Multi-Objective Counterfactuals for Design: A Model-Agnostic Counterfactual Search Method for Multi-Modal Design Modifications
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md_147_2_021401.pdf
Description
Published version
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901.73 KB
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Adobe PDF
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Author(s)
Regenwetter, Lyle
Abu Obaideh, Yazan
Ahmed, Faez
Date Issued
August 28, 2024
Journal
Journal of Mechanical Design
Publisher
ASME International
Citation
Regenwetter, L., Abu Obaideh, Y., and Ahmed, F. (August 28, 2024). "Multi-Objective Counterfactuals for Design: A Model-Agnostic Counterfactual Search Method for Multi-Modal Design Modifications." ASME. J. Mech. Des. February 2025; 147(2): 021401.
Version
Final published version
Abstract
Designers may often ask themselves how to adjust their design concepts to achieve demanding functional goals. To answer such questions, designers must often consider counterfactuals, weighing design alternatives, and their projected performance. This paper introduces multi-objective counterfactuals for design (MCD), a computational tool that automates and streamlines the counterfactual search process and recommends targeted design modifications that meet designers’ unique requirements. MCD improves upon existing counterfactual search methods by supporting multi-objective requirements, which are crucial in design problems, and by decoupling the counterfactual search and sampling processes, thus enhancing efficiency and facilitating objective trade-off visualization. The paper showcases MCD’s capabilities in complex engineering tasks using three demonstrative bicycle design challenges. First, MCD effectively identifies design modifications that quantifiably enhance functional performance, strengthening the bike frame and saving weight. Second, MCD modifies parametric bike models in a cross-modal fashion to resemble subjective text prompts or reference images. In a final multidisciplinary case study, MCD tackles all the quantitative and subjective design requirements introduced in the first two problems, while simultaneously customizing a bike design to an individual rider’s biomechanical attributes. By exploring hypothetical design alterations and their impact on multiple design objectives, MCD recommends effective design modifications for practitioners seeking to make targeted enhancements to their designs.
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Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use.
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DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4065998
