Early analysis of design concepts using rough set theory

This article proposes a rough-set-based approach to early analysis of design concepts. The approach aims at providing a metrics to facilitate the evaluation of design concepts and enable early detection of inadequacy in design. Based on the rough set theory, an information system can be constructed using information such as design concepts and product capabilities gleaned from past designs. This information is then used to derive a set of design rules for the analysis of new design concepts. The proposed approach embodies a novel technique for the handling of unavailable information, which is a frequent occurrence in product design. It is augmented with a mechanism for incremental updating of design rules. The details of the approach, the mechanism for incremental updating of design rules and two case studies are presented in this article.