The influence of external factors on the energy efficiency of public lighting

LED-based technology is transforming public lighting networks, favouring smart city innovations. Beyond energy efficiency benefits, LED-based luminaries provide real time stateful data. However, most of the municipalities manage all their luminaries equally, independently of its state or the environmental conditions. Some existing approaches to street lighting management are already considering elementary features such as on-off control and individual dimming based on movement or ambient light. Nevertheless, our vision on public (street) lighting management, goes beyond basic consumption monitoring and dimming control, encompassing: a) adaptive lighting, by considering other potential influence factors such as work temperature of the luminaries or the arrangement of the luminaries on the street; b) Colour tuning, for public safety purposes and; c) emergency behaviour control. This paper addresses the first component (adaptive lighting) influence factors, in the scope of a real scenario in a Portuguese municipality

Behavioral biometrics and ambient intelligence: New opportunities for context-aware applications

Ambient Intelligence has always been associated with the promise of exciting new applications, aware of the users' needs and state, and proactive towards their goals. However, the acquisition of the necessary information for supporting such high-level learning and decision-making processes is not always straightforward. In this chapter we describe a multi-faceted smart environment for the acquisition of relevant contextual information about its users. This information, acquired transparently through the technological devices in the environment, supports the building of high-level knowledge about the users, including a quantification of aspects such as performance, attention, mental fatigue and stress. The environment described is particularly suited for milieus such as workplaces and classrooms, in which this kind of information may be very important for the effective management of human resources, with advantages for organizations and individuals alike.(UID/CEC/00319/2013)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A inteligência artificial na resolução de conflitos em linha

A passagem para uma sociedade globalizada, assente em relações estabelecidas através do funcionamento das redes telemáticas, traz consigo novas necessidades no que à resolução de conflitos respeita. Os litígios podem agora surgir entre quaisquer duas pessoas ou entidades, independentemente do local físico em que se encontrem. O que nos leva a ter que encarar alternativas ao tradicional sistema de resolução judicial de conflitos, e até alternativas aos sistemas alternativos de resolução de conflitos(1).Esta publicação insere-se no TIARAC – Telemática e Inteligência Artificial na Resolução Alternativa de Conflitos (PTDC/JUR/71354/2006), que é um projecto de investigação suportado pela FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia

Resolução de conflitos em linha: uma aplicação ao direito de consumo

A crescente utilização da contratação electrónica força-nos a equacionar a mudança da resolução de litígios para os ambientes electrónicos. Assim, o elemento tecnológico há-de ser considerado realmente como uma “quarta parte”. Neste contexto, os agentes de software podem desempenhar um importante papel. Um ponto fundamental para a resolução de confl itos prende-se com a consideração da melhor alternativa (BATNA – Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement) e da pior alternativa (WATNA – Worst Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement) a um acordo extra-judicial. Os agentes de software podem-se tornar de extrema utilidade para o cálculo destas alternativas e para que a resolução dos confl itos possa na verdade ser encarada sob uma perspectiva de orientação pelo risco. Com tudo isto em mente, tentámos desenvolver o UMCourt – aqui apresentado com base numa aplicação concreta no domínio do direito do consumo.Esta publicação insere-se no TIARAC – Telemática e Inteligência Artificial na Resolução Alternativa de Conflitos (PTDC/JUR/71354/2006), que é um projecto de investigação suportado pela FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia

Conflict resolution in virtual locations

The growing use of telematic ways of communication and of the new developments of Artificial Intelligence, brought along new ways of doing business, now in an electronic format, and requiring a new legal approach. Thus, there is an obvious need for legal changes and adaptations, not only concerning a new approach of traditional legal institutes, but also concerning a need for new developments in procedural means. Transactions are now undertaken in fractions of seconds, through the telematic networks, requiring more efficient ways for solving conflicts; on the other hand, the fact that we must now consider commercial transactions totally undertaken within an electronic environment (“online transactions”) leads to an obligation of rethinking the ways of solving disputes, that will inevitably arise from electronic commerce. It is an important change already taking place, pointing out to various ways of alternative dispute resolution and, among all these ways, letting us already perceive different possibilities of using the new technologies in order to reach faster and more efficient ways (still also “fair”) of solving commercial disputes. It is a whole new evolution towards a growing use not only alternative dispute resolution, but also, towards the so-called on-line dispute resolution.The work described in this paper is included in TIARAC - Telematics and Artificial Intelligence in Alternative Conflict Resolution Project (PTDC/JUR/71354/2006), which is a research project supported by FCT (Science & Technology Foundation), Portugal

