7,955 research outputs found

    Advancing automation and robotics technology for the space station and for the US economy: Submitted to the United States Congress October 1, 1987

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    In April 1985, as required by Public Law 98-371, the NASA Advanced Technology Advisory Committee (ATAC) reported to Congress the results of its studies on advanced automation and robotics technology for use on the space station. This material was documented in the initial report (NASA Technical Memorandum 87566). A further requirement of the Law was that ATAC follow NASA's progress in this area and report to Congress semiannually. This report is the fifth in a series of progress updates and covers the period between 16 May 1987 and 30 September 1987. NASA has accepted the basic recommendations of ATAC for its space station efforts. ATAC and NASA agree that the mandate of Congress is that an advanced automation and robotics technology be built to support an evolutionary space station program and serve as a highly visible stimulator affecting the long-term U.S. economy

    NASA space station automation: AI-based technology review. Executive summary

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    Research and Development projects in automation technology for the Space Station are described. Artificial Intelligence (AI) based technologies are planned to enhance crew safety through reduced need for EVA, increase crew productivity through the reduction of routine operations, increase space station autonomy, and augment space station capability through the use of teleoperation and robotics

    Uses and applications of artificial intelligence in manufacturing

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    The purpose of the THESIS is to provide engineers and personnels with a overview of the concepts that underline Artificial Intelligence and Expert Systems. Artificial Intelligence is concerned with the developments of theories and techniques required to provide a computational engine with the abilities to perceive, think and act, in an intelligent manner in a complex environment. Expert system is branch of Artificial Intelligence where the methods of reasoning emulate those of human experts. Artificial Intelligence derives it\u27s power from its ability to represent complex forms of knowledge, some of it common sense, heuristic and symbolic, and the ability to apply the knowledge in searching for solutions. The Thesis will review : The components of an intelligent system, The basics of knowledge representation, Search based problem solving methods, Expert system technologies, Uses and applications of AI in various manufacturing areas like Design, Process Planning, Production Management, Energy Management, Quality Assurance, Manufacturing Simulation, Robotics, Machine Vision etc. Prime objectives of the Thesis are to understand the basic concepts underlying Artificial Intelligence and be able to identify where the technology may be applied in the field of Manufacturing Engineering

    An extensible manufacturing resource model for process integration

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    Driven by industrial needs and enabled by process technology and information technology, enterprise integration is rapidly shifting from information integration to process integration to improve overall performance of enterprises. Traditional resource models are established based on the needs of individual applications. They cannot effectively serve process integration which needs resources to be represented in a unified, comprehensive and flexible way to meet the needs of various applications for different business processes. This paper looks into this issue and presents a configurable and extensible resource model which can be rapidly reconfigured and extended to serve for different applications. To achieve generality, the presented resource model is established from macro level and micro level. A semantic representation method is developed to improve the flexibility and extensibility of the model

    IT Supported Construction Project Management Methodology Based on Process and Product Model and Quality Management

