These strategies are:
Definition: Achieve a state through actively countering all disturbances.
Opposite: Passive Structure
See Also: Operating conditions (maintenance thereof)
Examples:
Definition: Offset fixed costs through scaling up.
Opposite: and decentralization
Examples:
Definition: Physical isomorphism to an ordinal quantity
Opposite: Discrete representation
Examples:
Definition: Use of an an anti-symmetric design to increase order.
Opposite: Exploit symmetry
See Also:
Examples:
Definition: Start a process with a smaller process that is simpler to initiate.
Opposite: Equilibrium
See Also:
Examples:
Definition: Decouple subsystems to increase flexibility
See Also: Pre- and post processing
Examples:
Definition: Eliminate sources of error by systematically subtracting them.
Opposite: Constructive interference
See Also: Feedback
Examples:
Definition: Employ a new or different structural or process topology.
Examples:
Definition: Eliminate a durability requirement by making something disposable.
Opposite: Amortization
See Also:
Examples:
Definition: Represent a continuous system in symbolic or digital form.
Opposite: Analog representation
See Also:
Examples:
Definition: Maintain a state through balancing processes in equilibrium.
Opposite: Bootstrap
Opposite: Asymmetric design
Examples:
Definition: Exploit properties of a previously unknown or unused substance.
See Also: Exploit different/new principle
Examples:
Definition: Exploit a previously unknown or unused scientific principle or effect.
See Also: Exploit different/new material
Examples:
Definition: Employ geometry to achieve advantageous force or precision ratios.
Subcategories include:
See Also: Change Configuration, Topological Strategies
Examples:
Definition: Distinguish materials on the basis of their phase (solid, liquid, or gas).
Examples:
Definition: Allow rotational (or other) symmetry to substitute for replicated (or infinite) states.
Opposite: Asymmetric design
See Also: Equilibrium (for dynamic symmetry)
Examples:
Definition: Employ positive or negative feedback to control a process or create oscillation.
Note:Feedback need not imply active control. Often a human is in the loop.
See Also:
Examples:
Definition: Achieve efficient use of structure by sharing structures across different functions.
Opposite: Modularity
See Also:
Examples:
Definition: Make problems tractable by idealizing the situation.
Opposite:
See Also:
Examples:
Definition:
Opposite:
See Also:
Examples:
Definition: Introduce an intermediate conversion process, typically to increase degrees of freedom (flexibility) or match impedance (efficiency, accuracy).
Opposite:
See Also: Surrogacy as a special case of indirection.
Examples:
Definition: Use structures and processes to mutually constrain themselves.
Opposite:
See Also:
Examples:
Definition: Measure by comparison to a naturally occurring standard.
Opposite:
See Also:
Examples:
Definition: Reduce resource consumption through scaling down.
Description: Miniaturization is the reduction in physical scale of a process or device. Miniaturization is usually pursued in the interests of efficiency and economy. In the process, a miniaturized technology often enables previously unforeseen functions and applications to emerge.
Opposite: Maximization - achieving efficiencies of scale, amortizing fixed costs.
See Also:
Examples:
Definition: Make functions independent of each other.
Description: Directly mapping structure to function.
Opposite: Function sharing
Examples:
Definition: Encode one signal in another signal.
See Also: Multiplexing
Examples:
Definition: Share a channel across multiple signals at different times.
Opposite:
See Also: Modulation
Examples:
Definition: Design only for intended operating conditions, not all conditions
Description: A recognition that the conditions under which a process or device is conceived and manufactured is not necessarily the same as the conditions under which it normally operates.
Historically, this has meant manufacturing in extreme environments for operation in normal environments, such as melting, casting, or forging metals under extreme heat, and then allowing them to cool and retain their shape for use in everyday situations. Clean rooms for semiconductor fabrication are another example of this idea.
More recently, as man pushes into more extreme environments, this idea has been flipped around. Now, devices are being manufactured in relatively normal environments for use in space, underwater, inside nuclear reactors, etc. Often this adds new constraints to a design, but sometimes it allows a designer to relax constraints that would otherwise apply. For example, the Canadarm robot arm for the space shuttle need not be strong or stiff enough to operate under Earth's gravity. Likewise the Lunar Module need not support itself on Earth.
See Also: Sacrificial Element as way of accommodating harsh operating conditions,
See Also: Active processes as means of maintaining operating conditions.
Examples of fixed-condition designs:
Examples of adaptable designs:
Definition: Achieve economies of scale through replication.
Opposite: Pre- and post processing
Examples:
Definition: Compose designs in series.
Opposite: Parallelism
Examples:
Definition: Dilute or concentrate a substance through repeated application of an imperfect process.
Examples:
Definition: Replicate for reliability, strength, power or speed.
See Also: Parallelism
Examples:
Definition: Treat part of a device as a consumable resource.
Examples:
Definition: Compose multiple designs in series.
See Also: Pre- and post processing
Examples:
Definition: Employ indirect force or action at a distance as a surrogate for direct manipulation.
Opposite:
Examples:
Definition: Improve one design dimension at the expense of another.
Examples: