Abstract: This paper describes a methodology for management information systems design which employs a formalized framework for significantly involving manager-users in the design process. The process seeks to develop a system design on the basis of a criterion which considers both technical cost-benefit considerations and the manager's perception of the potential utility of the system. A key element of the methodology is the development of descriptive and normative system models which are based on the concept of a “linear responsibility chart.” These models serve as the basis for the negotiated development of a consensus system model which defines the framework for the decision-oriented analysis of information requirement. The process of information analysis involves joint manager-analyst activities which are aimed at the explication of the implicit decision models which are used for decision making.

Abstract: This paper discusses the development of APL, emphasizing and illustrating the principles underlying its design. The principle of simplicity appears most strongly in the minimization of rules governing the behavior of APL objects, while the principle of practicality is served by the design process itself, which relies heavily on experimentation. The paper gives the rationale for many specific design choices, including the necessary adjuncts for system management.

Abstract: Much of the software developed to support engineering design calculations is produced by persons whose primary job skill is not that of computer scientist. Software validation techniques suitable for use by these engineer-programmers have been under investigation by the Navy as part of a project designed to increase the reliability, usability, and portability of engineering design software. The results of the project are summarized and a software validation tool is described.

Abstract: Since engineers need to have reasonable competence in mathematics but practioners of the medical profes sions need not, the two groups often find it hard to work together in biomedical research. A key area in which such cooperation is essential is the building of models. This paper shows how the bond-graph technique may be used to develop linear dynamic models of biomedical systems that can be implemented on a digital computer. This technique requires vir tually no knowledge of mathematics, numerical methods, or computers, thus removing a communications barrier between the two groups. The technique is illustrated by applying it to a case taken from the biomedical literature. The result is a "whole-body model" which is useful in determining comfort factors which affect the design of suspension systems for passenger vehi cles. This paper shows how the physical model was represented by a bond graph and how this representa tion could be converted into a digital-computer model yielding engineering design data ...

Abstract: Recently, major efforts have been devoted toward collecting full-scale data and stress measurements on board oceangoing ships and large vessels operating in the Great Lakes. The main objectives of these efforts are to improve the capability of predicting the environmental loads on ships and to formulate rational methods for selecting appropriate structural design criteria. These rather expensive full-scale programs must be accompanied by statistical analyses of the collected data in order to incorporate the new knowledge and information gained into the design process itself. Integrated design procedures and analytical models must be developed, checked, and calibrated using the available statistical data so that full advantage can be taken of such information in designing new ships. The paper describes a first effort that will contribute, it is hoped, to progress in this direction.

Abstract: This chapter discusses the significance of analysis and computation in engineering design. The extent of the mathematical analysis that may contribute to a design problem solution is extremely variable. Not only does it depend upon the possibility of formulating a suitable model in mathematical terms, but it also depends on the talents and size of a particular team of designers, as well as the financial support and time available to them. Furthermore, the importance of accurate calculations is different from one case to another. In aircraft design, where safety factors applied to the structure are kept to a minimum so that the lightest structure may be achieved, extensive and detailed prior calculations and exhaustive tests are essential. In land-based structure such accuracy is not always required. In mathematical models the input is usually given in the form of numbers, representing such variables as power to be generated, permissible dimensions, and ambient temperature. Certain of the input variables such as material properties may have to be obtained from experimentation. In a model involving experimentation, the input variables must be provided in real form, such as an applied voltage varying in a specified way or a spring being of a particular stiffness.

Abstract: Conceptual design studies are summarized of tandem-rotor helicopter and tilt-rotor aircraft for a short haul transport mission in the 1985 time frame. Vertical takeoff designs of both configurations are discussed, and the impact of external noise criteria on the vehicle designs, performance, and costs are shown. A STOL design for the tilt-rotor configuration is reported, and the effect of removing the vertical takeoff design constraints on the design parameters, fuel economy, and operating cost is discussed.

Abstract: The design of a new aerospace vehicle is a complex, long-term process. At the onset, a set of objectives is identified in the areas of mission, weight, performance, payload, etc., which are specified with a fairly good knowledge of the available design technology and constraints. The designer possesses a fund of accumulated experience and knowledge that he applies, with imagination and intuition, to meet the requirements and constraints he has been given. The knowledge and experience of the designer are more and more frequently being delegated to the computer; intuition and imagination can never be. In spite of the extensive use of computers in portions of the design process, total turnaround times are long; drudgery interrupts and stalls the engineer. The total project data is segmented and scattered throughout the design team to such an extend that accessing, coordinating, and updating become difficult and complex. The team gets the job done, but only after painfully tedious effort.

