of the expected market appraisal. The present paper deals with the second objective and proposes a twofold version of Value Assessment Metrics (VAM) which allow to estimate the success potential of a new product through a balance of its functionalities and features with respect to the alternatives existing in the market. After reporting the methodological approach adopted to build the VAM, the paper presents their preliminary validation and an exemplary application to the proposition of an innovative lipstick.

Keywords: Blue ocean strategy | Functional classification | New product development | TRIZ

Abstract: Many design approaches have been developed to support the tasks involved in the Conceptual and Embodiment design phases, but their nature has led to very different paradigms. The translation of the system concept into its structure still represents a critical task, since the models adopted for conceptual design are not directly compatible with those involved in the embodiment stage. Enhancing the interoperability of these models is therefore a key issue to improve the overall efficiency of the Product Design Cycle. According to this objective, in this paper an investigation is presented, aimed at testing the integration between OTSM-TRIZ approach to concept development and DAeMON, which is an original technique for multi-objective optimization developed by the authors. The functionality of the proposed model has been verified through its application to a case study concerning the redesign of a dot printer component. The results demonstrate the potential of the integrated paradigm in guiding the designer from the identification of the right problem to solve, to the embodiment of the solution. Furthermore, such experience allowed a preliminary investigation of a set of rules for developing a new framework for innovative embodiment tasks.

Keywords: Embodiment design | Hybridization | OTSM-TRIZ | Topological optimization

Abstract: Among the various model based theories, the Gero\'s FBS framework is acknowledged as a well-grounded, effective and tested reference for describing both analysis and synthesis design tasks. Despite its design-centric nature, the FBS model can provide a valid support also to represent processes and tasks beyond its original scope. The specific interest of the authors is to extend the FBS application to model also uses and misuses of objects, interpretations of the users, needs and requirements. In fact, as partially addressed also in literature, some issues arise when the classical FBS framework is adopted to model particular aspects such as the user\'s role, values and needs, as well as to produce an explicit representation of failures and redundant functions. The full paper presents an extended classification of aspects, beyond the design perspective, which currently cannot be represented by the FBS model and some directions for its possible extension. Several examples clarify the scope and the characteristics of the proposed model.

Abstract: The paper illustrates an original model and a dialogue-based software application that have been developed by integrating the logic of ARIZ with some OTSM-TRIZ models, in order to guide a user, also with no TRIZ background, to the analysis of inventive problems. The dialogue-based procedure brings to the construction of a model of the inventive problem, which is used both to trigger new solutions by highlighting different solving perspectives and to start an automatic knowledge search within technical and scientific information. The prototype system has been tested with students at Politecnico di Milano and at the University of Florence. The paper details the structure of the algorithm and the results of the first validation activity. © 2011 IFIP International Federation for Information Processing.

Keywords: Computer-Aided Innovation | conceptual design | dialogue-based system | OTSM-TRIZ | problem solving

Abstract: Among the different aims and scopes of Computer-Aided Innovation (CAI) systems a relevant topic is the support of inventive problem solving tasks. The paper presents the research activity developed by the authors in this domain, encompassing the review of the distinctive features of problems encountered by designers and the common approaches employed to overcome them. A further thread of the investigation carried out in this paper concerns the limitations of computer-based approaches exploiting acknowledged models for problem solving. Downstream of the performed analysis the authors highlight the requirements that a novel CAI application should fulfil, supporting the opportunities for building a dialogue-based system. © 2011 IFIP International Federation for Information Processing.

Keywords: Computer-Aided Innovation | conceptual design | dialogue-based system | inventive problem solving

Abstract: The paper reports an exemplary application in the field of wood pellets production of an original methodology to support business process re-engineering by mapping product requirements to product development phases in order to analyse their contribution to value creation. The methodology has been already published and validated by the authors in different industrial sectors through real case studies, all characterized by well-established business processes, needing improvements to preserve their competitiveness on the marketplace. In this paper the effectiveness of the methodology in identifying process criticalities is tested with regards to industrial processes experiencing under capacities in satisfying the market demand as well as concerning not yet established business ideas. According tothis perspective, the wood pellet production process is a suitable case study. In fact, this industrial sector presents high business opportunities in Italy, since the market demand of such kind of energy sources has grown dramatically in the last five years. However, the poor performance of current industrial processes not yet at a mature stage does not allow the complete exploitation of the biomass resources, thus the market demand of woody fuels remains unsatisfied. The paper first positions the work of the authors with respect to already established business processre-engineering techniques; then summarizes the original methodology and details its application in the biofuel field.

