| This paper describes an exact solution methodology, implemented in Rensselaer's Voyager design space exploration system, for solving the scheduling problem in a 3dimensional (3D) design space: the usual 2D design space (which trades o area and schedule length), plus a third dimension representing clock length. Unlike design space exploration methodologies which rely on bounds or estimates, th...

In the map veriication problem, a robot is given a (possibly incorrect) map M of the world G with its position and orientation indicated on the map. The task is to nd out whether this map, for the given robot position and its orientation in the map, is correct for the world G. We consider the world model of a graph G = (V G ; E G) in which, for each vertex, edges incident to the vertex are orde...

In this paper we propose an original and fast design space exploration method targeting reconfigurable architectures. This method takes place during the first steps of a design flow that works at the algorithmic level. It uses as input a high level specification of the application and is based on a functional model to describe the architectures to compare. This paper describes the projection st...

As design problems become more complex and design lead time more pressing, designers need effective support tools to expand their design space exploration. In this paper, a hierarchical coevolutionary approach is proposed to support designers by automatically generating design concepts based on the designers’ inputs. The approach adopts a zigzag design process in which function structures and t...

We investigate the exploration problem of a short-sighted mobile robot moving about in an unknown cellular room. In order to explore a cell, the robot must enter it. Once inside, the robot knows which of the 4 adjacent cells exist and which are boundary edges. The robot starts from a specified cell adjacent to the room’s outer wall; it visits each cell, and returns to the start. Our interest is...

When making decisions, humans can observe many kinds of information about others' activities, but their effects on performance are not well understood. We investigated social learning strategies using a simple problem-solving task in which participants search a complex space, and each can view and imitate others' solutions. Results showed that participants combined multiple sources of informati...

Young orangutans are highly neophobic, avoid independent exploration and show a preference for social learning. Accordingly, they acquire virtually all their learned skills through exploration that is socially induced. Adult exploration rates are also low. Comparisons strongly suggest that major innovations, i.e. behaviours that have originally been brought into the population through individua...

Design space exploration is the process of analyzing several functionally equivalent alternatives to determine the most suitable one. The synchronous assumption has made it possible to develop e cient procedures for establishing functional equivalence betw een di erent implementations in the domain of synchronous circuits as well as in the domain of sync hronous reactive systems. We extend this...

Embedded systems usually have strict resource and performance constraints. Designers often need to improve the system design so that the system satisfies those constraints. In such case, performance bottlenecks should be identified and improved effectively. In this paper, we present a method to identify performance bottlenecks. Our method automatically identifies not only the bottlenecks but al...