HIERARCHICAL-GRANULARITY HOLONIC MODELLING

This thesis aims to introduce an agent-based system engineering approach, named Hierarchical-Granularity Holonic Modelling, to support intelligent information processing at multiple granularity levels. The focus is especially on complex hierarchical systems. Nowadays, due to ever growing complexity of information systems and processes, there is an increasing need of a simple self-modular computational model able to manage data and perform information granulation at different resolutions (i.e., both spatial and temporal). The current literature lacks to provide such a methodology. To cite a relevant example, the object-oriented paradigm is suitable for describing a system at a given representation level; notwithstanding, further design effort is needed if a more synthetical of more analytical view of the same system is required. In the literature, the agent paradigm represents a viable solution in complex systems modelling; in particular, Multi-Agent Systems have been applied with success in a countless variety of distributed intelligence settings. Current agent-oriented implementations however suffer from an apparent dichotomy between agents as intelligent entities and agents\u2019 structures as superimposed hierarchies of roles within a given organization. The agents\u2019 architectures are often rigid and require intense re-engineering when the underpinning ontology is updated to cast new design criteria. The latest stage in the evolution of modelling frameworks is represented by Holonic Systems, based on the notion of \u2018holon\u2019 and \u2018holarchy\u2019 (i.e., hierarchy of holons). A holon, just like an agent, is an intelligent entity able to interact with the environment and to take decisions to solve a specific problem. Contrarily to agent, holon has the noteworthy property of playing the role of a whole and a part at the same time. This reflects at the organizational level: holarchy functions first as autonomous wholes in supra-ordination to their parts, secondly as dependent parts in sub-ordination to controls on higher levels, and thirdly in coordination with their local environment. These ideas were originally devised by Arthur Koestler in 1967. Since then, Holonic Systems have gained more and more credit in various fields such as Biology, Ecology, Theory of Emergence and Intelligent Manufacturing. Notwithstanding, with respect to these disciplines, fewer works on Holonic Systems can be found in the general framework of Artificial and Computational Intelligence. Moreover, the distance between theoretic models and actual implementation is still wide open. In this thesis, starting from the Koestler\u2019s original idea, we devise a novel agent-inspired model that merges intelligence with the holonic structure at multiple hierarchical-granularity levels. This is made possible thanks to a rule-based knowledge recursive representation, which allows the holonic agent to carry out both operating and learning tasks in a hierarchy of granularity levels. The proposed model can be directly used in terms of hardware/software applications. This endows systems and software engineers with a modular and scalable approach when dealing with complex hierarchical systems. In order to support our claims, exemplar experiments of our proposal are shown and prospective implications are commented

An agile and adaptive holonic architecture for manufacturing control

Tese de doutoramento. Engenharia Electrotécnica e de Computadores. 2004. Faculdade de Engenharia. Universidade do Port

Energy governance as a commons: Engineering alternative socio-technical configurations

Transitioning into a sustainable energy system is becoming ever more pressing as the reality of an anthropogenic ecological crisis becomes difficult to ignore. Due to the complexity of the matter, proposed solutions often address the symptoms of the current socioeconomic configuration rather than its core. To conceptualise possible future energy systems, this Perspective focuses on the disconnect between science and technology and engineering studies. On the one hand, this disconnect leads to social science research that passively critiques rather than contributes to tackling societal issues in practice. On the other, it produces technical work limited by the incumbent conceptualisations of economic activity and organisational configurations around production without capturing the broader social and political dynamics. We thus propose a schema for bridging this divide that uses the “commons” as an umbrella concept. We apply this framework on the hardware aspect of a conceptual energy system, which builds on networked microgrids powered by open-source, lower cost, adaptable, socially responsible and sustainable technology. This Perspective is a call to engineers and social scientists alike to form genuine transdisciplinary collaborations for developing radical alternatives to the energy conundrum