Keywords: Business process re-engineering | Customer satisfaction | Pellet manufacturing improvements | Process value analysis | Under development business opportunities

Abstract: Current product lifecycle management (PLM) systems properly support the development of a product from the embodiment design stage to detail design and manufacturing phases; on the contrary, marginal support is provided to the earliest stages of conceptual design. Besides, the front end of product development is supported by an emerging technology, namely computer-aided innovation systems (CAI), which nevertheless are still poorly integrated with the following phases of the design process. The paper presents an original computer-based approach aimed at supporting embodiment design phases, which results very efficient for improving the interoperability of CAI and PLM systems and thus at extending the domain of application of these tools. The potential of the approach proposed by the authors is clarified through three exemplary case studies. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Computer-aided innovation | Embodiment design | Optimization systems | PLM | TRIZ

Abstract: Reaching a sustainable approach in industrial development is a complex challenge that involves several knowledge spheres. The lack of a common vision about sustainability complicates this research issue. The paper proposes a tool that faces with this obstacle during the first phases of design by means of a new instrument: the SUSTAINability map. It is based on two key items of TRIZ: the existence of Laws describing the Evolution of Engineering Systems and the System Operator. In order to clarify the logic of the proposed approach, that has been structured such that no TRIZ background is needed, the paper includes the presentation of a case study, in the field of clothes cleaning.

Keywords: Laws of evolution | Product service system | Sustainable innovation | System operator | System thinking

Abstract: Patents are gaining a growing importance as a complementary source of technical information, since the information they disclose is not accessible in scientific and technical literature. Text mining technologies are emerging as a possible solution to increase the efficiency of patent analysis activities; besides, most of the existing systems are derived from general purpose applications that marginally leverage patents peculiarities. The authors are developing algorithm and tools fully dedicated to patent mining, i.e. information extraction from patent literature. The present paper aims at the identification of relevant technical parameters for a certain domain, through the comparison of thesauri automatically extracted from the given field of application and from its complementary patent classes.

Keywords: Field thesaurus | Network of evolutionary trends | Network of parameters | OTSM-TRIZ | Patent classification | Patent mining

Abstract: This paper aims at improving the efficiency of an inventive problem solving process for complex systems, by reducing the iterations due to the emergence of new problems caused by the implementation of the identified solution. The proposed algorithm guides the problem solver in choosing the most important contradiction to be faced with ARIZ85-C and provides further instructions about the best approach to be followed. Such purpose is achieved by organizing the characteristic parameters of a Technical System according to a specific metric, which allows both the construction of a Network of Contradictions and the definition of criteria for identifying priorities. An exemplary application of the proposed method has been carried out in the field of exhaust noise in 4-stroke engines. © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Keywords: ARIZ | Computer-aided innovation | Network of contradictions | Problem complexity

Abstract: No abstract

Abstract: Within the framework of the Research Project PROSIT [1] aimed at the development of an integrated product design platform capable to link Computer-Aided Innovation (CAI) with PLM/EKM systems, the authors have approached the analysis of the contradictions emerging during the design embodiment phase. In this case, since the functional architecture of the product is already fixed, design conflicts arise due to contradictory geometrical requirements. Design Optimization systems can play a relevant role for the identification of these "geometrical contradictions", even if with modified criteria of usage. The present paper first describes how Design Optimization can be adopted as a means to link CAI and PLM/EKM systems; then a detailed analysis of geometrical contradictions is reported together with the criteria proposed for their categorization. Finally, the discussion is focused on the adoption of the proposed classification of geometrical contradictions as a pointer to the most suitable inventive principles and geometrical effects to overcome the design conflicts. © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Keywords: Computer-Aided innovation | Shape optimization | Systematic design | Topological optimization | TRIZ

