Project description

Increasing digitalisation and the evolution of mechanical engineering products towards cyber-physical systems are driving the need for integrated functionalities. Innovative technologies such as Mechatronic Integrated Devices (MID) offer promising potential through the integration of mechanics and electrics/electronics, but result in a challenging development process due to the high product complexity. Product development requires complex and highly iterative manual optimizations and adjustments. Natural analogue principles show promising potential, but are currently mainly used in architecture, art or pure mechanical design. To realise the potential, a transfer is needed, including the development and integration of software-based support systems.

The GoProMID research project aims to develop the potential of biologically inspired methods and approaches in MID product development. The focus is on the use of generative design methods that allow the evolution of MID components based on a product specification – similar to the genetic coding of living organisms.For this purpose, established natural analogue approaches (e.g. genetic algorithms) are tested with regard to their suitability. In addition to the machine-usable formalisation of the design knowledge, the first software modules will be prototypically implemented and demonstrated in the context of meaningful use cases.