Model-based engineering of animated interactive systems for the interactive television environment

Les interfaces graphiques étaient la plupart du temps statiques, et représentaient une succession d'états logiciels les uns après les autres. Cependant, les transitions animées entre ces états statiques font partie intégrante des interfaces utilisateurs modernes, et leurs processus de design et d'implémentations constituent un défi pour les designers et les développeurs. Cette thèse propose un processus de conception de systèmes interactifs centré sur les animations, ainsi qu'une architecture pour la définition et l'implémentation d'animations au sein des interfaces graphiques. L'architecture met en avant une approche à deux niveaux pour définir une vue haut niveau d'une animation (avec un intérêt particulier pour les objets animés, leurs propriétés à être animé et la composition d'animations) ainsi qu'une vue bas niveau traitant des aspects détaillés des animations tels que les timings et les optimisations. Concernant les spécifications formelles de ces deux niveaux, nous utilisons une approche qui facilite les réseaux de Petri orientés objets pour la conception, l'implémentation et la validation d'interfaces utilisateurs animées en fournissant une description complète et non-ambiguë de l'ensemble de l'interface utilisateur, y compris les animations. Enfin, nous décrivons la mise en pratique du processus présenté, illustré par un cas d'étude d'un prototype haute-fidélité d'une interface utilisateur, pour le domaine de la télévision interactive. Ce processus conduira à une spécification formelle et détaillée du système interactif, et incluera des animations utilisant des réseaux de Petri orientés objet (conçus avec l'outil PetShop CASE).Graphical User Interfaces used to be mostly static, representing one software state after the other. However, animated transitions between these static states are an integral part in modern user interfaces and processes for both their design and implementation remain a challenge for designers and developers. This thesis proposes a process for designing interactive systems focusing on animations, along with an architecture for the definition and implementation of animation in user interfaces. The architecture proposes a two levels approach for defining a high-level view of an animation (focusing on animated objects, their properties to be animated and on the composition of animations) and a low-level one dealing with detailed aspects of animations such as timing and optimization. For the formal specification of these two levels, we are using an approach facilitating object-oriented Petri nets to support the design, implementation and validation of animated user interfaces by providing a complete and unambiguous description of the entire user interface including animations. Finally, we describe the application of the presented process exemplified by a case study for a high-fidelity prototype of a user interface for the interactive Television domain. This process will lead to a detailed formal specification of the interactive system, including animations using object-oriented Petri nets (designed with the PetShop CASE tool)

Modelagem e simulação do tráfego de veículos e controle semafórico em um ambiente virtual

Simulate urban traffic realistically in a virtual environment is a complex task to implement, since many characteristics need to be developed. In this paper, we propose the use of different techniques to model and control the interaction of the elements of a simulation. In particular, we present a model physics-based for the vehicles to collisions avoid, an access control policy based on reserves and a model of synchronization of traffic signals using Petri net. The results show that the proposed model reproduces the behavior expected for the simulated contexts.Simular o trânsito de áreas urbanas de maneira realista em um ambiente virtual é uma tarefa complexa de ser implementada, pois muitas características precisam ser desenvolvidas. Neste trabalho, propomos a utilização de diversas técnicas para modelar e controlar a interação dos elementos constituintes de uma simulação. Em particular, apresentamos um modelo baseado em Física para que os veículos evitem colisões, uma política de controle de acesso a cruzamentos baseada em reservas e um modelo de sincronização de semáforos utilizando rede de Petri. Os resultados apresentados demonstram que os modelos propostos reproduzem os comportamentos esperados para os contextos simulados

EDITH - experimental in-torus maintenance system for fusion reactors. Final report

Experimentelles Handhabungssystem für Wartungsarbeiten im Torus eines Fusionsreaktors Wegen der besonderen Umgebungsbedingungen - erhöhte -Strahlung und Temperatur - können Reparaturarbeiten in der Plasmakammer eines Fusionsreaktors wie NET/ITER nur mittels eines fernbedienten Handhabungssystems durchgeführt werden. EDITH (Experimental Device for In-Torus Handling) ist der Prototyp eines solchen Systems. Es basiert auf einem Vielgelenkarm, der für die jeweiligen Aufgaben mit verschiedenen Endeffektoren bzw. Werkzeugen ausgerüstet ist. EDITH ist die zentrale Komponente eines Teststandes, mit dem in Originalgröße in einem nachgebildeten Ausschnitt einer Plasmakammer Fernhantierungsvorgänge experimentell untersucht werden. Exemplarisch für solche Aufgaben wurde der fernbediente Austausch von Schutzziegeln und Divertorplatten durchgeführt. Um den Operateuren eine schnelle und zuverlässige Durchführung der Arbeiten zu ermöglichen, wurde ein neuartiges Leit- und Steuersystem entwickelt. Das Leitsystem bildet in Form einer Fernhandhabungs-Arbeitsstation zusammen mit den Servomanipulatoren die Mensch-Maschine-Schnittstelle zur Steuerung und Überwachung aller Geräte. Die Arbeitsstation unterstützt die Operateure bei allen manuell zu steuernden Arbeiten, bei der Planung, Simulation und Programmierung automatisch durchzuführender Teilaufgaben und dient mit ihrem multimedialen Dokumentationssystem als ständig verfügbare Informationsquelle. Bei der Konzeption der Steuerung standen das dynamische Verhalten, die Betriebssicherheit und die Kopplung an das Leitsystem im Vordergrund. Qualifikationstests und erste Experimentiererfahrungen bestätigten, daß mit der bei FZK entwickelten Fernhantierungstechnik die gestellten Aufgaben sicher, zuverlässig und in vertretbarer Zeit ausgeführt werden können

