Bridging Dao and Digital Fabrication: A Collaborative Design Framework Integrating Eastern Craft Philosophy and Smart Manufacturing
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64504/big.d.v3i3.827Keywords:
Dao-Vessel Symbiosis; Haptic Semiotics; Cultural Logic; Smart Manufacturing; Intangible Cultural Heritage Craft; CMF DesignAbstract
The global design field faces a binary dilemma between cultural logic and technological logic. Modern smart manufacturing is centered on efficiency and standardization, while traditional crafts are rooted in physical practice and cultural metaphor. These two logics have long been positioned as “protection” versus “replacement” in design practice, rather than in symbiosis. This study proposes the Dao-Vessel Symbiosis framework, which translates core concepts of Eastern craft philosophy (e.g., harmony between humanity and nature, artifacts carrying cultural ideas) into the Triadic Haptic-Semiotic Model—an operable framework for industrial design and smart manufacturing systems. The model consists of three progressive layers: the physical layer (quantitative acquisition of material tactile parameters), the behavioral layer (motion coding of craftsmen’s body movements), and the semantic layer (cultural decoding of tactile metaphors), establishing a translatable pathway between cultural logic and technological logic. This research validates the framework using two typical intangible cultural heritage (ICH) crafts in Lingnan, China: Huisu (lime sculpture) and Guangcai (Canton enamelware). For Huisu, motion capture and semantic decoding of “pushing, pressing, and smoothing” gestures extract the tactile cultural genes of steadiness, thickness, and smoothness. For Guangcai, physical tactile measurement of “gold-threading and piling jade” techniques translates the cultural semantics of golden splendor, thinness, and complexity. The extracted cultural tactile factors are applied and tested in two real smart manufacturing scenarios: automotive interior CMF (Color, Material, Finish) design and digital cultural tourism interactive equipment. Results confirm that cultural logic is not a decorative supplement to smart manufacturing, but a structural element that enhances product emotional value, reduces homogeneous competition, and extends product lifecycle. The framework provides a transferable methodological pathway for global traditional crafts to empower regional smart manufacturing upgrades.
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