183 research outputs found

    Digitalization and Development

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    This book examines the diffusion of digitalization and Industry 4.0 technologies in Malaysia by focusing on the ecosystem critical for its expansion. The chapters examine the digital proliferation in major sectors of agriculture, manufacturing, e-commerce and services, as well as the intermediary organizations essential for the orderly performance of socioeconomic agents. The book incisively reviews policy instruments critical for the effective and orderly development of the embedding organizations, and the regulatory framework needed to quicken the appropriation of socioeconomic synergies from digitalization and Industry 4.0 technologies. It highlights the importance of collaboration between government, academic and industry partners, as well as makes key recommendations on how to encourage adoption of IR4.0 technologies in the short- and long-term. This book bridges the concepts and applications of digitalization and Industry 4.0 and will be a must-read for policy makers seeking to quicken the adoption of its technologies

    Evaluating Architectural Safeguards for Uncertain AI Black-Box Components

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    Although tremendous progress has been made in Artificial Intelligence (AI), it entails new challenges. The growing complexity of learning tasks requires more complex AI components, which increasingly exhibit unreliable behaviour. In this book, we present a model-driven approach to model architectural safeguards for AI components and analyse their effect on the overall system reliability

    Water scarcity and user behavior:Economics of Cooperation under extraction caps

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    Fresh water is a scarce and depletable resource that has been studied by analyzing declinations of groundwater tables in various regions throughout the world. Climate change effects on water resources are pressing all types of water users to implement adaptation measures. So far, the management of groundwater has been mainly studied from the supply-side and engineering perspectives. This is necessary, but not sufficient to solve the problem of overexploitation of groundwater resource. There has been less research on the demand side of the problem, on how to induce cooperation among users to conserve water resources. Water scarcity in a location results when extraction rates of users, exceed the available water stock and the recharge capacity of the aquifer. Therefore, adaptation to water scarcity depends on how the water users adjust their water extraction - over time - to the recharge capacity of the aquifer. This requires water users to have knowledge on water extraction volumes of all water users of the aquifer, and the recharging capacity of the aquifer. Based on this information, water users might consider the connection between water inflows, outflows and stock determinants of the water balance, as a key concept for sustainability of ground water resource management. This research was focused upon the demand side of water scarcity in three Colombian municipalities Corozal (Sucre), Guamal (Magdalena), and Riohacha (La Guajira) with the objective to better understand the nature of cooperation among water users. This researcher analyzed drivers of cooperation, behavior and institutional mechanisms, using complementary lenses of common pool resource theory, behavioral economics and institutional economics. This general research question used for structuring this research was: 1. How does information on water scarcity affects the extraction behavior of water users, and how can current information provision strategies be improved? Subquestions involve: 2. What are the main drivers and inhibitors of cooperation among water users in water management systems in dry regions?3. How do social rules coexist with legal rules in the overexploitation of aquifers in dry regions?4. How does egoistic behavior and free riding from neighbor users affect collective action in the adaptation to climate variability?The research strategy to collect empirical data involved field experiments, review of historical documents on institutional developments in water management in Sucre and la Guajira, and interviews of water users. Experimental sessions were designed to understand the decision-making processes of farmers, by providing them information on competing extraction sources and information on well capacity. The effect of information on decision-making was measured as part of the experiments. For each type of information, two experimental groups, were organized: (i) information on water extraction quantity was provided to all participants and free communication was allowed, and (ii) information on time remaining before aquifer exhaustion. In the two control groups, as part of the experiment, communication among participants was limited and also, allowed to test the effects of the possibility to design agreed upon decisions on extractions.The field experiments were implemented as games in which players were asked to allocate water caps under diverse scenarios of depletion including suggestions to extract a balanced volume of water or take into account the remaining time for sustainable aquifer management. Participants were asked to allocate water resources for their current and future use, for themselves and their neighbors. Collaborative behavior of participants was tested by measuring compliance with suggested water extraction caps. In total 62 farmers representing 10 communities participated in the field experiments, took part in 668 experimental rounds, based upon 2,670 observations used for empirical data analysis. The qualitative analyses included 40 semi-structured interviews with selected participants. Both quantitative analyses of data obtained through the field experiments, and qualitative data resulting from semi-structured interviews, provided the evidence for answering the research questions<br/

