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C00002 00002	People, Degrees and Courses
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People, Degrees and Courses

Principal Advisor- Prof. Bernard Roth
Others on Committee
Prof. John McCarthy
Prof. Jerome Feldman
Prof. David Thompson

Proposed Title for Deg.   Ph. D. in Automation

Special field of investigation- Automated manufacturing systems

Tentative title of dissertation-  A totally automated system for the design and
manufacture of sheet metal parts.


Degrees Received:

	B.S. Aeronautics and Astronautics, Mass. Inst. of Tech. June 1963
	M.S. Mechanical Engineering,  Stanford University, June 1965
	Diploma of Engineering-Fluid Dynamics, Von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics, Rhode St. Genese,  Belgium- July 1967
	Engineer- Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, June 1969


Courses completed as a graduate student-(At Stanford Univ. unless noted)

Fluid Mechanics- Propulsion 

AA280B Rocket Propulsion 2Q
AA280C Rocket Propulsion 2Q
AA282 Nuclear Propulsion  3Q
AA281 Electric Propulsion 3Q

Fluid Mechanics

ME138A Fluid Flow 3Q
ME238A Continum Fluid Mech. 3Q
AA220 Aerodynamic Physical Measurements 3Q
Fluidics -VKI- 3Q
Low Speed Aerodynamics- VKI 3Q

Thermodynamics 

ME231A Heat Transmission 3Q
ME231B Heat Transmission 3Q
ME233 Adv. Thermodynamics 2B

Systems Engineering

Engr. 235 Satellite Syst. Eng. 6Q
EE373 Adaptive Systems 3Q
ME291 Engineering Problems 6Q - Solar Energy Systems Studies under Dr. William Bollay

Design

ME217A Analytical Design 3Q
ME 116 a,b,c- Product Design 9Q
ME112a,b- Product Design- 6Q
ART 155B Design Problems 3Q

Mechanics and Dynamics

ME222 Kinematic Synthesis
EM202A Elasticity 3Q
EM221N Dynamics 3Q
EM222N Dynamics 3Q

Control Systems

ME218A Control Systems 3Q
EE128 Control Systems 3Q
EE171H Control Systems Lab. 3Q
ME228 Fluidics 3Q
Control Systems- VKI- 3Q

Math

EM 250 Mathematical Methods 3Q
EM 251 Mathematical Methods 3Q

Seminars
Seminars during several quarters

Engineers Deg. Thesis title:  Design of a Computer Controlled Manipulator
Diploma Paper-VKI-" Pulsed and Oscillating Flow Thrust Augmenting Ejectors"
Bachelors Deg. thesis- M.I.T.- Design of a Fully Submerged Foil Hydrofoil Boat

Completed several other short courses, including Fortran and Algol Programming.
Engineering problem work with Profs. B. Roth, A. London, R. McKim and W. Bollay on
various subjects.

Proposed Course Program

One course in Industrial Engineering
One course in Advanced Programing





Statement of Purpose.

	The dissertation  topic I  have chosen-  The Automated  Sheet
Metal  Shop- will require the  use of facilities  and capabilities of
various  departments.  Specifically,  the  topic  will  involve   the
development of both  new software and new hardware systems  and an in
integrated  management  and  control  system  to  perform  the proper
functions in  a industrially  and commercially  realistic manner.  My
sponsoring committee has been chosen  from the fields which I think I
will draw most heavily from  during the development and execution  of
this dissertation.   The  initial phase  will be  a project  planning
phase, involving a systems engineering approach with interaction with
industrial organizations.    Part of  this  phase will  also  involve
obtaining  sufficient funds  and other  material resources  to enable
execution of the later hardware phases.  

	The software development section of the project will utilizee
many of the  resources of the  Artificial Intelligence project.   The
design phase  of the project will  involve use of  the A.I. project's
interactive  graphics  capability.  Existing  software  and   display
terminals  will be  used.  New  planning  programs will  have  to  be
developed,   These  programs  will  draw   heavily  on  both  current
industrial practice, and on new guidelines which will be developed as
the  project progresses.    These  guidelines will  be  based on  the
availability and  use of multiple machines rather than single machine
oriented industrial planning programs.  

	
	
	Much of the operator feedback, during the design and planning
phase   of  the  problem   will  come   from  data   and  performance
specifications obtained  and developed  from mechanical  engineering,
manufacturing and  control  engineering considerations.   This  phase
will rely heavily  on the engineering departments associated with the
project.  

	The hardware development phase of the dissertation  will make
use of both  previous experience in the field  of computer controlled
manipulators  and machines  and also  draw heavily on  the Mechanical
Engineering  and   Electrical  Engineering   Departments  for   their
capabilities and resources in  the area of machine design and control
of these machines.  



Statement of Purpose

	The  area  of  study which  I  have  chosen-  Automation-  is
basically  an interdisciplinary field.   At  present there is  no one
department at Stanford which provides more than one or two courses in
this area. 

	My dissertation topic - The  Automated Sheet Metal Shop- is a
logical  extension of both  my academic pursuits  and my professional
experience in  the fields  of  automation engineering  and design  of
computer  controlled manipulators  and  devices.   The  topic I  have
proposed involves research,  design, and actual development, in  both
software and hardware of a complete operational system.

