Design Optimization, Simplification

Note these are optimization models with multiple objective goals, a very classic case.  We used this to look at various design contexts, like package design.    Visualization of results was used, even back then.

MIT Researchers Develop Tool to Simplify Product Design

Engineering.com  By Phillip Keane

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory have developed a visualization tool for computer-aided design (CAD) that facilitates interactive, real-time exploration of design options that are best suited for sometimes competing performance goals. The InstantCAD tool combines multi-objective optimization methods with a CAD solution. MIT's Adriana Schulz says, "We're directly editing the performance space and providing real-time feedback on the designs that give you the best performance. A product may have 100 design parameters...but we really only care about how it behaves in the physical world." InstantCAD enables engineers to identify and convert the entire "Pareto front"—a set of designs optimized for all given performance objectives—into an interactive map. Clicking on the map displays optimized designs and variations in the immediate locale of that section of the front.

Tradeoff Analytics Services

Have been examining some of the Watson services announced last week.    These are available free (with limited amounts of data) with registration on the Bluemix cloud services.  One that intrigued me was tradeoff analytics.  Implementing Pareto optimization.  Have not seen that technique embedded anywhere recently, a nice idea. These can be connected via API to a mobile App,  for example.  At the link, documentation  and a demonstration video.  All the services are published as Beta.  Will try with some sample health domain data. Provide your thoughts.

" ... Helps users make better choices to best meet multiple conflicting goals, combining smart visualization and recommendations for tradeoff exploration ... 
The Tradeoff Analytics service helps people optimize their decisions while striking a balance between multiple, often conflicting, objectives. The service can be used to help make complex decisions like what mortgage to take or which laptop to purchase. Tradeoff Analytics uses Pareto filtering techniques to identify the optimal alternatives across multiple criteria. It then uses various analytical and visual approaches to help the decision maker explore the pros and cons of their alternatives. ... " 

(Update):  It was brought to my attention that Pareto optimization and its uses are not well known. The WP has a good article that starts non technically. And more broadly on Pareto Analysis.

(Update): And on Smart Pareto filters.