Expert systems for engineering design

Abstract: An expert system embodies a humun expert's domain‐specific knowledge and skill, acquired and refined over years of experience. A number of problems in diagnosis and engineering design can be solved by Using current expert‐system techniques. This paper enumerates the main components of such problems and the steps that are taken in solving them. A few prototypical articificial intellegence systems embody techniques that can be applied to engineering problems. These are surveyed, and their relevance to components of design problems is discussed. Some expert systems in design domains are summarized, with emphasis on aspects that can illustrate wider applicability of the techniques. A number of avenues of further research are evident, and the area of engineering design offers rich opportunities for advancing the state‐of‐the‐art in expert systems. An annotated selective bibliography is included