Abstract: TRIZ literature presents several papers and even books claiming the efficiency of Altshuller's Laws of Engineering System Evolution as a means for produce technology forecasts. Nevertheless, all the instruments and the procedures proposed so far suffer from poor repeatability, while the increasing adoption of innovation as the key factor for being competitive requires reliable and repeatable methods and tools for the analysis of emerging technologies and their potential impact. The present paper proposes an original algorithm to build a Network of Evolutionary Trends for a given Technical System with repeatable steps. Such a goal has been achieved by integrating well known models and instruments for system description and functional analysis. The overall procedure, still under further development, has been clarified by means of one of the case studies carried out for its validation. © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Keywords: EMS model | FBS model | Functional basis | Laws of engineering systems evolution | Technology forecasting

Abstract: The research of the authors within product development is addressed at developing a tool for innovation in industry, namely Integrated Product and Process Re-engineering (IPPR), whose overall objective is enhancing and harmonizing ideation, design and manufacturing with a product lifecycle approach. The module of IPPR indicated as Process Value Analysis (PVA) is aimed at ranking the phases of a business process according to their contribution to customer satisfaction with respect to the employed resources. The original contribution of the present paper is complementing the method with information concerning drops in customer satisfaction as a result of poorly performed process phases. By accepting the non-linear relationship between satisfaction and attributes' quality level and the different roles played by customer requirements according to Kano categories, the authors propose a preliminary method to provide quantitative evaluations of the effects of process phases that do not thoroughly fulfil the intended objectives. An exemplary application here presented refers to the cosmetic industry, by investigating the production process of lipsticks, to which PVA was previously applied with encouraging outcomes.

Keywords: Customer satisfaction | Kano categories | Lipstick production | Process phases performance | Process value analysis

Abstract: The paper describes a methodology to support business process re-engineering by mapping product requirements to product development phases in order to analyze their contribution to value creation. The methodology has been already validated by the authors in different industrial sectors through real case studies [1], that were all characterized by well established business processes, needing improvements to preserve their competitiveness in the marketplace. In this chapter the effectiveness of the methodology in identifying process criticalities is tested with regards to industrial processes experiencing under capacities in satisfying the market demand as well as concerning not yet established business ideas. The task is performed by considering the wood pellet production process as a case study. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2011.

Keywords: Business process re-engineering | Customer satisfaction | Process value analysis | Product requirements

Abstract: TRIZ literature largely claims the efficiency of Altshuller's Laws of Engineering System Evolution (LESE) as a means for producing technology forecasts. Besides, all the instruments and the procedures proposed so far suffer from poor repeatability, thus limiting the adoption of TRIZ instruments as reliable means for the analysis of emerging technologies and their potential impact. In a previous work [1, 2] the authors have presented their modelling approach based on a combination of well known TRIZ techniques and traditional engineering design reference models. The outcome is a Network of Evolutionary Trends which supports decision making by positioning alternative technologies and technical solutions according to the LESE. The choice of the favourite strategic direction is still assigned to the beneficiaries of the forecast, since decisions will be taken also based on their mission and values. Besides, it is necessary providing further means of judgement to the decision makers. According to this purpose, it is useful to assess the maturity level of the analyzed technologies. The present work is a study about the correlations existing between the evolution of contradictions and the Law of Ideality increase, as a means to estimate the stage of development of a Technical System. The paper details the method proposed to make a systematic comparison of the contradictions related to each technology. The approach is clarified by means of a case study related to the production of tablets in the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector. © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Keywords: Contradiction | Laws of engineering systems evolution | Technology forcasting

Abstract: Marketing strategies are focusing on innovation as the key for being competitive; as a consequence, product development processes must be improved in order to have a link as close as possible between conceptual design and detailed design activities. Within this context, TRIZ and TRIZ-based methodologies and tools are still poorly integrated with product embodiment means: CAD/CAE systems are not suited for supporting the designer in the conceptual design phase and at the same time inventive/separation principles, standard solutions etc. can hardly be translated into a modification of a CAD model and the only opportunity is to restart the modeling process. A small consortium of Italian Universities is analyzing the opportunity to use Design Optimization tools as a means for linking Computer-Aided Innovation (CAI) tools with Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems: www.kaemart.it/prosit. Among the specific objectives of the project, this paper describes how to analyze TRIZ technical contradictions by means of Design Optimization tools, with the aim of translating them into physical contradictions. The suggestions provided by inventive/separation principles are therefore converted into a new Design Optimization problem for the development of a novel solution. © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Keywords: Computer-aided innovation | Shape optimization | Systematic design | Topological optimization | TRIZ