    Identifying principles of human-computer interface in IOT devices : a South African context

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    Dissertation (MCom (Informatics))--University of Pretoria, 2022.With an increasing number of households implementing smart home technology in South Africa, it is important to understand if the Internet of Things (IoT) devices are enhancing the user’s quality of life as well as meeting their needs and expectations. Identifying and incorporating the Human–Computer Interaction (HCI) component when building an IoT device can assist with ensuring that the smart device meets the useability requirement and addresses the challenges and concerns raised by end users. As the end user is required to install and manage the smart device by themselves, the smart device manufacturers must ensure that these devices are easy to set up and can be managed by both technical and non-technical users. IoT devices require data to be fully functional and perform their necessary tasks. IoT data collection is an ongoing discussion as the end user might not be entirely comfortable with the collection and sharing of their personal home data with device manufacturers. HCI designers, therefore, are required to consider end users' emotions regarding their security concerns. Hence, the purpose of this research is to study the principles of HCI in an IoT device. The objective is to add to the existing body of knowledge related to building computation devices around HCI principles. This interpretive case study used two qualitative data collection methods to answer the research questions: a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The questionnaire focused on gathering insights into the current user experience with smart home devices and identifying challenges or concerns raised by the device users. The semi-structured interviews focused on gathering information on the inclusion of HCI when designing an IoT device, IoT data and the IoT security element, from the employees of the organisation in the case study. The research findings indicated that while the participants have adapted to installing and managing their smart home devices, there were several usage challenges and concerns Page 2 of 146 that need to be addressed. Several of the research participants were unaware of the smart device collecting usage data and therefore, the requirement to educate end users on data collection and usage is highlighted in the study. Key design components of the IoT were highlighted by the interview participants and several methods were also suggested to enhance the user experience of IoT devices.InformaticsMCom (Informatics)Unrestricte