Abstract: Conceptual design studies are summarized of tandem-rotor helicopter and tilt-rotor aircraft for a short haul transport mission in the 1985 time frame. Vertical takeoff designs of both configurations are discussed, and the impact of external noise criteria on the vehicle designs, performance, and costs are shown. A STOL design for the tilt-rotor configuration is reported, and the effect of removing the vertical takeoff design constraints on the design parameters, fuel economy, and operating cost is discussed.

Abstract: Mechanical design problems can often be viewed as the search for the best system out of the set of all systems configured to perform a given function. This search, which is often subject to constraints, may be considerably aided by the use of numerical optimization procedures. A deterministic optimization procedure is described which is analogous to the well-known Monte Carlo methods and which, it is claimed, possesses improved features.

Abstract: Research in man/machine interactions and graphics hardware/software that will enhance applications to engineering design was described. Research aspects of executive systems, command languages, and networking used in the computer applications laboratory are mentioned. Finally, a few areas where little or no research is being done were identified.

Abstract: Conventional contracting suffers from two drawbacks: (1) With the contractor barred from the design process, contracting can not be oriented towards his particular know-how and resources; and (2) the construction can start only after the detailed design is completed. The integrated contracting procedure views design and construction as interrelated parts of the same process. This can be obtained if the project is realized throughout by the owner with the aid of a professional construction manager, or by a contractor who is to deliver both design and construction. In the latter case it is necessary to define carefully the user requirements, to limit the amount of information required from the bidders to a necessary minimum, and to devise an objective criteria for the choice of the most suitable offer.

Abstract: The development of computer-generated animation techniques was reviewed and some examples of the current state of the art were described. A number of ways in which computer-generated animation can be used were examined in relation to the suitability for the engineering task at hand. The examples described are primarily concerned with attempting to combine two different types of simulation: that of superposition of an engineering design on the surrounding real world, and an evaluation of this simulation both from an engineering design and an aesthetic point of view.

Abstract: Conceptual designs for advanced ground transportation systems often hinge on obtaining acceptable vehicle ride quality while attempting to keep the total guideway cost (initial and subsequent maintenance) as low as possible. Two ride quality standards used extensively in work sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) are the DOT-Urban Tracked Air Cushion Vehicle (UTACV) standard and the International Standards Organization (ISO) reduced ride comfort criteria. These standards are reviewed and some of the deficiencies, which become apparent when trying to apply them in practice, are noted. Through the use of a digital simulation, the impact of each of these standards on an example design process is examined. It is shown that meeting the ISO specification for the particular vehicle/guideway case investigated is easier than meeting the UTACV standard.

Abstract: Describes the research and development (R&D) phase of a hypothetical large-scale electronic system. The methodology, system design concepts, cost effectiveness and customer acceptance considerations presented herein are based on a synthesis of various R&D programs. An attempt is made to provide a quantitative evaluation of newly introduced `customer acceptance' parameters, which include such factors as maintainability, availability, degree of automation, operator approval and improvements over previous systems. It is concluded that such parameters should be given as much attention as the more familiar cost-effectiveness concept during the design process in order to ensure customer acceptance of the system.

Abstract: The Navy's Integrated Ship Design System (ISDS) is being designed as a collection of application program modules (for preliminary design) which communicate with a centralized set of data files. These files use the existing COMRADE Data Management system which was designed specifically for Integrated systems.Apart from providing an environment in which to operate the engineering application modules, ISDS's main role is to manage the creation, flow and archiving of the ship design data and to control access to this data. Consequently, a major concern during the lengthy and complex ship design process is assuring the integrity of the design data as it grows and is revised over time.Planning for control of the design data requires a clear understanding of the design process and the interrelationships between the design tasks. Requirements are stated, problem areas are identified, and possible approaches for implementation are suggested.

Abstract: The benefits of scientific research are many, some of which are not measurable in purely monetary terms However, one of the roles of research and development in engineering is to reduce the level of uncertainty in design, through improvement and refinement of information needed in the design process In this regard, the benefit of engineering research may be assessed in terms of the savings in design cost accruing directly from an investment in research; then the effectiveness of research may be analyzed from the standpoint of a trade-off between the savings in design cost versus the research investment required to achieve such savings