Can AI develop products? - From the review to the customer requirement

AI is revolutionizing work in the technology sector - including product development. The aim of this thesis is to determine an approach for using an LLM to evaluate reviews and identify customer requirements for new products.

A sustainable angle grinder from the Collaborative Research Center “Circular Factory for the Perpetual Product”, in which integrated linear and circular production is enabled, and the development of smartphones will be considered as key examples for this thesis.

In a final thesis, you can contribute to the adaptation of an LLM for the determination of customer requirements from online reviews and forum posts. Particular attention will be paid to the translation into concrete, technical requirements and, for the angle grinder, to sustainable product development.

Your task:

The aim of this work is to analyze in a first step how LLMs have been used in product development so far. Based on these results, a new concept is to be developed in order to design and apply an LLM precisely for use as a tool for determining requirements. The final aim is to support developers and achieve the highest possible accuracy of results.

For this purpose, past product generations will be retrospectively evaluated and analyzed, customer requirements will be derived from the evaluation and it will then be considered whether these customer requirements correspond to the observed features in new, successful product generations or whether unfulfilled customer requirements have remained open as points of criticism among customers. Freely available reviews and forum posts will be used as a data basis.

Profile:

• You have a technical interest (mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, mechatronics, engineering education, etc.)
• You are interested in how AI can support product development
• You enjoy exploring new topics in product development and expanding your horizons

Your benefits:

• Working in a new research field and on a future-relevant topic
• Learning scientific processes
• The possibility of a joint scientific publication
• 1:1 coaching with a scientific staff member

Are you interested or do you have questions? Then write an email to manuel.spekker∂kit.edu.