Uncertainty Modeling to Enable Software Development Platforms that Can Automate Complex Mechanical Systems Design

Journal article, 2013

Development platforms are automated software tools used to synthesize new designs. They are prevalent in the embedded system design domain, with applications ranging from integrated circuits, circuit boards, electro-mechanical controls, and entire networked systems. Historically, this has enabled rapid and error-free design of very complex embedded software and electronics hardware, even those that control mechanical systems such as aerospace and automotive controls through automation of the design process. The state of mechanical design automation has far less commercial adoption or industrial demonstration of development platforms in mechanical design. This paper elaborates on what challenges mechanical design automation faces to reach the level of design automation in the embedded systems domain. Given a design library approach, it is concluded that uncertainty management is a key issue for future research, including model uncertainty for mechanical design modeling. These issues are then contextualized using a case from the aerospace industry.