The overall objective of the research is to enlarge and test a process for problem analysis employed in an existing hardware/software system for computer-assisted problem solving. The process will be as follows: (1) a set of engineering design problems in industry will be identified from submittals through the Virginia Polytechnic Institute (VPI's) Tech Trans Program; (2) a series of logically-structured questions will be asked including, for instance, questions about technical, financial, and managerial factors; (3) development of a small set of design goals using statistical techniques like factor analysis and grouping; (4) the system will then generate concepts and ideas to address the established goals; (5) the results will be evaluated for their practicality and usefulness.