Abstract: No abstract

Abstract: In recent years, several TRIZ practitioners have focused their attention on the application of TRIZ concepts for new business strategy definition. Among the others, the Blue Ocean Strategy has attracted the largest consensus. Nevertheless, this methodological approach proves to be very elegant to describe past business innovation successes, while it provides just general directions if a new profile of "values" is requested for a given product or service. The present paper analyzes with a TRIZ perspective 32 case studies from the BOS literature and shows that more prescriptive guidelines can be identified from these experiences. © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Keywords: Functional features | New value proposition | System operator | TRIZ ideality

Abstract: The paper proposes an extension of the Gero\'s Function-Behaviour-Structure (FBS) framework aimed at representing Need and Requirements and their relationships with the Function, the Behaviour and the Structure of an artefact. Needs and Requirements can be modelled as further types of variables to describe with the same formal approach of the situated FBS model the transformation processes which occur in the earlier stages of design, when the requirements still need to be specified. The proposed model is clarified through a simple, but comprehensive example related to the design of a kettle.

Keywords: Design requirements | FBS | Functional modelling | New product development | User needs

Abstract: In a recent project [8] the authors have developed an approach to assist the identification of the optimal topology of a technical system capable to overcome geometrical contradictions that arise from conflicting design requirements. The suggested method is based on the hybridization of partial solutions obtained from mono-objective topology optimization tasks. In order to investigate efficiency, robustness and potentialities of hybridization, a comparison among the proposed approach and the traditional Topology Optimization methods is here presented. The application of the proposed hybridization approach to several case studies of multi-objective optimization problems available in literature has been performed with the aim to evaluate the robustness of the method, through a direct benchmark between the hybridized topology and the traditional methods. The obtained results demonstrate that the proposed method is computationally definitely less expensive than the conventional application of Genetic Algorithms to topological optimization, still keeping the same robustness in terms of searching the global optimum solution. Moreover, the comparison among the hybridized solutions and the solutions obtained through traditional topology optimization methods, shows that the proposed approach often leads to very different topologies having better performance. © Organizing Committee of TMCE 2010 Symposium.

Keywords: Computer-aided conceptual design | Computer-aided innovation | Embodiment design | Genetic algorithms | Topological optimization | TRIZ

Abstract: Two decades of studies about business process re-engineering have proposed several strategies for the reorganization of a production process aimed at costs saving and waste reduction. Nevertheless, there is still a substantial lack of suitable means to measure if and how much the production phases contribute to deliver value, i.e. satisfaction, to the end user. The present paper proposes a methodology aimed at supporting business process re-engineering activities by taking into account the impact each phase of a process has on the value perceived by the customers. The methodology swivels on process value analysis, that is performed through the evaluation of both the customer perceived benefits originated from the process phases, and the resources spent in the same phases. On the basis of customer satisfaction requirements, guidelines are defined in order to identify both process evolution strategies and resource reorganization activities allowing the market competitiveness of products and/or services that the process sells to be preserved and improved. The methodology has been applied to a case study in the field of the Italian footwear industry in order to assess its efficiency.

Keywords: Business process re-engineering | Customer perceived value | Footwear sector | Kano model | Process modelling | TRIZ | Value analysis

Abstract: TRIZ literature presents several papers and even books claiming the efficiency of Altshuller's Laws of Engineering System Evolution as a means for producing technology forecasts. Nevertheless, all the instruments and the procedures proposed so far suffer from poor repeatability, while the increasing adoption of innovation as the key factor for being competitive requires reliable and repeatable methods and tools for the analysis of emerging technologies and their potential impact. The present paper proposes an original algorithm to perform a functional analysis aimed at building a Network of Evolutionary Trends for a given Technical System with repeatable steps. Such a goal has been achieved by integrating well known models and instruments for system description and function representation. The overall procedure has been already validated in a number of industrial case studies and it's here clarified by means of an example about the production of tablets in the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector.

