180 research outputs found
Design and evaluation of acceleration strategies for speeding up the development of dialog applications
In this paper, we describe a complete development platform that features different innovative acceleration strategies, not included in any other current platform, that simplify and speed up the definition of the different elements required to design a spoken dialog service. The proposed accelerations are mainly based on using the information from the backend database schema and contents, as well as cumulative information produced throughout the different steps in the design. Thanks to these accelerations, the interaction between the designer and the platform is improved, and in most cases the design is reduced to simple confirmations of the “proposals” that the platform dynamically provides at each step.
In addition, the platform provides several other accelerations such as configurable templates that can be used to define the different tasks in the service or the dialogs to obtain or show information to the user, automatic proposals for the best way to request slot contents from the user (i.e. using mixed-initiative forms or directed forms), an assistant that offers the set of more probable actions required to complete the definition of the different tasks in the application, or another assistant for solving specific modality details such as confirmations of user answers or how to present them the lists of retrieved results after querying the backend database. Additionally, the platform also allows the creation of speech grammars and prompts, database access functions, and the possibility of using mixed initiative and over-answering dialogs. In the paper we also describe in detail each assistant in the platform, emphasizing the different kind of methodologies followed to facilitate the design process at each one.
Finally, we describe the results obtained in both a subjective and an objective evaluation with different designers that confirm the viability, usefulness, and functionality of the proposed accelerations. Thanks to the accelerations, the design time is reduced in more than 56% and the number of keystrokes by 84%
User interfaces in space science instrumentation
This thesis examines user interaction with instrumentation in the specific context of space science. It gathers together existing practice in machine interfaces with a look at potential future usage and recommends a new approach to space science projects with the intention of maximising their science return.
It first takes a historical perspective on user interfaces and ways of defining and measuring the science return of a space instrument. Choices of research methodology are considered. Implementation details such as the concepts of usability, mental models, affordance and presentation of information are described, and examples of existing interfaces in space science are given.
A set of parameters for use in analysing and synthesizing a user interface is derived by using a set of case studies of diverse failures and from previous work. A general space science user analysis is made by looking at typical practice, and an interview plus persona technique is used to group users with interface designs. An examination is made of designs in the field of astronomical instrumentation interfaces, showing the evolution of current concepts and including ideas capable of sustaining progress in the future.
The parameters developed earlier are then tested against several established interfaces in the space science context to give a degree of confidence in their use. The concept of a simulator that is used to guide the development of an instrument over the whole lifecycle is described, and the idea is proposed that better instrumentation would result from more efficient use of the resources available.
The previous ideas in this thesis are then brought together to describe a proposed new approach to a typical development programme, with an emphasis on user interaction. The conclusion shows that there is significant room for improvement in the science return from space instrumentation by attention to the user interface
Using Application-Specific Ontologies to Generate Grammar Rules in English, Hindi, and Spanish for a Web Interface
This thesis is concerned with the use of domain ontologies facilitating the generation of
multilingual grammars, which furthermore can be integrated in the natural language
understanding module of a communication system. In particular we work on grammars for
supporting user queries when accessing the web in English, Hindi and Spanish in two scenarios:
searching for a new medical specialist and looking for the information about cultural events in
the city. Although there have been many works on communication systems supporting English
and Spanish, this is not the case for Hindi language. For economical and cultural reasons there
have not been many studies on the integration of Hindi language on communication systems. For
this reason, our thesis also deals with the difficulty of working on a language for which not many
studies have been done nor do existing resources exist.
In order to facilitate the generation of linguistic resources for the three languages in different
domains we propose a clear separation of the conceptual and linguistic knowledge, as well as a
separation of general and domain-restricted knowledge bases, being conceptual knowledge.
Conceptual knowledge is represented in ontologies and is reused across the three languages.
