Application of semantic control to a class of pursuer-evader problems

AbstractIn this article, we describe our work in developing a comprehensive software system for tactical decision aiding for an evader faced with multiple pursuers. The objective is to provide the evader with defensive maneuver decisions that maximize its chances of survival.We have developed a hierarchical semantic controller consisting of a System Identifier, a Goal Selector and an Adapter. This system is implemented on a 386DX personal computer via object-oriented programming, knowledge-based systems, Analytical Hierarchy Process, optimal control, and differential game methodologies.The viability of our Semantic Control approach to the evasive action selection problem has been shown and its operation has been tested against pursuers which follow either pure pursuit or proportional guidance strategies. The user is included in the decision process via approval of setpoints. Displays of the engagement and effect of coverage by countermeasures provide a visual reinforcement of the recommendation made. Use of semantic controllers as TDA support systems for man-in-the-loop, pursuer-evader problems on a PC with current software and hardware technology is feasible. The ability to deploy the system on a portable PC permits the use of the technology in a wide variety of applications

Willing and able: action-state orientation and the relation between procedural justice and employee cooperation

Existing justice theory explains why fair procedures motivate employees to adopt cooperative goals, but it fails to explain how employees strive towards these goals. We study self-regulatory abilities that underlie goal striving; abilities that should thus affect employees’ display of cooperative behavior in response to procedural justice. Building on action control theory, we argue that employees who display effective self-regulatory strategies (action oriented employees) display relatively strong cooperative behavioral responses to fair procedures. A multisource field study and a laboratory experiment support this prediction. A subsequent experiment addresses the process underlying this effect by explicitly showing that action orientation facilitates attainment of the cooperative goals that people adopt in response to fair procedures, thus facilitating the display of actual cooperative behavior. This goal striving approach better integrates research on the relationship between procedural justice and employee cooperation in the self-regulation and the work motivation literature. It also offers organizations a new perspective on making procedural justice effective in stimulating employee cooperation by suggesting factors that help employees reach their adopted goals

Group emotion modelling and the use of middleware for virtual crowds in video-games

In this paper we discuss the use of crowd simulation in video-games to augment their realism. Using previous works on emotion modelling and virtual crowds we define a game world in an urban context. To achieve that, we explore a biologically inspired human emotion model, investigate the formation of groups in crowds, and examine the use of physics middleware for crowds. Furthermore, we assess the realism and computational performance of the proposed approach. Our system runs at interactive frame-rate and can generate large crowds which demonstrate complex behaviour

Web Service Discovery Based on Past User Experience

Web service technology provides a way for simplifying interoperability among different organizations. A piece of functionality available as a web service can be involved in a new business process. Given the steadily growing number of available web services, it is hard for developers to find services appropriate for their needs. The main research efforts in this area are oriented on developing a mechanism for semantic web service description and matching. In this paper, we present an alternative approach for supporting users in web service discovery. Our system implements the implicit culture approach for recommending web services to developers based on the history of decisions made by other developers with similar needs. We explain the main ideas underlying our approach and report on experimental results