    Evaluating Architectural Safeguards for Uncertain AI Black-Box Components

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    Künstliche Intelligenz (KI) hat in den vergangenen Jahren große Erfolge erzielt und ist immer stärker in den Fokus geraten. Insbesondere Methoden des Deep Learning (ein Teilgebiet der KI), in dem Tiefe Neuronale Netze (TNN) zum Einsatz kommen, haben beeindruckende Ergebnisse erzielt, z.B. im autonomen Fahren oder der Mensch-Roboter-Interaktion. Die immense Datenabhängigkeit und Komplexität von TNN haben jedoch gravierende Schwachstellen offenbart. So reagieren TNN sensitiv auf bestimmte Einflussfaktoren der Umwelt (z.B. Helligkeits- oder Kontraständerungen in Bildern) und führen zu falschen Vorhersagen. Da KI (und insbesondere TNN) in sicherheitskritischen Systemen eingesetzt werden, kann solch ein Verhalten zu lebensbedrohlichen Situationen führen. Folglich haben sich neue Forschungspotenziale entwickelt, die sich explizit der Absicherung von KI-Verfahren widmen. Ein wesentliches Problem bei vielen KI-Verfahren besteht darin, dass ihr Verhalten oder Vorhersagen auf Grund ihrer hohen Komplexität nicht erklärt bzw. nachvollzogen werden können. Solche KI-Modelle werden auch als Black-Box bezeichnet. Bestehende Arbeiten adressieren dieses Problem, in dem zur Laufzeit “bösartige” Eingabedaten identifiziert oder auf Basis von Ein- und Ausgaben potenziell falsche Vorhersagen erkannt werden. Arbeiten in diesem Bereich erlauben es zwar potenziell unsichere Zustände zu erkennen, machen allerdings keine Aussagen, inwiefern mit solchen Situationen umzugehen ist. Somit haben sich eine Reihe von Ansätzen auf Architektur- bzw. Systemebene etabliert, um mit KI-induzierten Unsicherheiten umzugehen (z.B. N-Version-Programming-Muster oder Simplex Architekturen). Darüber hinaus wächst die Anforderung an KI-basierte Systeme sich zur Laufzeit anzupassen, um mit sich verändernden Bedingungen der Umwelt umgehen zu können. Systeme mit solchen Fähigkeiten sind bekannt als Selbst-Adaptive Systeme. Software-Ingenieure stehen nun vor der Herausforderung, aus einer Menge von Architekturellen Sicherheitsmechanismen, den Ansatz zu identifizieren, der die nicht-funktionalen Anforderungen bestmöglich erfüllt. Jeder Ansatz hat jedoch unterschiedliche Auswirkungen auf die Qualitätsattribute des Systems. Architekturelle Entwurfsentscheidungen gilt es so früh wie möglich (d.h. zur Entwurfszeit) aufzulösen, um nach der Implementierung des Systems Änderungen zu vermeiden, die mit hohen Kosten verbunden sind. Darüber hinaus müssen insbesondere sicherheitskritische Systeme den strengen (Qualitäts-) Anforderungen gerecht werden, die bereits auf Architektur-Ebene des Software-Systems adressiert werden müssen. Diese Arbeit befasst sich mit einem modellbasierten Ansatz, der Software-Ingenieure bei der Entwicklung von KI-basierten System unterstützt, um architekturelle Entwurfsentscheidungen (bzw. architekturellen Sicherheitsmechanismen) zum Umgang mit KI-induzierten Unsicherheiten zu bewerten. Insbesondere wird eine Methode zur Zuverlässigkeitsvorhersage von KI-basierten Systemen auf Basis von etablierten modellbasierten Techniken erforscht. In einem weiteren Schritt wird die Erweiterbarkeit/Verallgemeinerbarkeit der Zuverlässigkeitsvorhersage für Selbst-Adaptive Systeme betrachtet. Der Kern beider Ansätze ist ein Umweltmodell zur Modellierung () von KI-spezifischen Unsicherheiten und () der operativen Umwelt des Selbst-Adaptiven Systems. Zuletzt wird eine Klassifikationsstruktur bzw. Taxonomie vorgestellt, welche, auf Basis von verschiedenen Dimensionen, KI-basierte Systeme in unterschiedliche Klassen einteilt. Jede Klasse ist mit einem bestimmten Grad an Verlässlichkeitszusicherungen assoziiert, die für das gegebene System gemacht werden können. Die Dissertation umfasst vier zentrale Beiträge. 