An agile and adaptive holonic architecture for manufacturing control

In the last decades significant changes in the manufacturing environment have been noticed: moving from a local economy towards a global economy, with markets asking for products with high quality at lower costs, highly customised and with short life cycle. In this environment, the manufacturing enterprises, to avoid the risk to lose competitiveness, search to answer more closely to the customer demands, by improving their flexibility and agility, while maintaining their productivity and quality. Actually, the dynamic response to emergence is becoming a key issue, due to the weak response of the traditional manufacturing control systems to unexpected disturbances, mainly because of the rigidity of their control architectures. In these circumstances, the challenge is to develop manufacturing control systems with autonomy and intelligence capabilities, fast adaptation to the environment changes, more robustness against the occurrence of disturbances, and easier integration of manufacturing resources and legacy systems. Several architectures using emergent concepts and technologies have been proposed, in particular those based in the holonic manufacturing paradigm. Holonic manufacturing is a paradigm based in the ideas of the philosopher Arthur Koestler, who proposed the word holon to describe a basic unit of organisation in biological and social systems. A holon, as Koestler devised the term, is an identifiable part of a (manufacturing) system that has a unique identity, yet is made up of sub-ordinate parts and in turn is part of a larger whole. The introduction of the holonic manufacturing paradigm allows a new approach to the manufacturing problem, bringing the advantages of modularity, decentralisation, autonomy, scalability, and re-use of software components. This dissertation intends to develop an agile and adaptive manufacturing control architecture to face the current requirements imposed to the manufacturing enterprises. The architecture proposed in this dissertation addresses the need for the fast reaction to disturbances at the shop floor level, increasing the agility and flexibility of the enterprise, when it works in volatile environments, characterised by the frequent occurrence of unexpected disturbances. The proposed architecture, designated by ADACOR (ADAptive holonic COntrol aRchitecture for distributed manufacturing systems), is based in the holonic manufacturing paradigm, build upon autonomous and cooperative holons, allowing the development of manufacturing control applications that present all the features of decentralised and holonic systems. ADACOR holonic architecture introduces an adaptive control that balances dynamically between a more centralised structure and a more decentralised one, allowing to combine the global production optimisation with agile reaction to unexpected disturbances. Nas últimas décadas têm-se assistido a mudanças significativas no ambiente de fabrico: evoluindo de uma economia local para um economia global, com os mercados a procurar produtos com elevada qualidade a baixos preços, altamente customizados e com um ciclo de vida curto. Neste ambiente, as empresas de manufactura, para evitar o risco de perda de competitividade, procuram responder às solicitações dos clientes, melhorando a sua flexibilidade e agilidade, mantendo os mesmos índices de produtividade e qualidade. Na verdade, a resposta dinâmica à emergência está a tornar-se num assunto chave, devido `a fraca resposta a perturbações que os sistemas de controlo de fabrico tradicionais apresentam, principalmente devido à rigidez das suas arquitecturas de controlo. Nestas circunstâncias, é fundamental o desenvolvimento de sistemas de controlo de fabrico com capacidades de autonomia e inteligência, rápida adaptação às mudanças, maior robustez à ocorrência de perturbações e fácil integração de recursos físicos e sistemas legados. Diversas arquitecturas usando conceitos e tecnologias emergentes têm sido propostas, em particular algumas baseadas no paradigma da produção holónica. O paradigma da produção holónica é inspirado nas ideias de Arthur Koestler, que propôs a palavra holon para descrever uma unidade básica de organização de sistemas biológicos e sociais. Um holon, de acordo com a definição de Koestler, é uma parte identificável do sistema com identidade única, composta por sub-partes e fazendo simultaneamente parte do todo. A introdução do paradigma da produção holónica permite uma nova abordagem aos sistemas de controlo de fabrico, trazendo vantagens de modularidade, descentralização, autonomia, escalabilidade e reutilização de componentes. Esta dissertação pretende desenvolver uma arquitectura de controlo ágil e adaptativa que suporte os requisitos actuais impostos `as empresas de manufactura. A arquitectura proposta visa a necessidade de uma reacção rápida a perturbações, ao nível da planta fabril, melhorando a flexibilidade e agilidade da empresa quando esta opera em ambientes voláteis, caracterizados pela ocorrência frequente de perturbações inesperadas. A arquitectura proposta, designada por ADACOR (ADAptive holonic COntrol aRchitecture for distributed manufacturing systems), é baseada no paradigma da produção holónica e construída sobre holons autónomos e cooperativos, permitindo o desenvolvimento de aplicações de controlo de fabrico que apresentem todas as características dos sistemas descentralizados e holónicos. A arquitectura holónica ADACOR introduz um controlo adaptativo que balança dinamicamente entre uma estrutura de controlo mais centralizada e uma mais descentralizada, permitindo combinar a optimização da produção com a ágil reacção a perturbações

