NTR device, replacing OBI device

[ddooley]

OBI would like to have a general "device" term created in COB, and then it will depricate its own "device" in favour of the COB term. See https://github.com/obi-ontology/obi/issues/1626 , https://github.com/obi-ontology/obi/issues/1453 . (OBI may create a more specific medical device term.)

label: device definition: A processed material entity which is designed to perform a function. example of usage: A whole device like an engine; a component like a bolt. comment:

In this definition we assume devices are made of processed material, not natural artifacts, so we involve artifactual function rather than biological function, but align with a general BFO function sense where functions such as pumping, lifting occur in both contexts. Thus we can compare a biological arm with a robotic arm device.

We say "designed" to emphasize a devices primary function vs all the other possible dispositions a device may have that may also be useful. E.g. one can use a hammer for a paper weight. We can't now say a naturally formed rock is a hammering device - it wasn't designed to bear a hammering function per se. However, a given rock may still happen to have the disposition to bear a hammering function, and so be used as a tool for that.

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(A side discussion is whether "tool" is device's more creative, disposition-rather-than-necessarily-function-bearing counterpart. Perhaps a device - or anything - is a tool if used for some disposition other than its function. A rock might be a hammering tool if it has a hammering disposition.)

(There is a psychological sense of device as ploy - "His temper tantrums were just a device for attracting attention." but we'll leave "psychological device" to be defined by behavioural science folks).

[zhengj2007]

I think it is better to add the logic axioms associated with 'device' as those in OBI: 'has function' some function is_specified_output_of some 'material processing'

[ddooley]

It turns out COB doesn't have "has function"!!! So we'll see about adding that.

[ddooley]

A catch is that "has function" has domain "independent continuant" but we're not letting that in COB. So that will be a related discussion point on pull request https://github.com/OBOFoundry/COB/pull/232 for this issue.

[bpeters42]

I had thought we opted for just using 'has characteristic' and 'characteristic of' rather than the sub-relations? So it would be device and 'has characteristic' some function

On Fri, Mar 24, 2023 at 9:16 AM Damion Dooley @.***> wrote:

A catch is that "has function" has domain "independent continuant" but we're not letting that in COB. So that will be a related discussion point on pull request #232 https://github.com/OBOFoundry/COB/pull/232 for this issue.

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[ddooley]

Ok, good to know! I have now implemented that. I haven't heard all the COB dev decisions.

[ddooley]

So COB has implemented device, with "has characteristic" some function. This can now be closed.