A new boundary-based morphological model

Mathematical morphology addresses the problem of describing shapes in an n-dimensional space using the concepts of set theory. A series of standardized morphological operations are defined, and they are applied to the shapes to transform them using another shape called the structuring element. In an industrial environment, the process of manufacturing a piece is based on the manipulation of a primitive object via contact with a tool that transforms the object progressively to obtain the desired design. The analogy with the morphological operation of erosion is obvious. Nevertheless, few references about the relation between the morphological operations and the process of design and manufacturing can be found. The non-deterministic nature of classic mathematical morphology makes it very difficult to adapt their basic operations to the dynamics of concepts such as the ordered trajectory. A new geometric model is presented, inspired by the classic morphological paradigm, which can define objects and apply morphological operations that transform these objects. The model specializes in classic morphological operations, providing them with the determinism inherent in dynamic processes that require an order of application, as is the case for designing and manufacturing objects in professional computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) environments. The operators are boundary-based so that only the points in the frontier are handled. As a consequence, the process is more efficient and more suitable for use in CAD/CAM systems

Hacia un modelo integral para la generación de Mundos Virtuales

Uno de los problemas más importantes en los sistemas de Realidad Virtual es la diversidad de los dispositivos visuales y de interacción que existen en la actualidad. Junto a esto, la heterogeneidad de los motores gráficos, los motores físicos y los módulos de Inteligencia Artificial, propicia que no exista un modelo que aúne todos estos aspectos de una forma integral y coherente. Con el objetivo de unificar toda esta diversidad, presentamos un modelo formal que afronta de forma integral el problema de la diversidad en los sistemas de RV, así como la definición de los módulos principales que los constituyen. El modelo propuesto se basa en la definición de una gramática, que integra la actividad necesaria en un sistema de RV, su visualización y su interacción con el usuario. La descripción de un mundo se presenta como una secuencia ordenada de primitivas, transformaciones que modifican el comportamiento de las primitivas y actores que definen la actividad del sistema. Los conceptos de primitiva, transformación y actor son mucho más amplios de lo que es habitual en estos sistemas: Las primitivas no son simples primitivas de dibujo sino acciones que se deben ejecutar en un determinado sistema de presentación, gráfico o no; las transformaciones modifican las primitivas, dependiendo de su naturaleza; los actores desarrollan una o varias actividades en el mundo virtual, se visualizan mediante primitivas y transformaciones, y usan eventos que también se definen en sentido amplio. El modelo presentado tiene como virtud la separación de la actividad del sistema de los dispositivos visuales y de interacción concretos que lo componen. Esto supone varias ventajas: los dispositivos pueden ser sustituidos por otros dispositivos o por simulaciones de estos, los elementos del sistema pueden ser reutilizados, y la representación gráfica puede ser diferente dependiendo del dispositivo visual. En definitiva, se ha pretendido diseñar un sistema integral, adaptativo, reutilizable y genérico. Por último se presenta un caso práctico que permite concretar cómo se utiliza el modelo propuesto

Dirección estratégica de la asignatura Dirección Estratégica de las Tecnologías de la Información

¿Se pueden utilizar las habilidades, las técnicas y los principios de la dirección estratégica en el diseño y ejecución de la programación docente de una asignatura? Esta es la pregunta que nos planteamos al diseñar la asignatura Dirección Estratégica de las Tecnologías de la Información perteneciente al Máster Universitario en Ingeniería Informática de la Universidad de Alicante. Estas técnicas las aplicaremos a aspectos clave de la innovación educativa: contrato pedagógico, objetivos, evaluación, trabajo en equipo y comunicación oral. Algunas de las propuestas innovadoras, que tienen el doble objetivo de ser un instrumento de la asignatura pero al mismo tiempo recoger aspectos de dirección y de mejora continua, son el SLA (“Service Level Agreement”) de aprendizaje, las actas de aprendizaje, el análisis de tendencias en las TI y el espacio para la creatividad. Tras dos cursos académicos de ajuste de la propuesta docente, en el curso 2014-2015 hemos analizado el nivel de satisfacción de los estudiantes con la misma y la autoevaluación crítica de los profesores que la han impartido. Los resultados han sido muy satisfactorios, con comentarios del estilo “ha sido una experiencia de aprendizaje efectivo”. Los estudiantes agradecen que los profesores prediquemos con el ejemplo. Nos hace más humanos y más creíbles.Can the skills, the techniques and the principles of strategic governance be used in the design and implementation of the teaching program of a subject? This is the question we ask ourselves when designing the course Dirección Estratégica de las Tecnologías de la Información belonging to the Master in Computer Engineering of the University of Alicante. These techniques will be applied to the key aspects of educational innovation: learning agreement, objectives, assessment, teamwork and oral communication. Some of the innovative proposals, which have the dual purpose of being an instrument of the subject but also including some aspects of management and continuous improvement, are the learning SLA (“Service Level Agreement”), the minutes of the learning process, the analysis of IT trends and a creative space. After two academic years setting the teaching proposal, during 2014-2015 course we have analyzed the level of satisfaction with the subject of the students, and obtained the critical self-evaluation of the subject teachers. The results have been very satisfactory, with comments like "it has been an effective learning experience". Students appreciate that teachers practice what we preach. It makes us more human and more credible