Keywords: EMS model | FBS model | Functional basis | Laws of engineering systems evolution | Technology forecasting | TRIZ

Abstract: The paper presents a methodology aimed at the improvement of the product development cycle through the integration of Computer-Aided Innovation (CAI) with Optimization and PLM systems. The interoperability of these tools is obtained through the adoption of Optimization systems as a bridging element between CAI and PLM systems. This methodology was developed within the PROSIT project (http://www.kaemart.it/prosit). The paper describes the main issues related to the integration of these complementary instruments and the solutions proposed by the authors. More specifically, the main idea of the PROSIT project to link CAI and Optimization systems is the adoption of the latter tools not just to generate optimized solutions, but also as a design analysis tool, capable to outline critical aspects of a mechanical component in terms of conflicting design requirements or parameters. CAI systems are then applied to overcome the contradictory requirements. The second step, i.e. the integration between Optimization and PLM systems, has been obtained through the development of Knowledge-Based (KB) tools to support designer's activities. More in details, they provide means to analyze and extrapolate useful geometrical information from the results provided by the optimizer, as well as semi-automatic modelling features for some specific geometries. A detailed example related to the design of a plastic wheel for light moto-scooters clarifies the whole procedure. The paper integrates, extends and updates topics presented in Cugini et al., Barbieri et al. and Cascini et al. [U. Cugini, G. Cascini, M. Ugolotti, Enhancing interoperability in the design process-the PROSIT approach, in: Proceedings of the 2nd IFIP Working Conference on Computer-Aided Innovation, Brighton (MI), USA, October 8-9, 2007, published on Trends in Computer-Aided Innovation, Springer, ISBN 978-0-387-75455-0, pp. 189-200; L. Barbieri, F. Bruno, M. Muzzupappa, U. Cugini, Design automation tools as a support for knowledge management in topology optimization, in: Proceedings of the ASME 2008 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences & Computers and Information in Engineering Conference (IDETC/CIE 2008), Brooklyn, New York, USA, August 3-6, 2008; L. Barbieri, F. Bruno, M. Muzzupappa, U. Cugini, Guidelines for an efficient integration of topological optimization tools in the product development process, in: Third International Conference on Design Computing and Cognition, Atlanta, USA, June 23-25, 2008; G. Cascini, P. Rissone, F. Rotini, From design optimization systems to geometrical contradictions, in: Proceedings of the 7th ETRIA TRIZ Future Conference, Frankfurt, Germany, November 6-8, 2007]. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Computer-Aided Innovation | Knowledge-Based Engineering | Optimization systems | Product Lifecycle Management

Abstract: In a recent project the authors have proposed the adoption of Optimization Systems [1] as a bridging element between Computer-Aided Innovation (CAI) and PLM to identify geometrical contradictions [2], a particular case of the TRIZ physical contradiction [3]. A further development of the research [4] has revealed that the solutions obtained from several topological optimizations can be considered as elementary customized modeling features for a specific design task. The topology overcoming the arising geometrical contradiction can be obtained through a manipulation of the density distributions constituting the conflicting pair. Already two strategies of density combination have been identified as capable to solve geometrical contradictions and several others are under extended testing. The paper illustrates the most recent results of the ongoing research mainly related to the extension of the algorithms from 2D to 3D design spaces. The whole approach is clarified by means of two detailed examples, where the proposed technique is compared with classical multi-goal optimization.