1. Domänenunabhängige Modellierung von KI-spezifischen Umwelten: In diesem Beitrag wurde ein Metamodell zur Modellierung von KI-spezifischen Unsicherheiten und ihrer zeitlichen Ausdehnung entwickelt, welche die operative Umgebung eines selbstadaptiven Systems bilden. 2. Zuverlässigkeitsvorhersage von KI-basierten Systemen: Der vorgestellte Ansatz erweitert eine existierende Architekturbeschreibungssprache (genauer: Palladio Component Model) zur Modellierung von Komponenten-basierten Software-Architekturen sowie einem dazugehörigenWerkzeug zur Zuverlässigkeitsvorhersage (für klassische Software-Systeme). Das Problem der Black-Box-Eigenschaft einer KI-Komponente wird durch ein Sensitivitätsmodell adressiert, das, in Abhängigkeit zu verschiedenen Unsicherheitsfaktoren, die Prädektive Unsicherheit einer KI-Komponente modelliert. 3. Evaluation von Selbst-Adaptiven Systemen: Dieser Beitrag befasst sich mit einem Rahmenwerk für die Evaluation von Selbst-Adaptiven Systemen, welche für die Absicherung von KI-Komponenten vorgesehen sind. Die Arbeiten zu diesem Beitrag verallgemeinern/erweitern die Konzepte von Beitrag 2 für Selbst-Adaptive Systeme. 4. Klassen der Verlässlichkeitszusicherungen: Der Beitrag beschreibt eine Klassifikationsstruktur, die den Grad der Zusicherung (in Bezug auf bestimmte Systemeigenschaften) eines KI-basierten Systems bewertet. Der zweite Beitrag wurde im Rahmen einer Fallstudie aus dem Bereich des Autonomen Fahrens validiert. Es wurde geprüft, ob Plausibilitätseigenschaften bei der Zuverlässigkeitsvorhersage erhalten bleiben. Hierbei konnte nicht nur die Plausibilität des Ansatzes nachgewiesen werden, sondern auch die generelle Möglichkeit Entwurfsentscheidungen zur Entwurfszeit zu bewerten. Für die Validierung des dritten Beitrags wurden ebenfalls Plausibilitätseigenschaften geprüft (im Rahmen der eben genannten Fallstudie und einer Fallstudie aus dem Bereich der Mensch-Roboter-Interaktion). Darüber hinaus wurden zwei weitere Community-Fallstudien betrachtet, bei denen (auf Basis von Simulatoren) Selbst-Adaptive Systeme bewertet und mit den Ergebnissen unseres Ansatzes verglichen wurden. In beiden Fällen konnte gezeigt werden, dass zum einen alle Plausibilitätseigenschaft erhalten werden und zum anderen, der Ansatz dieselben Ergebnisse erzeugt, wie die Domänen-spezifischen Simulatoren. Darüber hinaus konnten wir zeigen, dass unser Ansatz Software-Ingenieure bzgl. der Bewertung von Entwurfsentscheidungen, die für die Entwicklung von Selbst-Adaptiven Systemen relevant sind, unterstützt. Der erste Beitrag wurde implizit mit Beitrag 2 und mit 3 validiert. Für den vierten Beitrag wurde die Klassifikationsstruktur auf bekannte und repräsentative KI-Systeme angewandt und diskutiert. Es konnte jedes KI-System in eine der Klassen eingeordnet werden, so dass die generelle Anwendbarkeit der Klassifikationsstruktur gezeigt wurde