La docencia como un fractal: de la experiencia al modelo

The aim of this work is to improve students’ learning by designing a teaching model that seeks to increase student motivation to acquire new knowledge. To design the model, the methodology is based on the study of the students’ opinion on several aspects we think importantly affect the quality of teaching (such as the overcrowded classrooms, time intended for the subject or type of classroom where classes are taught), and on our experience when performing several experimental activities in the classroom (for instance, peer reviews and oral presentations). Besides the feedback from the students, it is essential to rely on the experience and reflections of lecturers who have been teaching the subject several years. This way we could detect several key aspects that, in our opinion, must be considered when designing a teaching proposal: motivation, assessment, progressiveness and autonomy. As a result we have obtained a teaching model based on instructional design as well as on the principles of fractal geometry, in the sense that different levels of abstraction for the various training activities are presented and the activities are self-similar, that is, they are decomposed again and again. At each level, an activity decomposes into a lower level tasks and their corresponding evaluation. With this model the immediate feedback and the student motivation are encouraged. We are convinced that a greater motivation will suppose an increase in the student’s working time and in their performance. Although the study has been done on a subject, the results are fully generalizable to other subjects.El objetivo de este trabajo es tratar de mejorar el aprendizaje de los estudiantes diseñando un modelo docente que intenta aumentar su motivación por adquirir nuevos conocimientos. Para poder diseñar el modelo, la metodología empleada se ha basado en el estudio de la opinión de los estudiantes sobre distintos aspectos que pensamos que afectan en gran medida a la calidad de la docencia (tales como la masificación de las aulas, el tiempo previsto para la asignatura, el tipo de aula en el que se imparten las clases), y en nuestra experiencia a lo hora de realizar distintas actividades de forma experimental en clase (por ejemplo, la corrección entre compañeros y las presentaciones orales en clase). Además de conocer la opinión de los alumnos, es fundamental basarse en la experiencia y reflexiones de los docentes que han estado impartiendo la materia varios años. De ahí hemos entresacado algunos aspectos clave, que en nuestra opinión, deben tenerse en cuenta al diseñar la propuesta docente: motivación, evaluación, progresividad y autonomía. Como resultado hemos obtenido un modelo docente basado en el diseño instruccional así como en los principios de la geometría fractal, en el sentido de que se plantean diferentes niveles de abstracción para las diversas actividades formativas y estas son auto similares, es decir, se descomponen una y otra vez. En cada nivel una actividad se descompone en tareas de un nivel inferior junto con su evaluación correspondiente. Con este modelo se fomenta la retroalimentación y la motivación del estudiante. Estamos convencidos de que una mayor motivación supondrá un aumento en el tiempo de trabajo de los estudiantes y en su rendimiento. Aunque el estudio se ha hecho sobre una asignatura, los resultados son totalmente generalizables a otras materias

ABPgame+: siete asignaturas, un proyecto

El Aprendizaje Basado en Proyectos (ABP) ha demostrado ser una metodología muy adecuada para los estudios de ingeniería. Además, si su aplicación trasciende a una única asignatura e implica a varias, sus beneficios se ven incrementados por la transversalidad, multidisciplinariedad y la riqueza del proyecto. Pero el aumento de complejidad del proyecto también conlleva dificultades que hay que superar. Por un lado, la existencia de un proyecto que recoja los objetivos principales de todas las asignaturas y, por otro, superar la incoherencia del sistema educativo que representa la fragmentación de los estudios en asignaturas y la estanqueidad de las mismas, necesaria pero muchas veces mal entendida y con excesivas trabas administrativas. En este trabajo presentamos la experiencia de aplicación de la metodología ABP en el cuarto curso del itinerario de Creación y Entretenimiento Digital del Grado en Ingeniería Multimedia. Los proyectos que se desarrollan en este itinerario están orientados hacia los videojuegos, lo que nos permite vencer la primera dificultad planteada anteriormente. Por otro lado, para salvar la segunda dificultad, la aplicación de la metodología ABP está centrada en la asignatura Proyectos Multimedia, ya que, además de tener carácter obligatorio, su objetivo principal es que los estudiantes, organizados en grupos de trabajo, planifiquen y realicen el seguimiento del desarrollo de sus proyectos de forma adecuada para que puedan obtener un producto terminado al final del curso.SUMMARY -- Project Based Learning (PBL) has proved to be a very suitable methodology for engineering studies. Moreover, when its application domain is extended beyond a single subject to involve several of them, their benefits are increased by the cross-curricularity, multidisciplinarity and richness of the project. However, the increased complexity of the project also involves difficulties to overcome. On the one hand, finding a project which includes the main objectives of all involved subjects; On the other hand, dealing with the obstacles of an education system which breaks up knowledge in closed pieces (subjects), a necessary but generally misunderstood model, with too many administrative barriers. In this paper we present our experience applying PBL methodology to the specialization branch Creación y Entretenimiento Digital (Leisure and Digital Entertainment) from the fourth year of Multimedia Engineering Degree. Projects developed in this specialization are focused on computer games, which allows us to easily overcome the first difficulty stated before. In addition to that, to face the second difficulty, our PBL methodology is focused on the Multimedia Projects subject. This subject is mandatory and leads students to correctly organize themselves in working teams, plan and perform an appropriate tracking of the development status of their projects, in order to ensure a finished product as their outcome at the end of course

