In addition, since design can range from routine to creative design, and from naive to expert design, it provides a context for studying a large spectrum of AI issues. The case-specific SBF models enable the learning of the generic BF models. The generic BF models in turn enable cross-domain analogical transfer of design knowledge.
Current work focuses on additional strategies for reminding, adaptation and transfer.
The environment provides a student access to design cases and device models. The cases and the models are cross-indexed so that the student can navigate from one kind of knowledge to another. Also, the case-specific models enable a student to simulate and visualize a design. Current work focuses on providing the student access to strategic knowledge, in the form of generic design tasks and methods, and on providing illustrations and explanations of the use strategic knowledge in solving design problems. A hard problem in computer-aided design is how to enable the designer to accommodate manufacturing and demanufacturing constraints in designing a product.