Ashok K. Goel Design Intelligence Laboratory, School of Interactive Computing,, & Center for Biologically Inspired Design, Georgia Institute of Technology

Biologically inspired design Lotus leaf Self-cleaning paint

Driving force is environmentally sustainable development The basic argument: Human species is facing an unprecedented crisis: global environmental degradation. We need environmentally sustainable development. But engineering design is caught in well known problem spaces. We need to radically change the problem spaces. Lets look at the results of biological evolution.

But at present there is no science of biologically inspired design! At present, there is not one descriptive information-processing account of biologically inspired design. At present, there is almost no understanding of the general processes, representations, or principles of biologically inspired design. The danger is that the movement will fail. This makes for a perfect opportunity for CreativeIT.

A computational theory of analogy: Compositional analogy

Multimodal content and multilevel organization of knowledge: DSSBF Drawing-Shape-Structure- Behavior-Function Abstraction Hierarchy

Analogies at one level support analogies at the next level: The Archytas system Similarity at the level of shapes enables transfer and adaptation of structure. And similarity at the level of structure enables transfer and adaptation of behaviors. And similarity at the level of behaviors enables transfer and adaptation of functions. Yaner & Goel, CogSci 2006, Diagrams 2006, DCC 2006 Yaner & Goel, IJCAI 2007, AIEDAM 2008

First in situ cognitive study of biologically inspired design Senior level interdisciplinary design course on biologically inspired design at Georgia Tech, Fall 2006 (follow-up studies in Fall 2007, Fall 2008) 4-5 member interdisciplinary student teams – at least one biologist in each team. Semester long, self-defined design projects Vattam, Helms & Goel, DCC 2008 Helms, Vattam & Goel, CogSci 2008, Design Studies 2009

Compound analogical design is one where a new design concept is generated by composing the results of multiple (cross-domain) analogies Stealthy underwater microbot Copepod Squid We have developed an information-proces s ing model for compound analogical design.

One significant finding about design knowledge representation Multilevel, multimodal external representations

Pedagogical techniques Cognitive studies Interactive tools Design methods.