Linguistic knowledge is language specific. General knowledge consists in general conceptual
concepts represented in a general ontology and general linguistic knowledge can be represented
as general grammars rules that can be reused across domains. For developing the grammar rules
for each domain and language we use grammatical framework (GF), a powerful tool for writing
multilingual grammars. One of the main advantages of this formalism is that favours a clear
separation of conceptual and syntactic knowledge involved in a particular grammar: it represent
the conceptual knowledge in a module called abstract grammar and the syntactic details in a
separate but related module called concrete grammar. We define abstract grammar from
ontologies and they are base to further developing the concrete grammar
Exploring multi-granular documentation strategies for the representation, discovery and use of geographic information
This thesis explores how digital representations of geography and Geographic
Information (GI) may be described, and how these descriptions facilitate the use of
the resources they depict. More specifically, it critically examines existing geospatial
documentation practices and aims to identify opportunities for refinement therein,
whether when used to signpost those data assets documented, for managing and
maintaining information assets, or to assist in resource interpretation and
discrimination. Documentation of GI can therefore facilitate its utilisation; it can be
reasonably expected that by refining documentation practices, GI hold the potential
for being better exploited. The underpinning theme connecting the individual papers
of the thesis is one of multi-granular documentation. GI may be recorded at varying
degrees of granularity, and yet traditional documentation efforts have predominantly
focussed on a solitary level (that of the geospatial data layer). Developing
documentation practices to account for other granularities permits the description of
GI at different levels of detail and can further assist in realising its potential through
better discovery, interpretation and use. One of the aims of the current work is to
establish the merit of such multi-granular practices. Over the course of four research
papers and a short research article, proprietary as well as open source software
approaches are accordingly presented and provide proof-of-concept and conceptual
solutions that aim to enhance GI utilisation through improved documentation
practices. Presented in the context of an existing body of research, the proposed
approaches focus on the technological infrastructure supporting data discovery, the
automation of documentation processes and the implications of describing geospatial
information resources of varying granularity. Each paper successively contributes to the notion that geospatial resources are potentially better exploited when
documentation practices account for the multi-granular aspects of GI, and the
varying ways in which such documentation may be used. In establishing the merit of
multi-granular documentation, it is nevertheless recognised in the current work that
instituting a comprehensive documentation strategy at several granularities may be
unrealistic for some geospatial applications. Pragmatically, the level of effort
required would be excessive, making universal adoption impractical. Considering
however the ever-expanding volumes of geospatial data gathered and the demand for
ways of managing and maintaining the usefulness of potentially unwieldy
repositories, improved documentation practices are required. A system of
hierarchical documentation, of self-documenting information, would provide for
information discovery and retrieval from such expanding resource pools at multiple
granularities, improve the accessibility of GI and ultimately, its utilisation
Survey of Educational Modelling Languages (EMLs)
CEN/ISSS WS/LT Learning Technologies WorkshopThe reports compares several approaches to educational modelling. The work has been performed under the umbrella of the CEN/ISSS, the European workshop for learning technologies. (http://dspace.ou.nl/bitstream/1820/227/2/eml-report-cen-isss.pdf
Providing information on environmental change: data management, discovery and access in the UK Environmental Change Network Data Centre
Development of a clearer understanding of the causes and consequences of environmental change is an important issue globally. The consequent demand for objective, reliable and up-to-date environmental information has led to the establishment of long-term integrated environmental monitoring programmes, including the UK’s Environmental Change Network (ECN). Databases form the core information resource for such programmes. The UK Environmental Change Network Data Centre manages data on behalf of ECN(as well as other related UK integrated environmental monitoring networks) and provides a robust and integrated system of information management. This paper describes how data are captured – through standardised protocols and data entry systems – as well more recent approaches such as wireless sensors. Data are managed centrally through a database and GIS. Quality control is built in at all levels of the system. Data are then made accessible through a variety of data access methods – through bespoke web interfaces, as well as third-party data portals. This paper describes the informatics approach of the ECN Data Centre which aims to develop a seamless system of data capture, management and data access interfaces to support research
Interim research assessment 2003-2005 - Computer Science
This report primarily serves as a source of information for the 2007 Interim Research Assessment Committee for Computer Science at the three technical universities in the Netherlands. The report also provides information for others interested in our research activities
Simple identification tools in FishBase
Simple identification tools for fish species were included in the FishBase information system from its inception. Early tools made use of the relational model and characters like fin ray meristics. Soon pictures and drawings were added as a further help, similar to a field guide. Later came the computerization of existing dichotomous keys, again in combination with pictures and other information, and the ability to restrict possible species by country, area, or taxonomic group. Today, www.FishBase.org offers four different ways to identify species. This paper describes these tools with their advantages and disadvantages, and suggests various options for further
development. It explores the possibility of a holistic and integrated computeraided strategy
- …