Robot graphic simulation testbed

The objective of this research was twofold. First, the basic capabilities of ROBOSIM (graphical simulation system) were improved and extended by taking advantage of advanced graphic workstation technology and artificial intelligence programming techniques. Second, the scope of the graphic simulation testbed was extended to include general problems of Space Station automation. Hardware support for 3-D graphics and high processing performance make high resolution solid modeling, collision detection, and simulation of structural dynamics computationally feasible. The Space Station is a complex system with many interacting subsystems. Design and testing of automation concepts demand modeling of the affected processes, their interactions, and that of the proposed control systems. The automation testbed was designed to facilitate studies in Space Station automation concepts

The Contingent Effects of Value Creation Processes on Project Value–An Empirical Analysis from Project Managers’ Perspective

Projects are seen as platforms for bringing changes that may create value for stakeholders. There are two main schools of thought on the value creation processes; one based on transactional exchange theories and the other on relations-based theories. The former focus on value creation through reduction of transactional costs, while the latter emphasises addressing project stakeholder’s needs through establishing close interactions with involved parties. Accordingly, this research examines effects on project value of the two value creation processes for project delivery: independent value creation– where the firm relies on its capabilities and expertise to deliver the project, without the need for seeking collaboration from other firms; and value co-creation– where the firm and key stakeholders collaborate to deliver the project based on close relationships. Extant studies have conceptually identified the effects on project value of both value creation processes. Nevertheless, there is a little empirical investigation of these effects. Hence, the main objective of this research is to investigate how both processes of value creation affect project value and the moderating effects of two critical contingent variables –requirements uncertainty and project complexity– on the relationship between value creation processes and project value. The study employs a deductive approach to fulfil this aim, and applies a cross-sectional survey to collect data; 168 valid responses from Chilean project managers were returned. A multivariate analysis using PLS-SEM was conducted to validate the conceptual framework and to test the hypotheses. Contributing to literature, the findings demonstrate that both value creation processes impact jointly on project value, and these impacts are moderated by the current level of requirements uncertainty and project complexity. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed. Directions for future research are elaborated

Decision Support Systems

Decision support systems (DSS) have evolved over the past four decades from theoretical concepts into real world computerized applications. DSS architecture contains three key components: knowledge base, computerized model, and user interface. DSS simulate cognitive decision-making functions of humans based on artificial intelligence methodologies (including expert systems, data mining, machine learning, connectionism, logistical reasoning, etc.) in order to perform decision support functions. The applications of DSS cover many domains, ranging from aviation monitoring, transportation safety, clinical diagnosis, weather forecast, business management to internet search strategy. By combining knowledge bases with inference rules, DSS are able to provide suggestions to end users to improve decisions and outcomes. This book is written as a textbook so that it can be used in formal courses examining decision support systems. It may be used by both undergraduate and graduate students from diverse computer-related fields. It will also be of value to established professionals as a text for self-study or for reference

Managing multiple dimensions of performance: a field study of balanced scorecard translation in the Thai financial services organisation

This thesis examines the process of change in management accounting and control systems (MACSs) in a Thai financial services organisation. Specifically, it traces how a strategic perfOlmance measurement, the Balanced Scorecard (BSC), was introduced, constlllcted, modified and re-defined over a period of time and in different organisational units of the organisation. The major aim of the research is to achieve an understanding of how an innovative management control idea, the BSC, was made operable in a particular organisational context. This research is based on intensive field study which involved indepth interviews, direct observations and documentation analysis. Drawing on actornetwork theory (ANT), the research illustrates how the BSC idea was brought into the organisation. It describes the way in which various actors mobilised their interests and concerns to construct the BSC, shows how the BSC collided and was reconciled with other networks of performance measurement and management control, and illustrates the way in which the all-encompassing nature of the BSC affected the design and implementation process. The study provides insights into how a global management idea like the BSC is introduced into an organisation and influences organisational practices while, at the same time, being localised and shaped by local practices. It sheds light on the process of change in performance measurement practices in an organisational context, as well as cnhancing our understanding of the ways in which an integrated performance measurement system such as the BSC operates. In particular, the research illustratcs how two key BSC concepts that are controversial in the existing literature - the notion of�· 'balance' and cause-and-effect relationships - were mobilised within the organisation. It shows that although these concepts are broad and abstract, creating complexities in designing the BSC, they can have a positive impact, generating discussions and solutions among organisational members. In addition, the study shows that the BSC construction process involves ongoing translations by heterogeneous actors - both local and global, human and non-human - who/which attempt to build networks of associations to support their own agenda and beliefs. The case study shows that resistance to the new system does not necessarily lead to a failure of system implementation; rather, it can be a positive force, providing opportunities for relevant actors to modify and appropriate the system. Moreover, the research shows how local BSC meanings and identities emerged via its interplays with these actors, and how the ongoing translations led the BSC to become something that it was not initially. However, this does not mean that the BSC and its implementation failed. Rather, it suggests the ability of the BSC to be shaped in different ways to make it work in specific situations. Arguably, it is this open nature of the BSC: which allows different actors to interpret, modify and construct their own versions of it, that makes it powerful

