An Intelligent Framework for Engineering Decision-Making

This paper presents an intelligent decision-making framework, which is based upon both supercomputing technology and AI/knowledge-based expert systems approach, to improve the decision-making productivity of engineers. The dilemmas in current computer-aided engineering (CAE) activities are summarized. The respective impacts of supercomputers and knowledge-based expert systems on CAE activities are discussed. The proposed framework combines supercomputers and expert systems into a logic structure so that each may cooperatively contribute its distinctive strengths to engineering decision-making. In this new computer-aided decision-making framework, supercomputers and expert systems are used as “simulation engines” and “reasoning engines” respectively. The framework is able to assist engineers during both the analysis phase and synthesis phase of decision making. This paper suggests that supercomputing and expert systems are, in fact, mutually complementary technologies, and that development and research is needed in both areas to bring the proposed intelligent decisionmaking framework to fruition.