	I have carefully studied the scope of this project,  and feel
that  to successfully execute the  project in a  reasonable period of
time will require  both a close working  relationship with my  chosen
committee,   and the use of  a large number of  University resources.
The members  of my committee have been selected with the objective of
having a respected "consultant" in each of the major study areas.

	The  project  will physically  be  located  at  the  Stanford
Artificial  Intelligence Laboratory which  has the  required computer
facilities. The laboratory also has the displays, computer controlled
manipulators, and supporting software and hardware  to make a project
of this type a realistic goal at Stanford.

	It  is hoped that the  results of this research  will help to
map out new  directions in automation, and  that new theoretical  (as
well as practical)  knowledge in the areas  of design, manufacturing,
and  man-machine  systems will  result. Potentially,  the theoretical
results of  this  work  can also  be  used by  various  professionals
engaged  in other creative  design fields  such as  art, architecture
and,  consumer design.

 
Statement of Purpose

	The purpose of this dissertation is  to investigate in detail
the  machine  operations  and  the  human  planning  and  interaction
involved in the prototype fabrication  of parts and assemblies.   The
results will  used to develop  a model of the  complete manufacturing
process  so  that  a  computer  representation  will  be sufficiently
complete to act as a design and manufacturing consultant, planner and
executor of the manufacturing  tasks required to produce a part which
has been interactively designed  by a person  not very familiar  with
the basic principles of fabrication.  

	The  goals   of  this   dissertation,     the  modelling   of
manufacturing processes  which have enough variables  in them to make
the solution obtainable only by adaptive and iterative techniques has
wide  ranging  implications.   Current  automation  involves  precise
location,    accurately defined  operations,   and  a high  degree of
uniformity of material,  parts  and machines to reduce the  number of
variables to a manageable level.  The price of this "hard" automation
is high in terms of initial capital investment, lack of customization
and  personalization   and   the  importance   of  large   production
quantities. On  the other hand, the models  I propose to develop will
be prototypes  of what  can be  called "soft"  automation.   This  is
automation based on adaptive machines and operations, and interactive
planning tailored  to each particular item or operation as necessary.
The advantages would show up in the form of  lower capital investment
appropriated for each  particular product, facilitated customization,
and reduced  inventories due  to an  independence of  the  production
quantity on the product cost.

	The dissertation will  be dedicated  to the  generation of  a
realistic  model of a  complete sequence  of manufacturing operations
using basic machines  and soft automation principles  in the form  of
overall  computer control  and planning,    and the  use of  computer
controlled  manipulators and  similar devices.   The  correctness and
usefullness  of  this model  would  be  demonstrated  by  a  computer
simulation  of  the  complete  process.    Any  significant  hardware
demonstration would be incidental  to the thesis,  and would have  to
wait until the computer simulation is global enough to justify such a
hardware realization.

	The  sheet  metal  shop  has  been  chosen  because it  is  a
manufacturing area  where a large  amount of  manual manipulation  of
flexible, elastic and plastic materials and the iterative approach to
many  of  the  forming  operations has  ment  that  very  little true
automation has been implemented.  These same types of  operations are
also  characteristic of the  fabric and  garment industry and  of the
construction industry to name just a few other examples.  

	The facilities at Stanford  University are excellent for  the
execution of  a dissertation of  this sort.   The required  computer,
display  and  hardware  facilities  already  exist  at  the  Stanford
Artificial Intelligence Laboratory.   In  addition, most of  whatever
hardware  might  be necessary  for  the  demonstration phase  of  the
dissertation   already  exists  in  the   form  of  several  computer
controlled  manipulators  and  the  existing  interfaces   for  other
machines or devices.  

	The   area   of    study-   Automation-   is   basically   an
interdisciplinary  field  involving   effort  and  consideration   in
disciplines in science, engineering, humanities, and business.

Systems Engineering-Proposal, State of the  Art Research, Feasability
		    Studies, Cost and Effort Planning, Funding.

Human Factors  Engineering-Man-Machine Interface.   Design Philosophy
			   and Process.

Computer  Graphics-  Display  Routines,    Interactive  Planning  and
		     Programming.

Product Design- Development of guidelines and models of building 
		block sheet metal parts and components.

Machine Design- Design and development of computer controlled and/or
		operated machines.

Robot Factors  Engineering-A new engineering disipline involving
			   Robot-Machine  Interface Problems,  Robot
			   Task planning,Design of machines to be
			   controlled and operated by robots and
			   manipulators.

Control Systems  Engineering- R and D and  Design of computer control
	 of  machines and  robots. Sensors  and feedback devices  and
	 associated sub-systems.

Manufacturing Operations-  Time, Motion,   and Cost studies  of sheet
	metal fabrication.  Sequence of operations.  Estimation rules
	and operational sequence planning and program development.

Programming-  Development  of  new  display,  planning,   interactive
		design, machine-robot, sensing, and  control routines.   

Electrical  Engineering and Logic Design- Planning and development of
			computer-machine and computer-robot interface.
	
Prof. B. Roth-  Industrial  automation, design process ,machine design,
		manufacturing processes, product design.

Prof. J. McCarthy-  Conceptualization, imagination, allied fields
		    implications, programming philosophy,A.I.

Prof. J. Feldman-   Display techniques, Programming guidance,
		    Computer-Machine and Robot-Machine 		
		    interfacing  and  programming.   

Prof. D. Thompson-  Human factors, robot factors, graphics and display
		    methods and approaches.  Planning and weighting 
		    of component sub-systems development.