A Web-based Product Structure Manager to Support Collaborative Assembly Modeling1

A novel CRDT-based synchronization method for real-time collaborative CAD systems

Collaborative systems are distributed multiple-user systems that are both concurrent and synchronized. An interesting research challenge is to develop a collaborative modeling system that offers all facilities of advanced modeling systems to its users, while at the same time providing them with the necessary coordination mechanisms that guarantee an effective collaboration. To achieve this, a web-based collaborative feature modeling system, webSPIFF, has been developed. It has a client-server architecture, with an advanced feature modeling system as a basis for the server, providing feature validation, multiple views and sophisticated visualization facilities. A good distribution of the functionality between the server and the clients has resulted in a well-balanced system. On the one hand, the server offers all the functionality of the original feature modeling system. On the other hand, all desirable interactive modeling functionality is offered by the clients, ranging from display of sophisticated feature model images to interactive model specification facilities. The architecture of webSPIFF, the distribution of model data, the functionality of the server and the clients, and the communication mechanisms are described. It is shown that a good compromise between interactivity and network load has been achieved, and that indeed advanced modeling with a collaborative system is feasible.

In ‘Exploration of the Emotion-Adaptive Engine in the Computer-Aided Design Process’, Dr Amic G. Ho of Hong Kong Metropolitan University discusses the role of human emotions in experience-based design and how emotional factors can be incorporated into the design process. The chapter reviews some technologies for recognising and measuring users’ emotions and their use in designing experiences that adapt to users’ emotions.

A new 3D platform is build in the self developed WebCAD system, used for multiple user collaborative design. As an extension of the WebCAD system, the collaborative 3D CAD system proposes a collaborative Boolean operation method. With the method complex physical objects can be easily obtained through Boolean operations of some elemental entities. With the new system, geographically distributed designers can design and edit 3D entities collaboratively on their own browsers. A three-tier architecture and an entity-based access control mechanism to settle confliction in collaborative design process are also employed in the system.

This paper's proposed the adaptive multi-agent collaborative manufacturing product structure service chain model and discussed its construction technology for the complex collaborative manufacturing task and the lack of appropriate building technology, based on the collaborative production scheduling, in view of the expert decision-making optimization's genetic algorithm and MAS technology as a whole. Through genetic algorithms and MAS technology, it matches the product parts logic manufacturing tasks unit with manufacturing services unit, and sets up the hierarchical manufacturing chain model, even improves the capacity of the manufacturing service chain such as self-organizing, self-adaptation and its' dynamic response level for enhancing synergy processing capacity among collaborative manufacturing enterprises. Finally, a prototype collaborative manufacturing system development and service chain in an enterprise application are presented and proved the technology effectiveness and scientificity.

One difference between real-time CSCW systems and traditional distributed systems is that the former one needs to provide a natural, free and fast interface for multi-user interaction. However, typical multi-user interaction methods in 3D CAD systems apply strict consistency maintenance, such as lock mechanism and floor control which result in a stagnant and unnatural interface. This article proposes a semantic-based operational transformation (OT), which is similar to the traditional OT form, to support less constraint multi-user interaction and to achieve consistency in collaborative CAD editing (co-CAD) systems. Major technical contributions of this article include: a 3D semantic priority to select operations from waiting list, an OT strategy to decide OT direction, OT rules and a kernel OT function for co-CAD systems.

In view of the intergroup structural relationships involved with the complex mega infrastructure projects (MIP), we develop a periodic collaboration and coexistence model that can efficiently curb the risk of infection and ensure normal, orderly progress. We conduct a systematic analysis of the periodic collaboration and the coexistence process for mega infrastructure projects. The results suggest that when a complex major engineering project develops the risk of infection and one group keeps expanding, assimilation or disappearance of the other group may occur, impeding the normal project construction process. If a disruption occurs, it is difficult to resume construction, and substantial economic losses can result. Furthermore, the periodic collaboration and coexistence management model with the oscillation effect can effectively prevent the risk of problems from spreading among groups. By doing so, the model stabilizes the intergroup structural balance in a complex major engineering system. In summary, our model and analysis help, to some extent, to elucidate the critical mechanisms influencing the risk of infection in engineering collaborative management and explain the collaboration and coexistence rules for a complex mega infrastructure project that may risk spreading infection to other parts of the project. The research findings, while further verifying and supplementing relevant theories, also provide beneficial references for collaborative management practices.

This article studies the role of product lifecycle management (PLM) in industrial engineering. The basic concepts of PLM—product data management, engineering change management, and product structure management—were also discussed. PLM provides data and management capabilities to reduce the non-value-added tasks required of engineers. It also increases engineering productivity, provides insight into engineering efforts, and improves product quality and customer satisfaction. Companies are receiving significant value and return from their PLM investments. Many companies begin implementing PLM by establishing a single source of product data, or product record. Most PLM solutions offer sophisticated interfaces to many design automation and office applications, which reduce the need to capture, store, and validate product data. Product designs are maintained as assemblies and parts in the PLM system, and that arrangement allows engineers easy searching when they are looking, for example, for legacy components, with software providing a critical control and value portion of the product. With PLM, disparate engineering teams work more collaboratively.

<div class="htmlview paragraph">This paper proposes an Internet-based solution to facilitate Collaborative Product Development (CPD) in manufacturing enterprises. In the proposed system architecture, an Internet-based collaborative platform provides all participants with basic facilities, including collaboration services and database services. At the middle layer of the architecture, four modules, namely, RCM-based (Result-Chain based Modeling) process management, product structure management, Virtual Reality, and multimedia conference, work together to support collaborations between participating and no-participating users. Detailed implementation issues are addressed and future work is discussed.</div>

Product data management (PDM) systems help to keep track of the masses of information needed to design, manufacture or build products and then to maintain them. They can be applied to a wide range of products and industries and across the whole spectrum of organizational functions. Benefits extend far beyond engineering design to include cost savings in manufacturing, reduced time to market and increased product quality. Defines and describes the type of features and functions that should be found in a PDM system and addresses the following: data vault and document management; workflow and process management; product structure management; classification; project management; communication and notification; data transport and translation; image services; system administration; and PDM environments.

The paper proposes a new approach as an alternative to full automation of processes that meets current economic trends — collaborative multi-agent systems. In this concept, people and robots are considered as agents in a single sensory-information field, who perform tasks to achieve the goals of the collaborative multi-agent system. The urgency of collaborative multi-agent systems results from the fact that the industrial use of fully automated multi-component systems is limited by the financial and infrastructural unavailability of various industries to switch to completely unmanned technologies. The proposed approach combines the latest, but remaining quite recouped, technological advances along with highly skilled human labor. The use of collaborative multi-agent systems will be economically justified in the manufacture of products in small batches, in the conditions of rapid change of product lines, as well as the presence of staff shortages. The article shows that such an approach can significantly reduce automation costs, while ensuring that the specified production indicators are met. This approach allows taking a fresh look at a human, considering him and a robot as equal partners within a collaborative system. The basic concepts and distinctive characteristics of collaborative multi-agent systems are formulated and presented in the work, justifications for their use are given. Creating a new class of collaborative multi-agent systems requires solving a number of problems associated with the interaction of man and robot. The article considers issues related to the work of a person within a collaborative system, with a rational separation of human functions and an automated production system, in accordance with the necessary level of collaboration. The inclusion of a person with his psychoemotional and physical characteristics as an equivalent agent of a multi-agent system causes difficulties in formalizing collaborative multi-agent systems associated with the need to take these features into account and create a sensory-information system. The inclusion of a person with his psychoemotional and physical characteristics as an equivalent agent of a multi-agent system causes difficulties in formalizing collaborative multi-agent systems associated with the need to take these features into account and create a sensory-information system. The paper discusses ways to formalize a collaborative multi-agent system and management approaches.

Collaborative logistics is a kind of supply chain management, involving cooperation between companies to meet customer needs. This is a complex process that requires coordination among all parties. It can be divided into three main stages: planning, implementation and monitoring. The purpose of this study is to determine the best mode of resource selection in collaborative logistics using genetic algorithms. The first stage of collaborative logistics is planning, including determining customer needs, defining inventory levels, and determining transportation routes. This is a complex process because it involves many different types of resources and products. In this paper, we will discuss how to use genetic algorithms to improve collaborative logistics. When improving the collaborative logistics process, the first thing to consider is to determine all necessary resources and products required for such supply chain management. This will help eliminate unnecessary costs, because only those items that are really needed will be purchased from suppliers. This paper analyzes the framework of collaborative logistics mechanism, uses analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to preliminarily screen logistics resources to obtain the candidate resource pool required by the collaborative system, and proposes an effective resource selection process using the improved contract network protocol method based on the collaborative logistics network model. The negotiation process determines the basic rates for transportation, warehousing, and other items in the collaborative logistics system, and achieves the aggregation and collaboration of logistics tasks through solving the collaborative logistics network model. Finally, the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method is used to calculate the allocation proportion of additional profits in the collaborative system.

Within groupware systems, collaborative modelling systems play an important role. They are useful and promising tools for many fields of application. One of these fields in which collaborative modelling tools can be useful is the design and systematic development of usable User Interfaces (UI) using task models. In this paper, the use of a generic modelling groupware system, SPACE-DESIGN, is proposed for task modelling using CTT, one of the most used notations in this area. In order to evaluate the utility of the approach, a comparative study with two groups of experienced users and a heuristic evaluation using some well-known frameworks have been made. Results and conclusions of the evaluation are discussed.

Optimisation of combined collaborative recommender systems

Based on the analysis on the literature of urban outdoor advertising supervision systems and mechanisms, the authors argue that the “the supervision deficiency” of urban outdoor advertising media is the characteristic of transitory economy reforming, the root of which is its “subject deficiency” resulting in disorder in management and low efficiency in cooperation. Then according to the situations of government's internal power-driven management in advertising, advertising industry's own risks, and the absence of audience's supervision, the authors propose collaborative management system of urban outdoor advertising supervision, with the collaborative public management theories and models combined. The key to collaborative public management is setting up special outdoor advertising management systems and mechanisms responsible for contacting with government, advertising industry associations and the public.