Potenziale von Process Mining zur Unterstützung technologiegestützten Lernens: Analyse von Computernutzung und Lernpfaden in den Raumwissenschaften

In this work the method ‚Process Mining‘ which automatically builds process models was applied to technology-enhanced learning processes. A framework was constructed to define applicable didactical support measured for students who are motivated and skilled to different degrees. With this framework as a basis, a preliminary testing study was conducted using Process Mining. Additionally the student characteristics were thoroughly analyzed. The analysis focused primarily on the students’ preconditions for learning with technology. The main results are that Process Mining can support instructors who are in charge of improving technology-enhanced learning processes. Another result was the definition of a student typology which suppliess a meaningful description of technology-enhanced learning preconditions in geosciences. The results are preliminary due to the small samples and need to be validated in additional, more representative studies.Diese Arbeit handelt von der Übertragung des Process Mining zur automatischen Modell-Generierung auf E-Learning-Prozesse. Hierfür wurde ein Framework für geeignete didaktische Unterstützung von unterschiedlich motivierten und vorgebildeten Studierenden entwickelt, welches in einer Studie untersucht und mit Process Mining unterstützt wurde. Die Eigenschaften der Studierenden wurden zudem umfassend untersucht. Der Schwerpunkt der Untersuchung waren die Lernvoraussetzungen für das Lernen mit Technologie. Die vorläufigen Hauptergebnisse sind, dass Process Mining den Erkenntnisprozess von Lehrenden unterstützen kann, um geeignete Maßnahmen zur Verbesserung des Lernprozesses abzuleiten. Weiterhin konnten Studierendencluster identifiziert werden, die die Lernvoraussetzungen für das Lernen mit Technologie in den raumbezogenen Wissenschaften wie Geologie und Geographie aufzeigen. Die Ergebnisse sind als vorläufig zu verstehen und bedürfen der Überprüfung in zusätzlichen, repräsentativeren Studien

Virtualization system for life science automation laboratory

The dissertation developed a Virtualization System to simulate experiment workflows in Life Science Automation (LSA) virtually. The system integrates technologies of process control technology, TCP/IP socket, database, Visual C#, Python Script, Visual Component 3DCreate and 3D modeling, etc. It mainly has four modules: Process Control System, Data Transfer System, Control System and Virtualization Module. The system supplies a vivid and flexible 4D virtualization on LSA experiment workflows for customers, and makes demonstrations for LSA laboratories more conveniently

A Model-Based Approach for Gesture Interfaces

The description of a gesture requires temporal analysis of values generated by input sensors, and it does not fit well the observer pattern traditionally used by frameworks to handle the user’s input. The current solution is to embed particular gesture-based interactions into frameworks by notifying when a gesture is detected completely. This approach suffers from a lack of flexibility, unless the programmer performs explicit temporal analysis of raw sensors data. This thesis proposes a compositional, declarative meta-model for gestures definition based on Petri Nets. Basic traits are used as building blocks for defining gestures; each one notifies the change of a feature value. A complex gesture is defined by the composition of other sub-gestures using a set of operators. The user interface behaviour can be associated to the recognition of the whole gesture or to any other sub-component, addressing the problem of granularity for the notification of events. The meta-model can be instantiated for different gesture recognition supports and its definition has been validated through a proof of concept library. Sample applications have been developed for supporting multi-touch gestures in iOS and full body gestures with Microsoft Kinect. In addition to the solution for the event granularity problem, this thesis discusses how to separate the definition of the gesture from the user interface behaviour using the proposed compositional approach. The gesture description meta-model has been integrated into MARIA, a model-based user interface description language, extending it with the description of full-body gesture interfaces

Proceedings of the Second Program Visualization Workshop, 2002

The Program Visualization Workshops aim to bring together researchers who design and construct program visualizations and, above all, educators who use and evaluate visualizations in their teaching. The first workshop took place in July 2000 at Porvoo, Finland. The second workshop was held in cooperation with ACM SIGCSE and took place at HornstrupCentret, Denmark in June 2002, immediately following the ITiCSE 2002 Conference in Aarhus, Denmark

Simulating Humans: Computer Graphics, Animation, and Control

People are all around us. They inhabit our home, workplace, entertainment, and environment. Their presence and actions are noted or ignored, enjoyed or disdained, analyzed or prescribed. The very ubiquitousness of other people in our lives poses a tantalizing challenge to the computational modeler: people are at once the most common object of interest and yet the most structurally complex. Their everyday movements are amazingly uid yet demanding to reproduce, with actions driven not just mechanically by muscles and bones but also cognitively by beliefs and intentions. Our motor systems manage to learn how to make us move without leaving us the burden or pleasure of knowing how we did it. Likewise we learn how to describe the actions and behaviors of others without consciously struggling with the processes of perception, recognition, and language

Advances in Robotics, Automation and Control

The book presents an excellent overview of the recent developments in the different areas of Robotics, Automation and Control. Through its 24 chapters, this book presents topics related to control and robot design; it also introduces new mathematical tools and techniques devoted to improve the system modeling and control. An important point is the use of rational agents and heuristic techniques to cope with the computational complexity required for controlling complex systems. Through this book, we also find navigation and vision algorithms, automatic handwritten comprehension and speech recognition systems that will be included in the next generation of productive systems developed by man