Project Title: Tackling Technical Debt in CAD Models through CAD Refactoring

Researcher: Peter Rosso
Department: Department of Mechanical Engineering
Institution: University of Bristol, United Kingdom
Contact: peter.rosso(at)bristol.ac.uk

Project Overview:

This project addresses the pressing issue of technical debt in Computer-Aided Design (CAD) models, focusing on improving their reusability and maintainability. Technical debt refers to the future cost incurred as a result of earlier poor design or development decisions, which complicates future enhancements or modifications. In CAD systems, this manifests as “CAD smells”—inefficiencies that degrade the design process and model quality.

Research Objectives:

  1. Develop a Theoretical Framework: Establish a structured approach to CAD refactoring, drawing on methodologies from software engineering.
  2. Identify and Characterise CAD Smells: Systematically define and categorise semantic errors in CAD models that contribute to technical debt.
  3. Innovate Refactoring Strategies: Formulate and test strategies to refactor CAD models, thereby reducing technical debt and enhancing model usability.

Methodology:

  • Literature Review: Examine existing research on CAD model quality, technical debt, and refactoring in programming to build a conceptual foundation.
  • Framework Development: Create a theoretical framework that adapts software refactoring techniques to the specifics of CAD models.
  • Empirical Testing: Apply the refactoring framework to diverse CAD models and evaluate its effectiveness in real-world scenarios.

Expected Outcomes:

  • Reduced Model Complexity: Simplify CAD models making them easier to understand and modify, which is crucial for their longevity and adaptability.
  • Enhanced Reusability: Increase the reusability of CAD models across different projects and applications, thus saving time and resources in engineering design processes.
  • Advanced CAD Practices: Contribute to best practices in CAD model management, setting a precedent for future research and development.

Publications and Presentations:

My Google Scholar

Future Work:

This research will set the stage for further studies into automated CAD refactoring, with the goal of integrating these practices into commercial CAD software, thereby standardising higher quality across the industry.

Supervisors:

  • Ben Hicks, Department of Mechanical Engineering
  • James Gopsill, Department of Mechanical Engineering

Funding:**

This research is supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).