17,139 research outputs found

    Producing Goods, Shaping People: The Materiality of Crafting

    Full text link
    The study of craft production has a long and venerable history in archaeological research on ancient societies. In this chapter, I consider the crafting of useful and desired things from a materiality perspective by looking at the interactions between the craftpersons, the materials with which they work, and the ways that their end products are valued in society. I use two examples: working with fibers by the Maya of Mesoamerica and with metals by the Moche of Andean South America. These are two very different kinds of materials whose characteristics affect how one interacts with them. Crafting was a part of everyday life for the Maya and Moche. Through these two case studies I illustrate the role crafting plays in the development of identities and personhood, in the process contributing to the meaning of everyday life to people in these societies

    Application of expert system techniques for award implementation

    Get PDF
    This paper describes a pilot expert system project, PESWEA, developed in conjunction with The Western Australian Government Railways Commission (Westrail), to locate and implement an expert system pilot solution to the problems and complexities of the awards. The paper will outline the process used to develop and implement a solution to a business requirement. In particular, the methodologies for the project, shell selection, and knowledge acquisition will be presented and discussed. The fundamentals of expert systems will be discussed to provide the reader an insight into the technology. In addition, this paper reviews the literature relevant to the research questions. Empirical findings in the literature are discussed and analysed to discover how they influence the work in this paper. The topics covered include the concepts of expert system shell selection, knowledge acquisition and representation. and the integration of expert systems and database systems. A case study on a similar pilot system conducted by the State Electricity Commission of Victoria (SECV) is also reviewed. The PESWEA knowledge-bases were implemented with the 1st-Class HT expert system shell which succeeded in meeting the selection criteria for the first study in this project. The work carried out has also confirmed that the expert system techniques can be used to gather and interpret information from manual time- sheets which are subject to a complex arbitration award. Furthermore, PESWEA utilised the Inter-system Communication approach to systems interfacing, with the DataFlex database system dominating the concentration of processing and control. The technical and business objectives of PESWEA have been achieved with success. This study has confirmed SECV\u27s own research into the applicability of expert system techniques for award implementation. From this study, Westrail and Edith Cowan University believe that expert systems technology can now be integrated into the mainstream programming techniques at Westrail

    Third Conference on Artificial Intelligence for Space Applications, part 2

    Get PDF
    Topics relative to the application of artificial intelligence to space operations are discussed. New technologies for space station automation, design data capture, computer vision, neural nets, automatic programming, and real time applications are discussed

    Affordable heat: A whole-buildings efficiency service for Vermont families and businesses

    Get PDF
    Policy Leadership Initiative Year III Addressing Energy Challenges for Low-income Families in Northern New Englan

    The place of expert systems in business now and over the next decade

    Get PDF
    Information technology has entered a new generation. In recent years, considerable interest has been focussed on the commercialisation of expert systems, which represent an important application of Artificial Intelligence in the field of Information Technology. Expert systems are now in a crucial stage of development because, although in business computerised systems are not new, expert systems still need time for their applicability and usefulness to be proved. The market for expert systems will not develop if such systems are unable to cope with the demanding applications of business; for example with top management problem-solving and decision-making. This thesis is principally concerned with determining the position of expert systems in business by looking at these major business related issues. [Continues.

    The Critical Role of Public Charging Infrastructure

    Full text link
    Editors: Peter Fox-Penner, PhD, Z. Justin Ren, PhD, David O. JermainA decade after the launch of the contemporary global electric vehicle (EV) market, most cities face a major challenge preparing for rising EV demand. Some cities, and the leaders who shape them, are meeting and even leading demand for EV infrastructure. This book aggregates deep, groundbreaking research in the areas of urban EV deployment for city managers, private developers, urban planners, and utilities who want to understand and lead change
    • …
    corecore