Keywords: Computer-Aided Conceptual Design | Computer-Aided Innovation | Embodiment Design | Topological optimization | TRIZ

Abstract: A business process may be considered a technical system that generates value by turning available resources into products or services to be sold. When the process is not able to exploit all available resources in terms of market demand, raw materials, etc., the value generated by the system decreases owing to a lack of functionality or performance. The current paper presents an original road-map, based on the integration of different methods and tools (namely IDEF, TRIZ, TOC), able to support the analysis of an industrial production process in order to identify business opportunities that are not exploited to their maximum extent. The proposed approach goes from the As-Is process to the definition of a To-Be model by moving from the actual reality to the economic domain and then back to the desired or expected future reality. The link between these two domains is constituted by the functional domain, and the identification of the functional needs is the step to define innovation challenges aimed at removing business limits. An application of the road-map to improve the production process of solid biofuels is also presented as a case study in order to clarify and validate the proposed approach. © IMechE 2008.

Keywords: Business process re-engineering and innovation | Functional modelling | Process modelling | Product development

Abstract: The estimation of the conceptual distance between patents is a critical issue for Computer-Aided patent portfolio analysis systems, an emerging class of computer tools for supporting R&D analyses and decisions, patent infringement risk evaluation, technology forecasting. The aim of the present work is the introduction of an original algorithm for patent comparison: since typical text analyses are biased by the writer\'s style, the inventions similarity is here estimated by comparing the components and their hierarchical and functional interactions automatically extracted by means of a custom software tool. The whole procedure is clarified with an exemplary application in the field of electric current circuit breakers.

Abstract: The application of standard Information Extraction techniques to Patent Analysis has several limitations partially due to the difference existing between patents and web pages, which are the object of the biggest majority of information search. Indeed, while in other fields customized processing techniques have been developed, the number of studies fully dedicated to patent text mining is very limited and the tools available on the market still require a relevant human workload. This paper presents an algorithm to identify the peculiarities of an invention through an automatic functional analysis of the patent text; as a result a ranked list of components and functions is provided as well as a selection of meaningful paragraphs disclosing the details of the invention. An example related to laser irradiation devices for medical treatment clarifies its basic steps. © 2007 International Federation for Information Processing.

Abstract: The paper presents a methodology developed within the PROSIT project, aimed at the improvement of the product development cycle through the integration of Computer-Aided Innovation systems with Optimization and PLM/EKM systems. The interoperability of these tools is obtained through the adoption of Optimization systems as design analysis means and the definition of formalized and validated procedures and guidelines. The logic of the proposed methodology is explained through a detailed study case related to the design of a plastic wheel for light moto-scooters.

Abstract: TRIZ, the Soviet-initiated Theory of Inventive Problem Solving, is gaining acknowledgement both as a systematic methodology for innovation and a powerful tool for technology forecasting. Nevertheless, the analysis of patents necessary for gathering the data to be used for the previsional activity is very cumbersome and sometimes unworthy due to the intrinsic low reliability of forecasting tasks. With this perspective it is necessary to speed up the identification of the technical/physical conflict(s) overcome by an invention, according to its textual description. Although text-mining tools have reached relevant capabilities for extracting useful information from huge sets of documents, no specific means are available to support the analysis of patents with the aim of identifying the contradiction underlying a given technical system. This paper proposes a computer-aided approach for accomplishing such a task: the algorithm is described and validated by means of practical examples. Copyright © 2007 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

Keywords: Analysis of contradictions | Patent analysis | Technology forecasting | Text mining | TRIZ

Abstract: Design tool integration is a primary goal for any technical department in order to satisfy time constraints imposed by the market competition. While commercial products actually present valuable integration features, custom tools developed on the basis of company know-how are still lacking from this point of view. In this paper the authors describe a procedure to build an XML platform capable of integrating design tools, preserving their architecture. This database allows the storage of product configurations and its dimensional parameters in a hierarchical structure that can be easily translated into STEP format. In such a way a virtual prototype of the part can be obtained by a descriptor-based modelling system that allows design cycle automation and complete design tool integration. The work has been developed within the framework of cooperation between Nuovo Pignone, the Florentine plant of General Electric - Oil and Gas, and the University of Florence. © IMechE 2005.

