Configuration

Design & Configuration

• We already know all the components, just need to configure to fit the problem

• Input: needs, goals, functions
• Output: Artifact that satisfies those needs, goals or functions
• With design, both the problem and solution evolve together
• Think AI agents that design AI agents

Configuration: A problem-solving activity that assigns values to variables to satisfy constraints.

Configureation Process

• Start at the top left w/ specifications (think footprint of the basement example)
• Begin abstract and refine/expand on each iteration
• Middle method of abstract and partial solutions can be represented as a design plan
  • Specifies all the variables of the plan
  • ex. number of stories the house has
• Lower level plan or refinement
  • ex. plan for each of the stories of the house

• the arrangement may cause new specifications to come about, the process repeats

• Output the arrangement model

Plan Refinement

Connection to Earlier Topics

Classification

• Similar to classification system of loop(assign, refine)
• classification is a way of making sense of the world
• configuration acts on the world

Case-Based Reasoning

• CBR: Starting from a specific chair and tweaking as needed
• Conf: starting w/ prototype concept and assign values and variables to meet constraints

Planning

• A planner that generates a plan
• Confiuguration