CONFIGLAB: A conceptual design tool with corrective explanations supported by sketch-based design reuse

While conceptual design is widely regarded as one of the most important phases of the product development process, very few tools exist that support designers at this critical phase. Designers find it natural to sketch when developing concepts. In this paper we present a framework for supporting the conceptual design of mechanical systems through a sketch-based design reuse tool. Design retrieval based on sketching is used to bridge the gap between design intent captured in user sketches and concept realization. During design, designers also need advice on the implications of their design decisions. The design support system developed here can generate concise corrective explanations when required. The explanation framework informs the user of violated constraints and suggests corrective actions to eliminate violations based on a product taxonomy and shape similarity metric. We describe the tool, CONFIGLAB, and present a case-study to demonstrate our approach. Finally, we summarize our research agenda in this area, highlighting the key issues that need to be addressed.