The act of creating a new product, system, or process is an innovation; the result of excogitation, study and experimentation. It is an inductive and/or deductive process. The inductive process involves studying systems that exist, for example, in nature, patents and products, and inducing from the behavior of these systems elemental features for innovating novel products. The deductive process involves deducing such aspects from hypothetical concepts and situations where systems or products could exist. By the application of a combined inductive and deductive approach, this paper reports on a methodology for the creation of innovative products with a broader functional repertoire than traditional designs. This breed of innovative products is coined as transformers, transforming into different configurations or according to different states. Current design theory lacks a systematic methodology for the creation of products that have the ability to transform. This paper identifies analogies in nature, patents, and products along with hypothesizing the existence of such products in different environments and situations. Transformation design principles are extracted by studying key design features and functional elements that make up a transforming product. These principles are defined and categorized according to their roles in general transformations. The principles and categorizations are then validated and applied to conceptualize transforming products as part of an innovative design process.
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e-mail: vikramjit@mail.utexas.edu
e-mail: wood@mail.utexas.edu
e-mail: dan.jensen@usafa.edu
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August 2009
Research Papers
Innovations in Design Through Transformation: A Fundamental Study of Transformation Principles
Vikramjit Singh,
e-mail: vikramjit@mail.utexas.edu
Vikramjit Singh
Graduate Student
The University of Texas at Austin
, 3454-B Lake Austin Boulevard, Austin, TX 78703
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Kristin L. Wood,
Kristin L. Wood
Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
e-mail: wood@mail.utexas.edu
The University of Texas at Austin
, Austin, TX 78712
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Dan Jensen,
Dan Jensen
Professor
Department of Engineering Mechanics,
e-mail: dan.jensen@usafa.edu
U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA)
, 2354 Fairchild Drive, Suite 6l-155, Colorado Springs, CO 80840
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Robert Sierakowski
Robert Sierakowski
Chief Scientist
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Vikramjit Singh
Graduate Student
The University of Texas at Austin
, 3454-B Lake Austin Boulevard, Austin, TX 78703e-mail: vikramjit@mail.utexas.edu
Stewart M. Skiles
Design Engineer
Jarden E. Krager
Mechanical Engineer
Kristin L. Wood
Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
The University of Texas at Austin
, Austin, TX 78712e-mail: wood@mail.utexas.edu
Dan Jensen
Professor
Department of Engineering Mechanics,
U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA)
, 2354 Fairchild Drive, Suite 6l-155, Colorado Springs, CO 80840e-mail: dan.jensen@usafa.edu
Robert Sierakowski
Chief Scientist
J. Mech. Des. Aug 2009, 131(8): 081010 (18 pages)
Published Online: July 27, 2009
Article history
Received:
April 21, 2008
Revised:
March 17, 2009
Published:
July 27, 2009
Citation
Singh, V., Skiles, S. M., Krager, J. E., Wood, K. L., Jensen, D., and Sierakowski, R. (July 27, 2009). "Innovations in Design Through Transformation: A Fundamental Study of Transformation Principles." ASME. J. Mech. Des. August 2009; 131(8): 081010. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.3125205
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