Developing a Method for Measuring Working Out Loud

Enterprise social network software platforms (ESNs) are increasingly being deployed in firms across almost every industry as a means of fostering employee collaboration. Although benefits in increased productivity, innovation, and employee engagement are highly touted, there is a high failure rate of these deployments. This often occurs because (1) there is a misapplied focus on technology adoption rather than adoption of the employee behaviors that are ultimately required to obtain those benefits, and (2) it is unclear what those behaviors are and how to measure them. “Working Out Loud” is one possible framework for understanding and measuring the behaviors necessary to fulfill the promise that ESN vendors advertise. It is loosely described as doing work in a way that makes it visible to others, and is often associated with the use of social business tools. As these tools proliferate within organizations, the Working Out Loud concept is becoming increasingly popular as an organizational and individual goal and mantra among social software vendors, their customers, and leading pundits and consultants in this space. Many benefits have been associated with Working Out Loud; however the concept is still somewhat amorphous. No attempts have been made to quantify it and little research has been done on whether the benefits attributed to it really exist. The common industry definition of Working Out Loud identifies two separate behaviors: narrating one’s work in the form of blog posts, status updates, etc. (typically individual behavior), and performing work in a transparent and observable way through the use of an enterprise social platform (typically group or team behavior). This research hypothesizes that these two behaviors do exist and are related but distinct, and thus scales can be developed to measure each. A survey was given to employees of Lexmark International, Inc. (the author’s employer). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses performed on the data confirmed the hypothesis and resulted in scales for individual and group Working Out Loud that are designed to be minimallyintrusive so as to enable both researchers and practitioners to track an organization’s Working Out Loud behavior on an ongoing basis

