Observations from supplementing the traditional design process via internet-based collaboration tools

摘要

We report on our observations about supporting, via the Internet, the design and manufacture of an atomic artefact transport system (ATS) by a team of geographically separated physicists, designers and fabricators. To supplement the design process, we have deployed two Internet-based approaches. In our first approach, we have used a client- and server-based suite of tools with facilities for design activities and design rationale capture. In the second method, we implemented virtual reality modelling language (VRML) as a communication and visualization medium for evaluation of detailed designs and assembly sequences. In each approach, we observed changes in the design process as a result of incorporating collaborative technology. These changes include being able to capture design rationale and exchange ideas analogously to traditional methods, and being able to simulate the assembly sequence in the iterative design phase. Our data support the view that collaborative technologies will supplement, rather than supplant, traditional design processes. We conclude that collaborative environments can be effective in helping teams overcome the problems associated with conflicting schedules, heterogeneous computing environments and data, and can be effective in facilitating consensus-based decision-making necessary for collaborative design.