Keywords: Data exchange | Integrated design | STEP | XML

Abstract: Polymers are substituting metallic alloys in every field of mechanical application; in plastics design the material properties affect designer\'s choice more heavily than in other cases, but also available manufacturing technologies have a deep influence on the project. All of these considerations can be summarized in the concept that a wide knowledge of polymer behaviour and technology is required and that in plastics design a new approach should be used: so new design tools must be adopted, as creativity supporting software, integrated with the prototyping capabilities offered by computer-aided engineering systems, to guide the development of new solutions. The aim of this work is to show how the integration of modern design tools with creativity management techniques constitutes an effective procedure to enhance the capability of developing innovative products. In this paper the use of the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) is proposed to approach the redesign of structural parts from metals to polymers. To supply the designer with all the information he/she may need in this activity, a knowledge portal based on semantic capabilities of modern text mining technology has been built: the design of a polymeric wheel is taken as the opportunity to show how these design tools can organize and conduct to realizable solutions. The integrated adoption of knowledge-based tools both for the conceptual design phase (TRIZ-based applications) and for the detailed design phase (Semantic Knowledge portal) has provided satisfactory results in terms of augmented creativity and design efficiency.

Abstract: The design of competitive products requires meeting several market demands often contradictory, or at least very hard to achieve due to the hard time constrains imposed by the competitors. For example, from a structural point of view, mechanical parts must be light-weighted as well as stiff and strong according to the application requirements. The integration of CAE tools is the basic step towards the fulfillment of these demands, but it must be observed that such integration involves just detailed design phases, while only stand alone tools are available to support the designer during the preliminary product development activities. In facts, nowadays, the market offers several tools to improve designer creativity and problem solving capabilities with a systematic approach. Nevertheless, it is worth to notice that current Computer-Aided Inventing (CAI) applications cannot be integrated with other product development systems. In this paper, a survey of CAI systems is presented with a set of hints about their future development towards the integration with Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) applications.

Keywords: Computer-aided inventing | PLM | Product development cycle | Systematic innovation

Abstract: Natural Language Processing techniques for text-mining and information retrieval are finding application in the analysis of many kinds of documentation, from technical documentation to World Wide Web. Particularly, Functional Analysis techniques are based on the extraction of the interactions between the entities described in the document: these interactions are expressed as Subject-Action-Object (SAO) triples (obtainable using a suitable syntactic parser) which represent a concept in its most synthesizing form. In this work, the techniques developed for a functional analysis of patents and their implementation in the PAT-Analyzer tool are presented. The same technique has been properly tailored and applied to the analysis of software requirements documents. Current work in the direction of the development of a SAO-based Content Analysis of technical documentation is presented.

Abstract: The efforts made by a company to focus on the manufacturing process to minimize production costs are not any more sufficient to launch competitive products on the market. In recent years, the industry has focused on the integration and optimization of the phases of the product development process and on the introduction of innovations in the attempt to tackle and solve the above mentioned issues. The paper presents the results of a research project whose aim is to study a methodology for the evaluation of the impact and costs related to the adoption of new and innovative technologies for knowledge and innovation management within currently implemented companies' product development processes (As-Is process).

Keywords: Knowledge management | Product development process | Product innovation | Technical creativity

Abstract: Knowledge of the forces at the wheel-rail contact is fundamental to estimate the consequences in terms of noise and vibration. The traditional use of strain gauges mounted on the wheel web and axle is not capable of determining the high-frequency content of the contact force. Measurements made on the rail are characterized by the spatial variability of input-output transfer functions which makes it difficult to estimate the contact force by simple inversion of the point frequency response function. In this study the problem of rolling contact force reconstruction has been approached through the following steps: (i) the track has been characterized precisely for a finite length by the analysis of the time series of several impacts supplied with an instrumented hammer by using an ARMAX model that proved to be capable of modelling the vertical dynamics of the rail up to 5 kHz; (ii) the response of the rail has been simulated with a random force acting on the system, and the variability of the transfer function has been taken into account by distributing the force on adjacent elements; (iii) the simulated response has been compared with the rail acceleration measured for the passage of several trains; (iv) the wheel-rail contact force has been estimated with a closed-loop algorithm. It has thus been possible to reconstruct the 1/3 octave power spectrum of contact forces with a simple and stable iterative procedure. Forces reconstructed from different sensors were found to be practically the same for a given wheel; forces from nominally similar wheels are statistically examined and partial results of comparisons made on different rolling stock are shown.

