Flexible and Reconfigurable Systems: Nomenclature and Review

Abstract

The demands on today’s products have become increasingly complex as customers expect enhanced performance across a variety of diverse and changing system operating conditions. Reconfigurable systems are capable of undergoing changes in order to meet new objectives, function effectively in varying operating environments, and deliver value in dynamic market conditions. Research in the design of such responsive and changeable systems, however, currently faces impediments in effective and clear discourse due to ambiguity in terminology. Definitions of the terms flexibility and reconfigurability, two related concepts in reconfigurable system design, are explored based on their original lexical meanings and current understanding in design literature. Design techniques that incorporate flexibility both in the design (form) and performance (function) space are presented. Based upon this literature survey, a classification scheme for flexibility is proposed, and its application to reconfigurable system design is explored. This paper also presents recent methodologies for reconfigurable system design and poses important research questions that remain to be investigated.

Climate adaptive building shells: State-of-the-art and future challenges

“…Multi-ability differs from adaptability in the sense that multiple objectives can be fulfilled consecutively, not concurrently [47].…”

“…Ferguson et al [47] define adaptability as the ability of a system to deliver intended functionality considering multiple criteria under variable conditions through the design variables changing their physical values over time. Building shells having this attribute can seize the opportunity to deliberately act in response to changes in ambient conditions.…”

Exploring Natural Strategies for Bio-Inspired Fault Adaptive Systems Design

“…This strategy includes building in capability to a system to handle new objectives and customer requirements [35,36,37,38]. This can also be considered a type of flexibility.…”

Introducing Flexibility to Complex, Resilient Socio-Ecological Systems: A Comparative Analysis of Economics, Flexible Manufacturing Systems, Evolutionary Biology, and Supply Chain Management

“…Also, the same flexibility is essential in realising innovation within the system. Similarly, Ferguson et al (2007) contend that flexibility can manifest itself as multi-ability, evolvability, or robustness. Evolution reflects the ability of the system to be reconfigured [6].…”