Sistema de resolução online de conflito para partilhas de bens : divórcios e heranças

Em diversos sectores da sociedade, a resolução de litígios pelos tribunais tem se revelado menos viável, mais morosa e custosa. Para contornar algumas das imperfeições dos sistemas jurídicos convencionais surgiram os processos de resolução alternativa de conflitos (ADR). Devido aos avanços tecnológicos, ao surgimento da Internet e com isso também novas formas de conflitos, a ADR teve necessidade de adaptar e melhorar os seus processos a fim de dar respostas às mudanças provocadas. Assim, sistemas capazes de suportar diferentes abordagens da ADR foram criados passando a denominar-se sistemas de resolução online de conflitos (ODR). Neste artigo apresentamos o UMCourt Partilha, um sistema de ODR orientado à partilha de bens entre partes em disputa. Este, está a ser especificamente desenvolvido para assistir em casos de divórcios e heranças contemplando conceitos da lei, técnicas de inteligência artificial e teorias de jogo.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - TIARAC - Telematics and Artificial Intelligence in Alternative Conflict Resolution Project (PTDC/JUR/71354/2006

Retrieving Information in online dispute resolution platforms : a hybrid method

Information Retrieval is a theme that is so multifaceted as it is its significance to any knowledge-based sphere of influence. This is true in The Law, especially when we judge under the angle of the so-called On-line Dispute Resolution. Indeed, there is the need to analyze and develop efficient information retrieval methods that may improve the course of actions that depend on such techniques. It was under this line of thought that we look at two different methods for information retrieval, and then strengthen its advantages into a third one. The results of this effort are now being applied in UMCourt, an Online Dispute Resolution platform that helps disputant parties and software agents to interact and make their decisions.The work described in this paper is included in TIARAC - Telematics and Artificial Intelligence in Alternative Conflict Resolution Project (PTDC/JUR/71354/2006), which is a research project supported by FCT (Science & Technology Foundation), Portugal

Using mediation to solve disputes with avoiding parties

In virtually every environment there is the chance that, sooner or later, a dispute will arise. Disputes can take place in the most different scenarios and concern the most different subjects. With the advent of the telecommunication technologies, disputes also started to take place in virtual environments. In order to settle these new disputes, Online Dispute Resolution tools started to emerge. In this paper we present one of such tools, aimed at supporting mediation between two or more parties. Specifically, this tool looks at past known mediation processes and tries to guide the process into a successful outcome. It targets scenarios in which one or more party exhibits avoiding or uncooperative conflict styles, i.e., the party cannot or is not willing to generate valid proposals for dispute resolution.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - TIARAC - Telematics and Artificial Intelligence in Alternative Conflict Resolution Project (PTDC/JUR/71354/2006

An environment for studying visual emotion perception

Visual emotion perception is the ability of recognizing and identifying emotions through the visual interpretation of a situation or environment. In this paper we propose an innovative environment for supporting this type of studies, aimed at replacing current pencil-and-paper approaches. Besides automatizing the whole process, this environment provides new features that can enrich the study of emotion perception. These new features are especially interesting for the field of Human-Compute Interaction and Affective computing as they quantify the effects of experiencing different emotional dimensions on the individual’s interaction with the computer.This work has been supported by COMPETE: POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007043 and FCT Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia within the Project Scope: UID/CEC/00319/2013.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Artificial intelligence applications in ODR: online dispute resolution: the UMCourt project

The growing use of electronic contracting urges the move of dispute resolution to online environments. Thus being, the technological element has to be considered as the “fourth party”. In this sense, software agents may well play an important role. One major issue in dispute resolution is the estimation of BATNA and of WATNA; software agents may become very useful tools in this operation, facing dispute resolution under a risk oriented approach. Having this in mind, it was developed UM COURT – based on which a concrete application, in the domain of Consumer’s Law, is presented here.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - TIARAC - Telematics and Artificial Intelligence in Alternative Conflict Resolution Project (PTDC/JUR/71354/2006