Coordination for Scalable Multiple Robot Planning Under Temporal Uncertainty

This dissertation incorporates coalition formation and probabilistic planning towards a domain-independent automated planning solution scalable to multiple heterogeneous robots in complex domains. The first research direction investigates the effectiveness of Task Fusion and introduces heuristics that improve task allocation and result in better quality plans, while requiring lower computational cost than the baseline approaches. The heuristics incorporate relaxed plans to estimate coupling and determine which tasks to fuse. As a result, larger temporal continuous planning problems involving multiple robots can be solved. The second research direction introduces new coordination methods to merge plans and resolve conflicts while extending the framework to domains with stochastic action duration. Merging distributedly generated plans becomes computationally costly when task plans are tightly coupled, and conflicts arise due to dependencies between plan actions. Existing methods either scale poorly as the number of agents and tasks increases, or do not minimize makespan, the overall time necessary to execute all tasks. A new family of plan coordination and conflict resolution algorithms is introduced to merge independently generated plans, minimize the resulting makespan, and scale to a large number of tasks and agents in complex problems. A thorough algorithmic analysis and empirical evaluation demonstrates how the new conflict identification and resolution models can impact the resulting plan quality and computational cost across three heterogeneous multiagent domains and outperform the baseline algorithms

Fourth Conference on Artificial Intelligence for Space Applications

Proceedings of a conference held in Huntsville, Alabama, on November 15-16, 1988. The Fourth Conference on Artificial Intelligence for Space Applications brings together diverse technical and scientific work in order to help those who employ AI methods in space applications to identify common goals and to address issues of general interest in the AI community. Topics include the following: space applications of expert systems in fault diagnostics, in telemetry monitoring and data collection, in design and systems integration; and in planning and scheduling; knowledge representation, capture, verification, and management; robotics and vision; adaptive learning; and automatic programming

Students learning science: Representation construction in a digital environment

This thesis showed the viable digital delivery for a representation-focused approach for teaching science. This study has led to guidelines for a generative digital design and sequencing of representational tasks and resources. It has also illustrated students’ collaborative reasoning processes during a problem-solving task, reflective of an authentic scientific inquiry

Systems Approach to EPC Material Procurement Strategy

The criticality of procurement and logistics to the success of Engineering Procurement Construction (EPC) projects cannot be over emphasized, as it has been a large area of opportunities that should be adequately exploited to enhance the overall performance of construction projects. EPC firms, which act as a catalyst for a nation’s economy growth, still suffer from work backlog, and this further hinders them from functioning at their optimum level. The work backlog often arises from delay caused by the stakeholders of the complex EPC system. Furthermore, the delay may arise from design or management decisions. Therefore, there is a need to study the effect of decisions taken by stakeholders to know the behaviour of the material procurement system with a focus on the timely delivery of construction materials to construction sites to ensure a smooth running of the construction process and prevent the work backlog due to shortage of materials on sites, which eventually leads to schedule and cost overrun. The purpose of this study is to develop a novel Systems Dynamics (SD) decision support model to improve the construction material supply chain performance. The model emphasizes the essence of information sharing, collaboration, and trust among stakeholders; as such, the model may help EPC managers take effective decisions in an EPC material procurement system. The context of EPC, which this study is focused is to bulk construction materials. This model will be a particularly useful tool to assist decision makers in evaluating the impact of material shortage and time delay by observing the simulated scenarios accordingly and in developing various effective policies

Agents for educational games and simulations

This book consists mainly of revised papers that were presented at the Agents for Educational Games and Simulation (AEGS) workshop held on May 2, 2011, as part of the Autonomous Agents and MultiAgent Systems (AAMAS) conference in Taipei, Taiwan. The 12 full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from various submissions. The papers are organized topical sections on middleware applications, dialogues and learning, adaption and convergence, and agent applications