Introduction to the Engineering Method

Matthew Dailey
Computer Science and Information Management Asian Institute of Technology

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Readings

Readings for these lecture notes: - Koen (2003) These notes contain material c Koen (2003).

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Outline

Introduction

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Introduction
The Engineering Method

Today well talk about the engineering method. Main reference: Koen, B.V. (2003), Discussion of the Method: Conducting the Engineers Approach to Problem Solving, Oxford University Press. Billy Vaughn Koen is a Professor in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin: http://www.me.utexas.edu/koen/ http://www.me.utexas.edu/koen/REVIEWS/REVIEWS.html One review: The best description of engineering that I have ever seen . . . and one of the most provocative hypotheses about science and nature that I have ever seen! (Dr. William A. Wulf, President Emeritus, National Academy of Engineering)

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Scientic method vs. engineering method

From Koen: we have all heard about the scientic method: Science is theory corrected by experiment, or the other way around. Everyone knows the scientic method. But look around you. Everything in this room was created by an engineer. Engineering is omnipresent. But what is the engineering method?

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What is an engineer?

The term engineer comes from an old French word singenieur meaning anyone who sets his mental powers in action to discover or devise some means of succeeding in a dicult task. Koens denition:

Engineering Method
The strategy for causing the best change in a poorly understood situation within the available resources

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Lay concepts of an engineer

Some lay concepts of an engineer: A person who makes planes, bridges, roads etc. A person who makes computers, mobile phones, etc. A person who makes chemicals, etc. Note here that though the focus is on the dierent products, actually, the process leading to the creation of these artifacts is the same. This is the engineering method. Koens concept of an engineer: To be human is to be an engineer!

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Change

Engineers cause change. The rst step is to dene the problem. Then the goal is to move the state of the world from point A to point B:

Koen (2003), Figure 1

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Change

Not just any change is desired. We want the best possible change. But there are constraints: budget, time, material availability. So we want the best possible change subject to resource constraints. But we dont want just any path from point A to point B. We want the best possible transition. In civil engineering, what are some the problems and the goals for the transition? (Think about, say, the Golden Gate Bridge.)

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Uncertainty

The uncertainty and complexity in the problem denition, the best solution, and the best transition are what require an engineer. Uncertainty at the start: not only are we not sure exactly what state point B is, but we also dont necessarily know exactly what is going on at state A. Uncertainty along the way: the goal may change as the engineering process continues.

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Resources

The solution must be consistent with available resources. We have to be able to estimate the resources required for our problem. Back of the envelope calculation can be extremely useful here.
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How many desks with chairs can be put in this room in a lecture setting? 1 min Now how many desks (without chairs) can cover the area? 1 min How many can cover the volume of the lecture room? 1 min How about 1 day?

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Introduction
Resources

Other important resources: Time & Money? E.g. weight: 100 lbs of rocket required to put 1 lb of satellite into orbit 1 dB gain in signal to noise ratio in satellite communication is 1 MUSD due to power eciency, complexity Interest & encouragement Team compatibility, organizational ability, enthusiasm Another issue: there are nominal resources and actual resources Certain budget, time: overrun 10% general practice (contingency) must be taken into account by the design proposal. Otherwise at a disadvantage in competitive bidding. Eciency of allocating resources, exchanging one kind for another....
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What is best?

Given the uncertainty what strategy should an engineer use? The engineers notion of a best solution: Optimum solution Important area of engineering: optimization theory Consider automobile design: lifetime vs cost To exist is to be some engineers notion of best. Example: select the proper combination given contrasting choices: Objective function The best we can do is not the best; the best we can do is the best we can do. Think about this in the context of campus accommodations.

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Introduction
What is best?

A fundamental characteristic of an engineering solution is that it is the best available from the view point of a specic engineer.

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Example engineering problems

Some example engineering problems: Ronald Reagans space weapons Example statement of an engineering problem: I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so dicult or expensive to accomplish....... (Kennedys moon mission speech)

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The Principle Rule of the Engineering Method

Engineering Design
Engineering design is the essence of engineering, it is the unique, essential core of the human activity called engineering. Engineering design, or the engineering method, is the use of heuristics to cause the best change in a poorly understood situation within the available resources. A heuristic is anything that provides a plausible aid or direction in the solution of a problem but is in the nal analysis is unjustied, incapable of justication, and potentially fallible! Well talk more about heuristics in dierent case studies for the class.

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