Knowledge-based approach for resolving constraint conflicts in collaborative engineering design

During engineering design, stakeholders often impose conflicting constraints based on their individual perspectives, leading to constraint conflicts. While negotiation is widely used to resolve such conflicts - allowing stakeholders to support or reject potential solutions such as removing or relaxing constraints - limited research has addressed how to assist stakeholders in generating feasible resolution options. This paper proposes a knowledge-based approach to bridge the gap between constraint conflict detection and negotiation, enhancing the overall efficiency of collaborative engineering design. First, we define the roles of stakeholders within the constraint conflict resolution process. Recognising the diversity in their educational and professional backgrounds, we develop a unified data model to support effective knowledge exchange. Next, we introduce a novel method for constraint conflict detection, which reframes the task as consistency checking within a system of design parameters and their associated constraints. Based on the consistency results, we propose a solution generation method that systematically produces feasible resolutions by suggesting constraint removal or relaxation. The proposed approach is validated through a case study involving the collaborative design of an automated driller for a robotic drilling system, demonstrating its potential to facilitate informed and efficient conflict resolution in collaborative design environments.