Title: The hyper-radial visualisation method for multi-attribute decision-making under uncertainty

Authors: P-W. Chiu, A.M. Naim, K.E. Lewis, C.L. Bloebaum

Addresses: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA. ' Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA. ' Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA. ' Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA

Abstract: In this paper, a new method that enables the visualisation of multi-attribute design problem solutions is presented. The Hyper-Radial Visualisation (HRV) method provides the decision-maker with the ability to perform real-time tradeoff investigations by incorporating weight preferences and uncertainty representations. In these problems, designers must consider potentially complex tradeoff decisions in order to choose a point or set of points with which to proceed. Designers can investigate the performance space under different weights and/or uncertainty conditions through a two-dimensional visual representation. This allows a more informed and efficient method to find promising solutions for the designer, thereby significantly reducing the time required for tradeoff analysis in a complex design process. This paper presents the HRV method, along with the results and discussion of different case problems with varying dimensionalities to demonstrate the method|s viability and usefulness.

Keywords: multi-objective optimisation problem; MOP; multi-attribute design; MAD; multidisciplinary design optimisation; MDO; uncertainty; design process; preference incorporation; tradeoff analysis; hyper-radial visualisation; multi-attribute decision making.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPD.2009.026172

International Journal of Product Development, 2009 Vol.9 No.1/2/3, pp.4 - 31

Published online: 27 May 2009 *

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