Barry O'Sullivan's
Research Project Abstracts

b.osullivan@cs.ucc.ie

[ Tradeoff Generation ]

[ Conceptual Design ]

Past Projects:

[ Constraint Acquisition ]

[ Compulog Net ]

[ IiMB Design Coordination ]

[ PhD Thesis ]

[ CEDAS ]

Tradeoff Generation for Interactive Constraint Processing (2002-2005)

Funding: Enterprise Ireland's Basic Research Grant Scheme

In many problem domains, human users solve problems interactively. During this interaction the user searches for a solution by stating preferences. The task of the computer is to assist the user find a solution which satisfies these preferences. However, during the interactive session the user may reach a point where her desires cannot be met. At this point tradeoffs can be considered. Ideally, the user would like the computer to suggest appropriate tradeoffs. The objective of this research is to model tradeoffs in constraint-based interactive problem solving as additional constraints and study the issues involved in generating and evaluating such tradeoffs.

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Interactive Constraint-Aided Conceptual Design (2002-2004)

Funding: Enterprise Ireland's Research Innovation Fund

The objective of this project is to deliver a computer-aided design (CAD) technology that can be used to support human designers working in the early stages of design, often referred to as conceptual design. This technology will go beyond current state-of-the-art in CAD and incorporate state-of-the-art constraints processing technology. The CAD technology developed during this project will be compatible with industry standards to facilitate its integration with existing CAD system and its commercial exploitation. The technology will provide the design community with a flexible tool which can assist in both modelling and reasoning about products at various levels of abstraction.

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Constraint Acquisition (2001-2002)

Funding: Enterprise Ireland's International Collaboration Programme
Research Collaborator: Prof. Eugene C. Freuder, Constraint Computation Centre, University of New Hampshire.

Over the past 30 years considerable progress has been made in the Artificial Intelligence field of constraint processing, a field concerned with developing techniques for formulating and solving constraint satisfaction problems (CSPs). However, it is now generally accepted amongst the constraint processing community that the acquisition of constraints and the effective formulation of CSP model s are the most significant outstanding research issues in the field. The topic of the research proposed here is constraint acquisition. In particular, the research is concerned with the development of techniques for supporting the acquisition of constraints from a human user. The research proposed here will contribute a novel approach to constraint acquisition.

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Compulog Net (1996-2000)

Project Web-site: Compulog Net Homepage

I am a member of the UCC node of Compulog Net. Compulog Net is a European Network of Excellence in Computational Logic. It comprises over 100 nodes from 20 European countries, representing leading universities, research centres and industrial companies. The aim of the network is to support all phases of technological change - invention, innovation, diffusion - associated with the research, development and application of logic-based techniques and methods in all areas of computing.

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IiMB Subgroup III for Design Co-ordination (1996-2000)

Project Web-site: Design Co-ordination Project Page

The subgroup for Design Co-ordination is part of an ESPRIT funded working group (working group number 21108). The objective of the subgroup is to develop a methodology for optimising the design process, considered as a business process. One of the results of this subgroup is a framework for Design Co-ordination. The next stage will be to further define and test this framework with industrial participants who have already collaborated in this research.

Constraint-Aided Conceptual Design (1995-1999)

Project Web-site: PhD Thesis: Constraint-Aided Conceptual Design

This project related to my PhD thesis. My thesis was based on combining aspects of constraint processing and engineering design to build an approach for modelling and providing designer support during the conceptual phase of engineering design.

Concurrent Engineering Design Adviser System (1995-1999)

Project Web-site: CEDAS: Concurrent Engineering Design Adviser System.

CEDAS is an ESPRIT project (project number 20501) which attempts to bring together a complete sphere of expertise and commitment to specify, develop, integrate and deliver a constraint-based Design Adviser System to enable the use of true Concurrent Engineering in developing and manufacturing new products using expert advice from across the product life-cycle.