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    Computer Integrated Construction Project Management (CPM) supported by product and process models can be seen as a future type of integration structure facilitating the solution of various management problems in the fragmented Construction Industry. The key to success is directly correlated with the comprehensive integration of currently isolated IT applications. However, despite that a number of initiatives have been developed, no fully generic models have yet to be formally standardized. This topic has been the subject of intensive research during the last decades. In this thesis a Computer Integrated CPM approach, which is supported by IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) and ISO9001:2000 Quality Management System, is proposed. The main aim is to provide integration of product, process and organizational information to help achieve the interoperability of the involved actors and tools in a concurrent environment. According to implied requirements which are represented in the ‘state of the art’ section, the fundamental concepts are presented in two parts as: (1) realization of CPM in an IT concept and (2) formalization of IFC Views for software interoperability on the example of Bidding Preparation Phase. In order to realize a generic framework using a high-level process core model named Organizational Management Process (OMP) model, different aspects have been brought together into a consistent life cycle structure. These are: (1) a set of layered processes based on ISO procedural definitions, (2) software integration requirements based on Construction Management Phases, (3) application methods of the Procurement System and (4) Organizational data. This provides for synchronizing technical products, processes, documents, and actors in their inter-relationship. The framework is hierarchically structured in three layers Phases – Processes - Product data. The developed IT Management Processes (ITMP) which are used as a baseline for the IFC Views implementation are derived from the OMP. Moreover, in order to support completeness, a mapping structure between processes and scenarios based on the Procurement Systems was constituted. The representation of OMP and ITMP is provided by using the ARIS eEPC (extended event-driven process chain) modeling method. On the basis of a generalized representation of product data, a system-wide integration model for heterogeneous client applications which supports different CPM areas can be achieved. IFC Product Data Model integrates different domains thereby enabling coordination of bidding preparations. However, there is a need to realize individual model subsets. i.e. views of the product model. In this context, adaptable views were developed based on ITMP. The defined resources’ relevancies to IFC Objects are examined by realizing central information elements. These provide a mapping structure between process resources and IFC Classes. On that basis integration of process and product models can be accomplished. In order to realize IFC Views, IFC Concepts and IFC Instance Diagrams were developed based on IFC View Definition Format. The grouping of IFC Concepts enables the implementation of the adaptable IFC Views that are required for standardized system integration. This is achieved with the help of formal specification using the Generalized Subset Definition Schema. The validation has been made based on an alphanumerical comparison. The selected 3D full-model and the developed IFC View for Product Catalog models are compared in this context. There are two consequences observed. In the first case, which also addresses Unit Price Procurement systems, the desired results were obtained by filtering the required data. However, when the results were compared for Design & Build and Lump-sum Procurement Systems (contracts), an extension need was observed in the IFC Model. The solution is provided via formalization of cost data and material analysis information by an extension of IFC Concept namely ‘IfcConstructionResource’ with new classes and with new relations. Thereby a common information model based on the data schema of the IFC standard is constituted.Das von Produkt- und Prozessmodellen unterstĂŒtzte computerintegrierte Bauprojektmanagement (CPM) kann als der zukĂŒnftige Typ der Integrationsstruktur angesehen werden, der die Lösung verschiedener Baumanagementprobleme in der fragmentierten Bauindustrie erleichtern kann. Der SchlĂŒssel zum Erfolg steht in direkter Beziehung zu einer umfassenden Integration derzeit getrennter