Design Workstation of the Future

Abstract

Design research must be concerned with providing industry with significant competitive advantages in product and process design by developing advanced design methods and computer-based design tools, techniques, systems ad applications that support the creation of reliable, high quality, cost-effective, innovation and competitive products. The Design Technology Research Centre (DTRC) in the School of Design at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University focuses on the development of computer enhanced design processes and product-orientated and user-centred design tools and systems. Evolutionary computation, generative and knowledge based systems, Artificial Intelligence, integrated and interactive system techniques, virtual reality and computer supported collaborative work are employed for the implementation of these processes, tools and systems. In this paper, the author presents an overview of the research undertaken by the DTRC and discusses the issues related to the development of the design workstation of the future