Real-time intelligent decision support system for bridges structures behavior prediction

There is an increasing need of deploying automatic real-time decision support systems for civil engineering structures, making use of prediction models based in Artificial Intelligence techniques (e.g., Artificial Neural Networks) to support the monitoring and prediction activities. Past experiments with Data Mining (DM) techniques and tools opened room for the development of such a real-time Decision Support System. However, it is necessary to test this approach in a real environment, using real-time sensors monitoring. This study presents the development of prediction models for structures behavior and a novel architecture for operating in a real-time system

Execution environment for intelligent real-time control systems

Modern telerobot control technology requires the integration of symbolic and non-symbolic programming techniques, different models of parallel computations, and various programming paradigms. The Multigraph Architecture, which has been developed for the implementation of intelligent real-time control systems is described. The layered architecture includes specific computational models, integrated execution environment and various high-level tools. A special feature of the architecture is the tight coupling between the symbolic and non-symbolic computations. It supports not only a data interface, but also the integration of the control structures in a parallel computing environment

FAME, a microprocessor based front-end analysis and modeling environment

Higher order software (HOS) is a methodology for the specification and verification of large scale, complex, real time systems. The HOS methodology was implemented as FAME (front end analysis and modeling environment), a microprocessor based system for interactively developing, analyzing, and displaying system models in a low cost user-friendly environment. The nature of the model is such that when completed it can be the basis for projection to a variety of forms such as structured design diagrams, Petri-nets, data flow diagrams, and PSL/PSA source code. The user's interface with the analyzer is easily recognized by any current user of a structured modeling approach; therefore extensive training is unnecessary. Furthermore, when all the system capabilities are used one can check on proper usage of data types, functions, and control structures thereby adding a new dimension to the design process that will lead to better and more easily verified software designs

Interset: A natural language interface for teleoperated robotic assembly of the EASE space structure

A teleoperated robot was used to assemble the Experimental Assembly of Structures in Extra-vehicular activity (EASE) space structure under neutral buoyancy conditions, simulating a telerobot performing structural assembly in the zero gravity of space. This previous work used a manually controlled teleoperator as a test bed for system performance evaluations. From these results several Artificial Intelligence options were proposed. One of these was further developed into a real time assembly planner. The interface for this system is effective in assembling EASE structures using windowed graphics and a set of networked menus. As the problem space becomes more complex and hence the set of control options increases, a natural language interface may prove to be beneficial to supplement the menu based control strategy. This strategy can be beneficial in situations such as: describing the local environment, maintaining a data base of task event histories, modifying a plan or a heuristic dynamically, summarizing a task in English, or operating in a novel situation

Testing timed systems modeled by stream X-machines

Stream X-machines have been used to specify real systems where complex data structures. They are a variety of extended finite state machine where a shared memory is used to represent communications between the components of systems. In this paper we introduce an extension of the Stream X-machines formalism in order to specify systems that present temporal requirements. We add time in two different ways. First, we consider that (output) actions take time to be performed. Second, our formalism allows to specify timeouts. Timeouts represent the time a system can wait for the environment to react without changing its internal state. Since timeous affect the set of available actions of the system, a relation focusing on the functional behavior of systems, that is, the actions that they can perform, must explicitly take into account the possible timeouts. In this paper we also propose a formal testing methodology allowing to systematically test a system with respect to a specification. Finally, we introduce a test derivation algorithm. Given a specification, the derived test suite is sound and complete, that is, a system under test successfully passes the test suite if and only if this system conforms to the specification

Development and implementation of a LabVIEW based SCADA system for a meshed multi-terminal VSC-HVDC grid scaled platform

This project is oriented to the development of a Supervisory, Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) software to control and supervise electrical variables from a scaled platform that represents a meshed HVDC grid employing National Instruments hardware and LabVIEW logic environment. The objective is to obtain real time visualization of DC and AC electrical variables and a lossless data stream acquisition. The acquisition system hardware elements have been configured, tested and installed on the grid platform. The system is composed of three chassis, each inside of a VSC terminal cabinet, with integrated Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), one of them connected via PCI bus to a local processor and the rest too via Ethernet through a switch. Analogical acquisition modules were A/D conversion takes place are inserted into the chassis. A personal computer is used as host, screen terminal and storing space. There are two main access modes to the FPGAs through the real time system. It has been implemented a Scan mode VI to monitor all the grid DC signals and a faster FPGA access mode VI to monitor one converter AC and DC values. The FPGA application consists of two tasks running at different rates and a FIFO has been implemented to communicate between them without data loss. Multiple structures have been tested on the grid platform and evaluated, ensuring the compliance of previously established specifications, such as sampling and scanning rate, screen refreshment or possible data loss. Additionally a turbine emulator was implemented and tested in Labview for further testing

Optimizing Liquidity Usage and Settlement Speed in Payment Systems

The operating speed of a payment system depends on the stage of technology of the system's communication and information processing environment. Frequent intraday processing cycles and real-time processing have introduced new means of speeding up the processing and settlement of payments. In a real-time environment banks face new challenges in liquidity management. They need to plan for intraday as well as interday fluctuations in liquidity. By employing various types of hybrid settlement structures, banks may be able to even out intraday fluctuations in liquidity demand. The aim of this study is to develop a framework for analysing fluctuations in liquidity demand and assessing the efficiency of different settlement systems in terms of speed and liquidity needs. In this study we quantify the relationship between liquidity usage and settlement delay in net settlement systems, real-time gross settlement systems and hybrid systems, as well as the combined costs of liquidity and delay in these systems. We analyse ways of reducing costs via optimization features such as netting of queues, offsetting of payments and splitting of payments. We employ a payment system simulator developed at the Bank of Finland, which enables us to evaluate the impact of changes in system parameters and thus to compare the effects of alternative settlement schemes with given payment flows. The data used covers 100 days of actual payments processed in the Finnish BoF-RTGS system. Our major findings relate to risk reduction via real-time settlement, effects of optimization routines in hybrid systems, and the effects of liquidity costs on banks' choice of settlement speed. A system where settlement takes place continuously in real-time and with queuing features is more efficient from the perspective of liquidity and risks than a net settlement system with batch processing. Real-time processing enables a reduction in payment delay and risks without necessarily increasing liquidity needs. Participants will operate under immediate payment/settlement if liquidity costs are low enough relative to delay costs and if the liquidity arrangements are sufficiently flexible. The central bank can therefore support risk reduction and payment speed objectives by providing low cost intraday liquidity as well as more flexible ways for participants to add or withdraw liquidity from the system. Optimizing and gridlock solving features were found to be effective at very low levels of liquidity. The efficiency of the different optimization methods for settlement systems are affected by the actual flow of payments processed. Gains from netting schemes with multiple daily netting cycles were found to be somewhat more limited.payment systems; clearing/settlement; liquidity; efficiency; gridlock