    Sustainable Value Co-Creation in Welfare Service Ecosystems : Transforming temporary collaboration projects into permanent resource integration

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    The aim of this paper is to discuss the unexploited forces of user-orientation and shared responsibility to promote sustainable value co-creation during service innovation projects in welfare service ecosystems. The framework is based on the theoretical field of public service logic (PSL) and our thesis is that service innovation seriously requires a user-oriented approach, and that such an approach enables resource integration based on the service-user’s needs and lifeworld. In our findings, we identify prerequisites and opportunities of collaborative service innovation projects in order to transform these projects into sustainable resource integration once they have ended

    Water scarcity and user behavior:Economics of Cooperation under extraction caps

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    Fresh water is a scarce and depletable resource that has been studied by analyzing declinations of groundwater tables in various regions throughout the world. Climate change effects on water resources are pressing all types of water users to implement adaptation measures. So far, the management of groundwater has been mainly studied from the supply-side and engineering perspectives. This is necessary, but not sufficient to solve the problem of overexploitation of groundwater resource. There has been less research on the demand side of the problem, on how to induce cooperation among users to conserve water resources. Water scarcity in a location results when extraction rates of users, exceed the available water stock and the recharge capacity of the aquifer. Therefore, adaptation to water scarcity depends on how the water users adjust their water extraction - over time - to the recharge capacity of the aquifer. This requires water users to have knowledge on water extraction volumes of all water users of the aquifer, and the recharging capacity of the aquifer. Based on this information, water users might consider the connection between water inflows, outflows and stock determinants of the water balance, as a key concept for sustainability of ground water resource management. This research was focused upon the demand side of water scarcity in three Colombian municipalities Corozal (Sucre), Guamal (Magdalena), and Riohacha (La Guajira) with the objective to better understand the nature of cooperation among water users. This researcher analyzed drivers of cooperation, behavior and institutional mechanisms, using complementary lenses of common pool resource theory, behavioral economics and institutional economics. This general research question used for structuring this research was: 1. How does information on water scarcity affects the extraction behavior of water users, and how can current information provision strategies be improved? Subquestions involve: 2. What are the main drivers and inhibitors of cooperation among water users in water management systems in dry regions?3. How do social rules coexist with legal rules in the overexploitation of aquifers in dry regions?4. How does egoistic behavior and free riding from neighbor users affect collective action in the adaptation to climate variability?The research strategy to collect empirical data involved field experiments, review of historical documents on institutional developments in water management in Sucre and la Guajira, and interviews of water users. Experimental sessions were designed to understand the decision-making processes of farmers, by providing them information on competing extraction sources and information on well capacity. The effect of information on decision-making was measured as part of the experiments. For each type of information, two experimental groups, were organized: (i) information on water extraction quantity was provided to all participants and free communication was allowed, and (ii) information on time remaining before aquifer exhaustion. In the two control groups, as part of the experiment, communication among participants was limited and also, allowed to test the effects of the possibility to design agreed upon decisions on extractions.The field experiments were implemented as games in which players were asked to allocate water caps under diverse scenarios of depletion including suggestions to extract a balanced volume of water or take into account the remaining time for sustainable aquifer management. Participants were asked to allocate water resources for their current and future use, for themselves and their neighbors. Collaborative behavior of participants was tested by measuring compliance with suggested water extraction caps. In total 62 farmers representing 10 communities participated in the field experiments, took part in 668 experimental rounds, based upon 2,670 observations used for empirical data analysis. The qualitative analyses included 40 semi-structured interviews with selected participants. Both quantitative analyses of data obtained through the field experiments, and qualitative data resulting from semi-structured interviews, provided the evidence for answering the research questions<br/

    Challenges and perspectives of hate speech research

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    This book is the result of a conference that could not take place. It is a collection of 26 texts that address and discuss the latest developments in international hate speech research from a wide range of disciplinary perspectives. This includes case studies from Brazil, Lebanon, Poland, Nigeria, and India, theoretical introductions to the concepts of hate speech, dangerous speech, incivility, toxicity, extreme speech, and dark participation, as well as reflections on methodological challenges such as scraping, annotation, datafication, implicity, explainability, and machine learning. As such, it provides a much-needed forum for cross-national and cross-disciplinary conversations in what is currently a very vibrant field of research

    Advances in flexible manipulation through the application of AI-based techniques

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    282 p.Objektuak hartu eta uztea oinarrizko bi eragiketa dira ia edozein aplikazio robotikotan. Gaur egun, "pick and place" aplikazioetarako erabiltzen diren robot industrialek zeregin sinpleak eta errepikakorrak egiteko duten eraginkortasuna dute ezaugarri. Hala ere, sistema horiek oso zurrunak dira, erabat kontrolatutako inguruneetan lan egiten dute, eta oso kostu handia dakarte beste zeregin batzuk egiteko birprogramatzeak. Gaur egun, industria-ingurune desberdinetako zereginak daude (adibidez, logistika-ingurune batean eskaerak prestatzea), zeinak objektuak malgutasunez manipulatzea eskatzen duten, eta oraindik ezin izan dira automatizatu beren izaera dela-eta. Automatizazioa zailtzen duten botila-lepo nagusiak manipulatu beharreko objektuen aniztasuna, roboten trebetasun falta eta kontrolatu gabeko ingurune dinamikoen ziurgabetasuna dira.Adimen artifizialak (AA) gero eta paper garrantzitsuagoa betetzen du robotikaren barruan, robotei zeregin konplexuak betetzeko beharrezko adimena ematen baitie. Gainera, AAk benetako esperientzia erabiliz portaera konplexuak ikasteko aukera ematen du, programazioaren kostua nabarmen murriztuz. Objektuak manipulatzeko egungo sistema robotikoen mugak ikusita, lan honen helburu nagusia manipulazio-sistemen malgutasuna handitzea da AAn oinarritutako algoritmoak erabiliz, birprogramatu beharrik gabe ingurune dinamikoetara egokitzeko beharrezko gaitasunak emanez
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