An Architecture for the Integration of Human Workers into an Industry 4.0 Manufacturing Environment.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2021.ENGLISH SUMMARY: With the rise of Industry 4.0 and the development in technologies that contribute to this revolution in manufacturing, research has focused mainly on the machines and automated digital systems contributing to the manufacturing environment. Humans are still critical to manufacturing; offering unmatched ingenuity, robustness, and flexibility despite their apparent disadvantages in strength or precision. Many successful manufacturing firms still include humans in their manufacturing processes for these reasons, and it is critical that the integration of humans in an I4.0 manufacturing environment is given research attention. This dissertation first explores the requirements for the integration of human workers into an I4.0 environment. It was determined that the largest problem with human integration exists with data related to the human being digitised, managed, and communicated with other entities in processes that are identified as Administrative Logistics. It is identified that an administration shell similar to the RAMI4.0 administration shell concept is required to manage these Administrative Logistics on behalf of the human, and that a holonic systems approach is beneficial. The dissertation then proposes the concept of a Human Resource Holon Administration shell (HRH-AS). An architecture to implement such an administration shell is then developed, here named the BASE architecture. This administration shell facilitates the interfacing, data processing, and connectivity to other I4.0 components on behalf of the human, to aid in their integration to the digital factory environment around them. The BASE architecture addresses three identified responsibilities of such an administration shell, namely interfacing, digital data management, and delegation to other I4.0 components. BASE stands for Biography, Attributes, Schedule, and Execution, and is a time-based separation of concerns for key augmentations provided to the human worker. The BASE architecture separates value-adding and decision-making plugin components, which are specific to an application, from the core components, which are generic to any application. The BASE architecture led to the development of the 3SAL activity structure to facilitate the communication and management of industrial activities in a digital environment. With the help of an industry partner, two case studies were developed to evaluate an implementation of the BASE architecture. The company is an aerospace composites manufacturer and was chosen for the labour-intensive requirements of the composites industry. The case studies aimed to evaluate the architecture against the three identified administration shell responsibilities and determine if the human workers are elevated to resource holon status. The first case study aimed to show how BASE facilitates interfacing with humans in an I4.0 environment and also acted as a technology demonstrator for the second case study. The second case study evaluated the effect BASE had on the Administrative Logistics involved in the business processes workers were involved in. Together these case studies fully evaluate BASE’s ability to facilitate the integration of humans into an I4.0 manufacturing environment through identified responsibilities of the administration shell. The evaluation found that the BASE HRH-AS improves the effectiveness of Administrative Logistics of business processes the human workers were involved with, as well as opened new opportunities for decision making on the shop floor previously not possible. Value-adding, by means of the plug-in components of a BASE administration shell, has also been proven by the ability to do automated schedule management, automatic calculation of standard work and improved traceability using the 3SAL activity structure.AFRIKAANS OPSOMMING: Met die opkoms van Industrie 4.0 (I4.0) en die ontwikkeling in tegnologieë wat bydra tot hierdie revolusie in vervaardiging, het navorsing grotendeels gefokus op die masjiene en digitale stelsels wat tot die vervaardigingsomgewing bydra. Menslike werkers is steeds van kritieke belang vir vervaardiging, en bied ongeëwenaarde vindingrykheid, robuustheid en buigsaamheid, ondanks hul oënskynlike nadele in sterkte of noukeurigheid. Baie suksesvolle vervaardigingsondernemings sluit nogsteeds mense in hul vervaardigingsprosesse in om hierdie redes. Dit is dus noodsaaklik dat die integrasie van mense met 'n I4.0 vervaardigingsomgewing navorsingsaandag geniet. Hierdie verhandeling ondersoek eerstens die vereistes vir die integrasie van menslike werkers in 'n I4.0 omgewing. Daar word eerstens geïdentifiseer dat die grootste probleem met die integrasie van mense bestaan uit oneffektiewe prosesse wat data en informasie tussen mense en ander komponente in die vervaardigingsprosesse komminikeer, stoor en bestuur. Hierdie prosesse word na verwys as Administratiewe Logistieke. Daar word ook geïdentifiseer dat 'n administrasie-dop soortgelyk aan die RAMI4.0 administrasie-dop konsep benodig word om Administratiewe Logistieke te bestuur namens die mens, en dat 'n holoniese stelselbenadering voordelig is. Die verhandeling stel dan die konsep van 'n Human Resource Holon Administration Shell (HRH-AS) voor. Daarna word 'n argitektuur ontwikkel om so 'n administrasie-dop te implementeer, hier genoem die BASE argitektuur. Hierdie administrasie-dop vergemaklik die inskakeling, dataverwerking en konnektiwiteit met ander I4.0 komponente namens die mens. Die integrasie van die mens in die digitale fabrieksomgewing is dus bevoordeel. Die BASE argitektuur spreek drie geïdentifiseerde verantwoordelikhede van so 'n administrasie-dop aan, naamlik: koppelling met die mens, digitale databestuur, en delegering na ander I4.0 komponente namens die mens. BASE staan vir Biography, Attributes, Schedule en Execution, en is 'n tydgebaseerde skeiding van belange vir aanvullings wat aan die menslike werker verskaf word. Die BASE argitektuur skei waardetoevoeging- en besluitneming-inpropkomponente, wat spesifiek vir 'n toepassing is, van die kernkomponente, wat generies is vir enige toepassing. Die BASE argitektuur het gelei tot die ontwikkeling van die 3SAL aktiwiteitstruktuur om die kommunikasie en bestuur van industriële aktiwiteite in 'n digitale omgewing te vergemaklik. Met die hulp van 'n bedryfsvennoot is twee gevallestudies ontwikkel om 'n implementering van die BASE argitektuur te evalueer. Die maatskappy is 'n lugvaart saamgestelde-mater komponent vervaardiger en is gekies vir die arbeidsintensiewe vereistes van die saamgestelde-mater bedryf. Die gevallestudies was daarop gemik om die argitektuur teen die drie geïdentifiseerde verantwoordelikhede van die administrasiedop te evalueer en te bepaal of die menslike werkers verhoog word tot holon status. Die eerste gevallestudie se doel was om te wys hoe BASE n koppelvlak tussen mense en digitale stelsels toelaat. Die eerste gevallestudie was ook 'n demonstrasie dat 'n toepassing in die bedryfsvenoot se fabriek toegepas kon word vir die tweede gevallestudie. Die tweede gevallestudie het die effek geëvalueer wat BASE het op die Administratiewe Logistiek betrokke by die besigheidsprosesse waarby werkers betrokke was. Saam evalueer hierdie gevallestudies BASE se vermoë om die integrasie van mense in 'n I4.0 vervaardigingsomgewing te fasiliteer deur geïdentifiseerde verantwoordelikhede van die administrasiedop. Die evaluering het bevind dat die BASE HRH-AS die doeltreffendheid van Administratiewe Logistiek van besigheidsprosesse wat menslike werkers benut, asook nuwe geleenthede vir besluitneming op die winkelvloer, verbeter tot n mate wat voorheen nie moontlik was nie. Waarde-toevoeging, deur middel van die inpropkomponente van 'n BASE administrasie dop, is ook bewys deur die vermoë om outomatiese skedule-bestuur, outomatiese berekening van standaardwerk en verbeterde naspeurbaarheid met behulp van die 3SAL-aktiwiteitsstruktuur te doen.Doctora

