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Digital
Library of the European Council for Modelling and Simulation |
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Title: |
A
Software Framework For Intelligent Computer-Automated Product Design |
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Authors: |
Catherine Costigan,
Robin T. Bye, Ottar L. Osen,
Birger Skogeng Pedersen,
Ibrahim A. Hameed, Hans Georg Schaathun |
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Published in:
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(2016).ECMS 2016 Proceedings edited
by: Thorsen Claus, Frank Herrmann, Michael Manitz, Oliver Rose, European Council for Modeling
and Simulation. doi:10.7148/2016 ISBN:
978-0-9932440-2-5 30th
European Conference on Modelling and Simulation, Regensburg Germany, May 31st
– June 3rd, 2016 |
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Citation
format: |
Catherine Costigan
(2016). Robin T. Bye, Ottar L. Osen,
Birger Skogeng Pedersen, Ibrahim
A. Hameed, Hans Georg Schaathun,
ECMS 2016 Proceedings edited by: Thorsten Claus, Frank Herrmann, Michael Manitz, Oliver Rose European Council for Modeling
and Simulation. doi:10.7148/2016-0534 |
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DOI: |
http://dx.doi.org/10.7148/2016-0534 |
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Abstract: |
For many years, NTNU in Ålesund (formerly Aalesund University
College) has maintained a close relationship with the maritime industrial
cluster, centred in the surrounding geographical
region, thus acting as a hub for both education,
research, and innovation. Of many common relevant research topics, virtual
prototyping is currently one of the most important. In this paper, we
describe our first complete version of a generic and modular software
framework for intelligent computer-automated product design. We present our
framework in the context of design of offshore cranes, with easy extensions
to other products, be it maritime or not. Funded by
the Research Council of Norway and its Programme
for Regional R&D and Innovation (VRI), the work we present has been part
of two separate but related research projects (grant nos. 241238 and 249171)
in close cooperation with two local maritime industrial partners. We have
implemented several software modules that together constitute the framework,
of which the most important are a server-side crane prototyping tool (CPT), a
client-side web graphical user interface (GUI), and a client-side artificial
intelligence for product optimisation (AIPO) module
that uses a genetic algorithm (GA) library for optimising
design parameters to achieve a crane design with desired performance.
Communication between clients and server is achieved by means of the HTTP and
WebSocket protocols and JSON as the data format. To
demonstrate the feasibility of the fully functioning complete system, we
present a case study where our computer-automated design was able to improve
the existing design of a real and delivered 50-tonnes, 2.9 million EUR knuckleboom crane with respect to some chosen desired
design criteria. Our framework being generic and modular, both clientside and server-side modules can easily be extended
or replaced. We demonstrate the feasibility of this concept in an
accompanying paper submitted concurrently, in which we create a simple
product optimisation client in Matlab
that uses readily available toolboxes to connect to the CPT and optimise various crane designs by means of a GA. In
addition, our research team is currently developing a winch prototyping tool
to which our existing AIPO module can connect and optimise
winch designs with only small configuration changes. This work will be
published in the near future. |
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