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Communication infrastructure for concurrent engineering

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 February 2009

Daniel R. Kuokka
Affiliation:
Lockheed Palo Alto Research Laboratories, 3251 Hanover Street, Palo Alto, CA 94304–1191, U.S.A.
Larry T. Harada
Affiliation:
Lockheed Palo Alto Research Laboratories, 3251 Hanover Street, Palo Alto, CA 94304–1191, U.S.A.

Abstract

Integrating multiple engineering perspectives is critical to designing ever more complex products, but this introduces great potential for miscommunication leading to design conflicts. The SHADE (SHAred Dependency Engineering) project is defining agent infrastructure technology that supports dynamic, knowledge-based communication among heterogeneous engineering tools, collaboration systems, and conflict management systems. Building on technologies for defining a shared formal vocabulary and protocols for exchanging information, SHADE is developing facilitators that assist in locating and disseminating information. The result is a flexible infrastructure that helps existing engineering tools work together more effectively, and that supports a variety of new conflict management approaches. This article outlines the facilitation and application agents created by SHADE, and provides an in-depth example of their application to an engineering task.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995

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