From the constructs and methods of the philosophers to a model for improved discourse between disciplines

We have problem areas which are beyond the scope of a discipline, but we are generally educated in just a single discipline. I explored our philosophy of work to see how we became disciplinary, where the disciplines came from, what philosophy underlies our way of working, and what philosophy underpins work that is beyond the scope of a discipline. The underlying philosophy leads to the research question. My hypothesis is that a systems engineer can create a model which networks the disciplines using constructs from philosophy, the tiers of disciplines in transdisciplinarity, and systemic and holistic thinking. This will provide a way of working on problem situations which transgress the boundary of a discipline. Using constructs from philosophy, the methods of the philosophers, hermeneutics, systems thinking and soft systems methodology I proceeded to create a conceptual model and showed conceptual examples of how to use the model. The client for the model is the interdisciplinary researcher who is seeking a way of working to manage problem areas that transgress disciplinary boundaries. The recommendation is made for using critical, systemic and holistic thinking and a network model of disciplines to manage our approach to problem situations which are beyond the scope of a discipline. The model is developed in the incremental sequence: disciplinary, multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary and gets as far as catering for tiers of disciplines (one aspect of the large and complex field of transdisciplinarity). Therefore, the model is suitable for interdisciplinary research, but can be developed further in future projects. The importance of the model is that it provides a practical way of working to manage problem situations which transgress disciplinary boundaries whilst accessing the expertise of disciplined practitioners. The model can find wide applicability. It is not necessary for the user of the model to be comfortable with the abstract philosophy used to create it. Users will need the will for uncoerced mutual understanding or free communication, along with their disciplinary expertise. The reader of the dissertation however should be comfortable with abstractions such as ideas about reality and actuality, form and class, subject and object, truth and justice, truthfulness and functional fit. Future work may reduce the method to practice in the academy and extend the method to bridging silos in learning organisations in the workplace. The work was conducted independently, and an original model was created