MLEA: a solution for users of android in UTP Virtual

This paper describes a design of an educational platform for a mobile learning architecture, which is a state of the art topic in distance education. The product will allow users to interact in an efficient, flexible, and transparent fashion with a web-based education environment, in this case Module Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment (Moodle), using Android mobile devices. In order to provide a strong and lasting architecture, the Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) methodology is used given that it allows easy software re-utilization as well as integration of heterogeneous services. The architecture is based on web services implemented with Representational State Transfer (REST), as it has been demonstrated to be lighter and less consuming than other protocols, for devices with limited resources such as mobile devices. Web services provide the communication means between the server side and the client side of the architecture, whereas agents are used to deliver the services itself. The authors propose the development of an environment that facilitates the integration of various educational resources to support m-learning. An important aspect of the proposal is the offering of a tool to provide customized alerts for students and teachers, enabling them to remain updated about activities taking place in the coursesThis paper describes a design of an educational platform for a mobile learning architecture, which is a state of the art topic in distance education. The product will allow users to interact in an efficient, flexible, and transparent fashion with a web-based education environment, in this case Module Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment (Moodle), using Android mobile devices. In order to provide a strong and lasting architecture, the Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) methodology is used given that it allows easy software re-utilization as well as integration of heterogeneous services. The architecture is based on web services implemented with Representational State Transfer (REST), as it has been demonstrated to be lighter and less consuming than other protocols, for devices with limited resources such as mobile devices. Web services provide the communication means between the server side and the client side of the architecture, whereas agents are used to deliver the services itself. The authors propose the development of an environment that facilitates the integration of various educational resources to support m-learning. An important aspect of the proposal is the offering of a tool to provide customized alerts for students and teachers, enabling them to remain updated about activities taking place in the course

A modularized electronic payment system for agent-based e-commerce

With the explosive growth of the Internet, electronic-commerce (e-commerce) is an increasingly important segment of commercial activities on the web. The Secure Agent Fabrication, Evolution & Roaming (SAFER) architecture was proposed to further facilitate e-commerce using agent technology. In this paper, the electronic payment aspect of SAFER will be explored. The Secure Electronic Transaction (SET) protocol and E-Cash were selected as the bases for the electronic payment system implementation. The various modules of the payment system and how they interface with each other are shown. An extensible implementation done using JavaTM will also be elaborated. This application incorporates agent roaming functionality and the ability to conduct e-commerce transactions and carry out intelligent e-payment procedures

Customer-engineer relationship management for converged ICT service companies

Thanks to the advent of converged communications services (often referred to as ‘triple play’), the next generation Service Engineer will need radically different skills, processes and tools from today’s counterpart. Why? in order to meet the challenges of installing and maintaining services based on multi-vendor software and hardware components in an IP-based network environment. The converged services environment is likely to be ‘smart’ and support flexible and dynamic interoperability between appliances and computing devices. These radical changes in the working environment will inevitably force managers to rethink the role of Service Engineers in relation to customer relationship management. This paper aims to identify requirements for an information system to support converged communications service engineers with regard to customer-engineer relationship management. Furthermore, an architecture for such a system is proposed and how it meets these requirements is discussed

Machining feature-based system for supporting step-compliant milling process

STEP standards aims at setting up a standard description method for product data and providing a neutral exchanging mechanism that is independent of all the information processing systems for product information model. STEP Part 21 is the first implementation method from EXPRESS language and implemented successfully in CAD data. However, this text file consists of purely geometrical and topological data is hardly to be applied in machining process planning which requires machining features enriched data. The aim of this research is developing a new methodology to translate the EXPRESS language model of CAD STEP data into a new product data representation and enriched in machining features which is more beneficial to machining process planning. In this research, a target Database Management System (DBMS) was proposed for developing this system by using its fourth-generation tools that allow rapid development of applications through the provision of nonprocedural query language, reports generators, form generators, graphics generators, and application generators. The use of fourth-generation tools can improve productivity significantly and produce program that are easier to maintain. From this research, a new product data representation in a compact new table format is generated. Then this new product data representation has gone through a series of data enrichment process, such as normal face direction generation, edge convexity/concavity determination and machining features with transition feature recognition. Lastly, this new enriched product data representation is verified by generating to a new STEP standard data format which is according to ISO1030-224 standard format and providing an important part of solution for supporting STEP-compliant process planning and applications in milling process

Experimental and simulation analysis for performance enhancement of elliptical savonius wind turbine by modifying blade shapes

Savonius turbines are drag-based rotors which operate due to a pressure difference between the advancing and retreating blades. After going through an exhaustive literature review, it was realized that the Savonius wind turbines are an applicable option at low wind speed areas, where the counterpart of these turbines cannot work efficiently. Nevertheless, the existing design is still under research to make it more applicable in urban areas. Therefore, the research objective was to develop and test an elliptical Savonius wind turbine to improving its performance in terms of power and torque coefficients by modifying blade shapes and overlap ratio. In the beginning, a series of 2D unsteady simulations (CFD-Fluent version 19.1) of the Savonius elliptical turbine has been performed to study the overlap ratio of blades and the effect of the turbulence models. Conventional elliptical Savonius turbine was modified by changing the overlap ratio from the value (OR=0.15) to (OR=0.2) and called as the Model-A. Then, the concave surface of the blade Model-A was modified (as zigzag shape) and called as Model-B. The blade shape of the Model-B was modified by adding bypass channels for each blade to creating new configuration was called the Model-C. The experimental work begins with the manufacturing of the models (A, B and C) of the blade using 3D printing technology. Models were tested by the wind tunnel in Aerodynamic laboratory (UTHM) with four cases of wind velocity. 2D simulation result for Model-A at OR= 0.2, where the increase in maximum power coefficient value obtained was 3.85% and 7.69% compared to overlap ratio (0.15 and 0.1), respectively. The result of the experimental test was obtained the maximum power coefficient (0.296, 0.292, 0.291, and 0.295) at wind velocity (6 m/s, 8 m/s, 9 m/s, and 10 m/s), respectively for Model-B. The Model-C result in the maximum power coefficient (0.28) compared with Model-A (0.26). The 3D unsteady simulation also has been done to visualisation the behaviour of flow around Model-B and it show a good agreement with experimental test results