Feature Type Recognition – implementation of a recognizing feature manager

This paper reports the first phase of a research project to implement and apply Feature Type Recognition (FTR). This technology has many potential areas of application, such as case retrieval, product finding, translating models between schemas, and certain types of analysis. Feature Type Recognition is part of the Internet based design knowledge sharing system developed at the authors’ department. The system allows communication of highly abstract concepts as well as concrete data. Additionally, it supports a layered approach to modelling, which will facilitate standardisation efforts. Feature Type Recognition is the process of finding feature types that correspond to a specific feature instance. The paper shows how feature based modelling creates a foundation for feature type recognition. Additionally, it presents and discusses how the Recognizing Feature Manager has been implemented. Application of Feature Type Recognition to building product finding will take place in the second phase of the research project. However, the paper already discusses basic principles of how this can be done