Edison: An Engineering Design Invention System Operating Naively

Abstract

The goal of the EDISON project is to design a program capable of creating novel mechani-cal devices, by using knowledge of naive physical relationships, qualitative reasoning, plan-ning, and discovery/invention heuristics applied to abstract devices organized and indexed in an episodic memory. The EDISON program operates in two modes: brainstorming mode and problem-solving mode. In problem-solving mode, a goal specification is given as input and EDISON attempts to achieve the goal through plan selection and sub-goal satisfaction. A goal specification can be to alter or improve a device. Devices are represented symboli-cally, and are reasoned upon by EDISON without performing numerical computations. In brainstorming mode, EDISON starts with a device recalled from memory, and attempts to create novel devices through processes of mutation, generalization and analogical reason-ing. The devices EDISON manipulates consist of simple, everyday mechanisms, such as mousetraps, nail clippers, can openers and doors. A goal of the EDISON project is to gain computational insight into the processes of naive physical reasoning [Hayes 78] and inven-tion [Lenat 76] which people exhibit. To do so, we must address a number of issues, includ-ing: (a) how devices are represented and manipulated without detailed mathematical rea-soning, (b) how devices are organized, indexed, and retrieved from a personal, episodic memory of devices and experiences of device use, (c) how new devices are discovered or in-vented during problem solving and/or brainstorming, and (d) how the resulting inventions are assessed for their novelty and/or ingenuity.