A morphological approach to the design of complex objects

The surface-trajectory model gives a solution to some of the problems presented by the general geometric models where the design of an object is separated from its manufacture. In fact, in this model, the internal representation of objects is made up of machining trajectories. As the display systems usually need triangles to represent the objects, a process of triangulation is needed to visualize them. In other words, a secondary surface model is needed to display the objects. The following is a geometric model that, maintaining the philosophy of the surface-trajectory model, encapsulates the calculation of the machining process from the formal framework that provides the set theory and the mathematical morphology. The model addresses the process of designing objects by assimilation of a machining process by giving solutions to the design of complex objects and an arithmetic to support the generation of trajectories of manufacturing. The design process is similar to the craft work of sculptors designing their pieces by hand with their tools. It also gives a direct solution to the problems of the trajectory generation since they are already defined at the design phase. The model is generic and robust as there are no special cases or complex objects in which the model does not provide a correct solution. It also naturally incorporates the realistic display of the machined objects in a quickly and accurately way

Deterministic mathematical morphology for CAD/CAM

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a new geometric model based on the mathematical morphology paradigm, specialized to provide determinism to the classic morphological operations. The determinism is needed to model dynamic processes that require an order of application, as is the case for designing and manufacturing objects in CAD/CAM environments. Design/methodology/approach – The basic trajectory-based operation is the basis of the proposed morphological specialization. This operation allows the definition of morphological operators that obtain sequentially ordered sets of points from the boundary of the target objects, inexistent determinism in the classical morphological paradigm. From this basic operation, the complete set of morphological operators is redefined, incorporating the concept of boundary and determinism: trajectory-based erosion and dilation, and other morphological filtering operations. Findings – This new morphological framework allows the definition of complex three-dimensional objects, providing arithmetical support to generating machining trajectories, one of the most complex problems currently occurring in CAD/CAM. Originality/value – The model proposes the integration of the processes of design and manufacture, so that it avoids the problems of accuracy and integrity that present other classic geometric models that divide these processes in two phases. Furthermore, the morphological operative is based on points sets, so the geometric data structures and the operations are intrinsically simple and efficient. Another important value that no excessive computational resources are needed, because only the points in the boundary are processed

Gamificar una propuesta docente. Diseñando experiencias positivas de aprendizaje

Comunicación presentada en las XX Jornadas sobre la Enseñanza Universitaria de la Informática (JENUI), Oviedo, 9-11 julio 2014

An Ontology for Formalizing and Automating the Strategic Planning Process

From late 1980s and early twenty-first century, the environment where the organizations develop and act, has become increasingly uncertain and complex. Under these conditions, organizations have detected the need to move towards a more participatory model to address and reduce the complexity, based on information and knowledge as core assets to reduce environmental uncertainty and thereby ensure better decision-making. This new form of governance involves changes in the Strategic Planning process that are aligned with the characteristics of the new organizational model. Ontologies, as theories of content that allow the formalization of processes and knowledge, are a key element in this context. The aim of this paper is to formally define an ontology that could be defined in the future using the Web Ontology Language (OWL) that meets the standards approved by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and that is used to formalize the process of SP, as well as the knowledge that is created and flows among the several participants in the process

An approach to the application of shift-and-add algorithms on engineering and industrial processes

Different kinds of algorithms can be chosen so as to compute elementary functions. Among all of them, it is worthwhile mentioning the shift-and-add algorithms due to the fact that they have been specifically designed to be very simple and to save computer resources. In fact, almost the only operations usually involved with these methods are additions and shifts, which can be easily and efficiently performed by a digital processor. Shift-and-add algorithms allow fairly good precision with low cost iterations. The most famous algorithm belonging to this type is CORDIC. CORDIC has the capability of approximating a wide variety of functions with only the help of a slight change in their iterations. In this paper, we will analyze the requirements of some engineering and industrial problems in terms of type of operands and functions to approximate. Then, we will propose the application of shift-and-add algorithms based on CORDIC to these problems. We will make a comparison between the different methods applied in terms of the precision of the results and the number of iterations required.This research was supported by the Conselleria de Educacion of the Valencia Region Government under grant number GV/2011/043