Institute of Safety Research, Annual Report 1995

The report gives an overview on the scientific work of the Institute of Safety Research in 1995

Evolutionary multi-objective decision support systems for conceptual design

Merged with duplicate record 10026.1/2328 on 07.20.2017 by CS (TIS)In this thesis the problem of conceptual engineering design and the possible use of adaptive search techniques and other machine based methods therein are explored. For the multi-objective optimisation (MOO) within conceptual design problem, genetic algorithms (GA) adapted to MOO are used and various techniques explored: weighted sums, lexicographic order, Pareto method with and without ranking, VEGA-like approaches etc. Large number of runs are performed for findingZ Dth e optimal configuration and setting of the GA parameters. A novel method, weighted Pareto method is introduced and applied to a real-world optimisation problem. Decision support methods within conceptual engineering design framework are discussed and a new preference method developed. The preference method for translating vague qualitative categories (such as "more important 91 , 4m.9u ch less important' 'etc. ) into quantitative values (numbers) is based on fuzzy preferences and graph theory methods. Several applications of preferences are presented and discussed: * in weighted sum based optimisation methods; s in weighted Pareto method; * for ordering and manipulating constraints and scenarios; e for a co-evolutionary, distributive GA-based MOO method; The issue of complexity and sensitivity is addressed as well as potential generalisations of presented preference methods. Interactive dynamical constraints in the form of design scenarios are introduced. These are based on a propositional logic and a fairly rich mathematical language. They can be added, deleted and modified on-line during the design session without need for recompiling the code. The use of machine-based agents in conceptual design process is investigated. They are classified into several different categories (e. g. interface agents, search agents, information agents). Several different categories of agents performing various specialised task are developed (mostly dealing with preferences, but also some filtering ones). They are integrated with the conceptual engineering design system to form a closed loop system that includes both computer and designer. All thesed ifferent aspectso f conceptuale ngineeringd esigna re applied within Plymouth Engineering Design Centre / British Aerospace conceptual airframe design project.British Aerospace Systems, Warto

Image-based procedural texture matching and transformation

In this thesis, we present an approach to finding a procedural representation of a texture to replicate a given texture image which we call image-based procedural texture matching. Procedural representations are frequently used for many aspects of computer generated imagery, however, the ability to use procedural textures is limited by the difficulty inherent in finding a suitable procedural representation to match a desired texture. More importantly, the process of determining an appropriate set of parameters necessary to approximate the sample texture is a difficult task for a graphic artist.The textural characteristics of many real world objects change over time, so we are therefore interested in how textured objects in a graphical animation could also be made to change automatically. We would like this automatic texture transformation to be based on different texture samples in a time-dependant manner. This notion, which is a natural extension of procedural texture matching, involves the creation of a smoothly varying sequence of texture images, while allowing the graphic artist to control various characteristics of the texture sequence.Given a library of procedural textures, our approach uses a perceptually motivated texture similarity measure to identify which procedural textures in the library may produce a suitable match. Our work assumes that at least one procedural texture in the library is capable of approximating the desired texture. Because exhaustive search of all of the parameter combinations for each procedural texture is not computationally feasible, we perform a two-stage search on the candidate procedural textures. First, a global search is performed over pre-computed samples from the given procedural texture to locate promising parameter settings. Secondly, these parameter settings are optimised using a local search method to refine the match to the desired texture.The characteristics of a procedural texture generally do not vary uniformly for uniform parameter changes. That is, in some areas of the parameter domain of a procedural texture (the set of all valid parameter settings for the given procedural texture) small changes may produce large variations in the resulting texture, while in other areas the same changes may produce no variation at all. In this thesis, we present an adaptive random sampling algorithm which captures the texture range (the set of all images a procedural texture can produce) of a procedural texture by maintaining a sampling density which is consistent with the amount of change occurring in that region of the parameter domain.Texture transformations may not always be contained to a single procedural texture, and we therefore describe an approach to finding transitional points from one procedural texture to another. We present an algorithm for finding a path through the texture space formed from combining the texture range of the relevant procedural textures and their transitional points.Several examples of image-based texture matching, and texture transformations are shown. Finally, potential limitations of this work as well as future directions are discussed

Algorithmes et architectures de calcul spécialisés pour un système optique autosynchronisé à précision accrue

Les caméras optiques à illumination active -- Précision des systèmes optiques -- Correction des artefacts associés à une variation de réflectance -- Accélération du calcul des transformations géométriques -- Accélération de la correction d'erreur associée à une variation de réflectance

Experimental/analytical predictive models of damped structural dynamics

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1993.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 144-150).by Etienne Balmès.Ph.D

Land use effects on soil physical and hydraulic properties of a clayey ferralsol in the Central Amazon.

The land use systems in the central amazon. Soil quality and sustainable land use systems. Climate. Geology and the clayey ferralsol. Vegetation. Land use, experiment design and management. Management of the experimental plots. Land use effects on soil physical properties. Agroforestry system. Monoculture of cupuacu. Primary and secondary forest. Land use effects on total porosity and size distribution.Tese (Doctor Sc. Thesis) - Universitat Bayreuth, Bayreuth