IT-Anwendungen. Trotz zahlreich entwickelter AnsĂ€tze, die zur VerfĂŒgung gestellt wurden, sind bisher noch keine vollstĂ€ndig generischen Modelle formell standardisiert worden, obwohl dies in den letzten Jahrzehnten ein Thema intensiver Forschung war. In dieser Promotionsschrift wird eine computerintegrierte CPM-Methode, die auf Basis der IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) und dem QualitĂ€tsmanagement ISO 9001:2000 aufbaut, vorgeschlagen. Das Hauptziel besteht in der Schaffung der Integration von Produkt-, Prozess- und Organisationsinformationen, um die InteroperabilitĂ€t der beteiligten Akteure und Tools in einer parallelen Umgebung erreichen zu können. Entsprechend den Anforderungen, die im Abschnitt „Stand der Technik“ aufgefĂŒhrt sind, werden die vorgeschlagenen, grundlegenden Konzepte in zwei Bereiche aufgeteilt: (1) Umsetzung der CPM-Prozesse in ein IT-Konzept und (2) Formalisierung der IFC-Sichten fĂŒr die InteroperabilitĂ€t von Software, beispielhaft ausgefĂŒhrt fĂŒr die der Ausschreibungsphase. Um einen generischen Rahmen unter Verwendung eines hochrangigen Prozesskernmodells, das als organisatorischer Managementprozess (OMP) bezeichnet wird, zu realisieren, werden zuerst die verschiedenen Aspekte in einer konsistenten Lebenszyklenstruktur zusammengefĂŒgt. Diese sind: (1) eine Menge hierarchisch geschichteter Prozesse, erstellt auf der Grundlage der Verfahrensdefinitionen von ISO 9001, (2) die Softwareintegrationsanforderungen auf der Grundlage der Baumanagementphasen, (3) die Anwendungsmethoden des Beschaffungssystems und (4) die Organisationsdaten. Dadurch wird die Synchronisation der in Wechselbeziehung stehenden technischen Produkte, Prozesse, Dokumente und Akteure geschaffen. Das gesamte System ist hierarchisch in die drei Ebenen Phasen – Prozesse – Produktdaten strukturiert. Die entwickelten IT-Managementprozesse (ITMP), die als Grundlage fĂŒr die IFC-Implementierungssichten dienen, werden aus dem OMP hergeleitet. Der VollstĂ€ndigkeit halber, wird eine Abbildungsstruktur zwischen den Prozessen und den Szenarien, die die Beschaffungssysteme beschreiben, entwickelt. Die Darstellung der OMP und ITMP erfolgt unter Verwendung der erweiterten ereignisgesteuerten Prozessketten (eEPK) nach der ARIS-Modelliermethode. Auf der Grundlage einer verallgemeinerten Darstellung der Prozessdaten kann das systemweite Integrationsmodell fĂŒr heterogene Client-Anwendungen, das verschiedene CPM-Bereiche unterstĂŒtzt, erreicht werden. Das IFC-Produktdatenmodell integriert verschiedene DomĂ€nen und ermöglicht somit die Koordinierung der hier beispielhaft gewĂ€hlten Ausschreibungsbearbeitungen. Hierzu ist es notwendig, Teilmodelle, d. h. Sichten des Produktmodells zu erzeugen. Entsprechend wurden anpassbare Sichten auf der Grundlage von ITMP entwickelt. Die Bedeutung der in diesem Zusammenhang identifizierten Informationsprozessressourcen in Bezug auf die IFC-Objekte wurde durch die EinfĂŒhrung zentraler Informationselemente, sog. IFC Concepts, untersucht. Diese stellen eine Abbildungsstruktur zwischen den Prozessressourcen und IFC-Klassen zur VerfĂŒgung. Auf dieser Grundlage konnte die Integration von Prozess- und Produktmodellen erreicht werden. Um die IFC-Sichten zu realisieren, wurden auf der Grundlage des IFC-Sichtendefinitionsformats IFC-Konzepte und IFC-Instanzendiagramme entwickelt. Die Gruppierung in IFC-Konzepten ermöglichte die Implementierung von anpassbaren IFC-Sichten, die fĂŒr die standardisierte Systemintegration erforderlich sind. Diese wird mit Hilfe einer formellen Spezifikation unter Verwendung der verallgemeinerten Subset-Definitionsschema-Methode (GMSD) erreicht. Die Validierung erfolgte auf der Grundlage eines alphanumerischen Vergleichs, in dem ein ausgewĂ€hltes 3D-Produktmodell und die daraus entwickelte IFC-Sicht fĂŒr das Produktkatalogmodell verglichen wurden. Es ergaben sich zwei Schlussfolgerungen. Im ersten Fall, der auch das Einheitspreisbeschaffungssystem betrifft, konnten die gewĂŒnschten Ergebnisse direkt durch Filterung der erforderlichen Daten erhalten werden. Beim Vergleich der Ergebnisse sowohl fĂŒr Pauschal-, als auch fĂŒr Entwurfs- und Baubeschaffungssysteme (VertrĂ€ge) wurde jedoch festgestellt, dass fĂŒr das IFC-Modell ein Erweiterungsbedarf besteht. Eine Lösung wurde ĂŒber die Formalisierung der Kostendaten und Materialanalyseinformationen durch Erweiterung des IFC-Konzepts IfcBauRessource mit neuen Klassen und mit neuen Beziehungen erreicht. Somit erhĂ€lt man ein allgemeines Informationsmodell auf der Grundlage des Datenschemas des IFC-Standards
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