Abstract: In this work a simplified device for the measurement of the noise emitted laterally by an UIC 60 rail is presented. It consists of three convergent parallel ducts with an anechoic termination to collect the sound energy in a straight, cross-square section pipe where measuring microphones are located. The acoustic design of the device is described with reference to the shape definition, based on FEM analysis, and to the optimization of the multilayered anechoic termination with experimental and numerical techniques. Laboratory tests performed to calibrate and to validate the device are shown and its acoustical performance is analyzed and discussed. The overall dimension and the very limited weight of the device ensures the portability and hence its practical use; the limited cost and the use with standard instrumentation make possible its use for the detection of an excessive wear of wheel tread. The results of the first application of the device are shown, and a comparison is made between the noise emitted by the rail head, the rail web and the rail foot at the passage of damaged and non-damaged wheels.

Abstract: The analysis of the high frequency wheel-rail dynamic interaction can give useful information for the diagnostic in transit trains, despite the great difficulties regarding this kind of measurement. In particular contact force estimation requires a different kind of approach from direct measuring and needs digital processing based, for example, on rail acceleration. This article describes a methodology for contact force energy reconstruction and illustrates some analyses regarding the wheels of a great number of trains. A subsequent deep investigation of rail acceleration, carried out on more than 1100 trucks, has made it possible to specify the characteristics of the most common Italian passenger trains; it has furthermore given some information concerning the diagnostic possibilities of this type of measure. Significant statistical researches for the identification of the rolling stock fault degree (and then its impact on the railway line), referring to wear, noise and comfort problems, can even be useful to establish the railway network fares.

Abstract: The present work proposes the modelling of the vertical behaviour of a railway line section under a vertical excitation. The utilized modelling method makes it possible to describe the track behaviour up to 5 kHz, typical of the sound analysis, and utilizes a definitely small number of parameters. This note describes the test campaign for the acquisition of the track experimental responses, the choice of the optimum model, the modelling achieved by means of signal analysis techniques in the time domain and the validation of the model, showing the statistic reliability of the results as well. The applications and developments that may derive from the above-mentioned model are finally illustrated.

Abstract: The direct measurement of mobile input forces in the high-frequency range is often impossible in many mechanical systems. In this paper, an algorithm for the reconstruction of a mobile input based on a parametric model of a system and on its response to the unknown input is proposed and validated. To apply the algorithm, the system must be described in terms of models of discrete poles and zeros. A simple damped mechanical system with complex behaviour (constrained layer damped dual beam) identified with an ARMAX (autoregressive moving average with external input) model was used in this study. The output signals used in the algorithm validation phase were estimated with a custom procedure for narrow- and broadband mobile input forces.

Abstract: The modelling of the vertical dynamics of a track at high frequencies requires rather complex approaches to take into account section deformations. Validation is usually made by comparing computed frequency responses with measured ones. In this study an experimental model of a railway track is proposed based on the analysis of recorded time histories of impact excitations and the corresponding vibrations of the rail with autoregressive (AR) techniques. Measurements are used not only as a convergence parameter that the model must approach, but are also entirely used to describe the dynamic behaviour of the rail in the frequency range 150÷5000 Hz. Frequency response functions are reconstructed with a very high fidelity but the model obtained is not general, as it is applicable only to the measured track section under the hypothesis of linearity. The measurement details, the construction and the validation of the model are shown in this paper.

Abstract: Rolling stock and track damage due to localized (wheelflats) and global (corrugation) railway wheel tread defects is extremely serious, and several devices have been developed to detect these defects. An original experimental and numerical procedure for detection of wheel corrugation and wheelflats has been developed and validated; it processes rail acceleration signals collected by using combined energy and cepstrum analysis criteria. The use of cepstrum analysis proved to be particularly useful as it allows the discrimination of wheelflats independently from the presence of other defects, even when their effects are hidden in globally high acceleration levels due to heavy corrugation. A short survey of damage induced by wheelflats is presented; optimal measurement conditions and extensive examples are then detailed. The results are discussed with particular reference to the applicability of the technique developed to automated detection devices.

Keywords: Automatic detection | Cepstrum analysis | Corrugation | Railway wheel tread defects | Wheelflat