AIML and sequence-to-sequence models to build artificial intelligence chatbots: insights from a comparative analysis

A chatbot is a software that is able to autonomously communicate with a human being through text and due to its usefulness, an increasing number of businesses are implementing such tools in order to provide timely communication to their clients. In the past, whilst literature has focused on implementing innovative chatbots and the evaluation of such tools, limited studies have been done to critically comparing such conversational systems. In order to address this gap, this study critically compares the Artificial Intelligence Mark-up Language (AIML), and Sequence-to-Sequence models for building chatbots. In this endeavor, two chatbots were developed to implement each model and were evaluated using a mixture of glass box and black box evaluation, based on 3 metrics, namely, user’s satisfaction, the information retrieval rate, and the task completion rate of each chatbot. Results showed that the AIML chatbot ensured better user satisfaction, and task completion rate, while the Sequence-to-Sequence model had better information retrieval rate

Power consumption of the Raspberry Pi: a comparative analysis

Over the past few decades, human beings have increasingly adopted different types of personal computers including desktop computers, laptops, tablets and smart phones. More recently, there has been the emergence of the Raspberry Pi and since its release in 2012, this new type of computer has undergone rapid growth in adoption to even become the fastest selling British computer. The Raspberry Pi has often been referred as a computer designed to change the world since it is capable to do most things that a desktop computer can do. The growing concern is that all these computers utilize power in order to operate thereby turning ICT into a power drainer. The diverse functionalities present in modern computers including communication and Web browsing, among others, were found to be important components that affect the power consumption of such devices. As such, this paper investigates how power consumption of the Raspberry Pi is affected by the key functionalities that could be performed by end-users on the platform. Moreover, this relationship is compared against other types of common personal computers before recommending on techniques and practices that could reduce the power consumption of this emerging type of computer

Towards a general framework for evaluating intelligent environments methodologies

Recent studies reveal that there are different methodologies for developing Intelligent Environments. Thus, it has become essential to scrutinize and evaluate the methodologies to increase our understanding of their strengths, weaknesses and features. However, these concerns have not been the target of recent research efforts. This paper presents an evaluation framework for qualitative evaluation of Intelligent Environment methodologies. It is a step towards standardization of current Intelligent Environments methodologies. The framework has been defined through studying, abstracting and unifying best practices from systems engineering. It is based on a generic life cycle model. As an initial validation, we evaluated the User Centred Intelligent Environment Development Process against the proposed framework. We note that this methodology at its current state presents some limitations which will be addressed in future works

Engineering intelligent environments: preliminary findings of a systematic review

Intelligent environments are complex systems that may require a diverse set of hardware devices, software libraries, networking and human computer interactions. New tools and techniques that can facilitate the engineering of such systems are thus critical. However, given the size and heterogeneity of the literature and in the light of, to our knowledge, there being only informal surveys restricted to specific issues have been conducted, we have seen the need to organise and synthesise the existent research corpus to obtain a clear idea on the main approaches that have been utilised for the development of IEs. To address this research gap, this systematic literature review was carried out. This paper presents the review’s preliminary findings that are expected to provide avenues for further research in this area. We find that there are different approaches for developing IEs and the development cycle consists of several phases. However, not all phases have received equal consideration. An evaluation framework which could offer guidance on the choice of the most suitable techniques per phase should also be the target of research efforts

Hazard perception training and assessment of young drivers in Mauritius: investigating the acceptance of the MauHazard tool

During the past few years, there has been a growing concern over the number of road accidents taking place in Mauritius. A significant number of accidents involve young drivers and although various measures are being implemented by different stakeholders to address this issue, one factor that has not been well investigated is the hazard perception skills of these road users. This is also due to the unavailability of hazard perception training and test tool for drivers within Mauritius to use. In addition, from a research perspective, technology acceptance of such tools is important to study since it helps to comprehend issues that impact future adoptions. However, limited studies have been conducted to assess technology acceptance of hazard perception test tools. In order to address this limitation, this paper investigates and analyses the acceptance of a hazard perception training and test tool called MauHazard by young drivers in Mauritius. To investigate technology acceptance of such tool, the Technology Acceptance Model was applied in a study involving 40 participants to utilize the proposed tool. Results revealed positive acceptance of MauHazard by the young drivers although different issues were highlighted

5G Smart and innovative Healthcare services: opportunities, challenges and prospective solutions

Due to its abilities to boost productivity, reduce costs and enhance user experiences, smart healthcare is widely recognised as a potential solution to reduce pressures on existing health systems. Since the new era of 5G will unite enhanced connectivity, improved cloud-based storage and interconnection of an array of devices and services, a massive boost in the digital transformation of healthcare is expected. In this transformation process, healthcare services such as medical diagnosis, treatment and remote surgery will be facilitated by a range of technologies such as Internet of Things, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, among others, that will advance further under 5G. Moreover, real-time health services will become a reality and will offer people with quality care and improved experiences. On the other hand, different challenges can hinder the proliferation of 5G smart and innovative healthcare solutions, including security and heterogeneous devices. This chapter presents how 5G will boost digital transformation of healthcare through delivery and consumption of smart and innovative healthcare services, while probing into key hurdles in the process as well as prospective solutions

Using tangible user interfaces for teaching concepts of internet of things: usability and learning effectiveness

Purpose This paper aims to explore the use of tangible user interfaces for teaching concepts related to internet of things by focusing on two aspects, notably, usability and learning effectiveness. Design/methodology/approach To assess the usability of IoTTT, Nielsen’s principles were used due to its relevance and popularity for usability assessment. In the usability questionnaire, four attributes were evaluated, notably, learnability, efficiency, errors and satisfaction. As for evaluating learning effectiveness, learning assessment was conducted through pre-tests and post-tests. Two groups of 20 students participated where the first group attended conventional lectures on IoT, whereas the second group used IoTTT for learning same concepts. In the process, data was collected through the usability questionnaire and tests for usability and learning effectiveness assessment. Findings Results revealed a positive score for the usability of the TUI solution with an average rating of 3.9. Although this score demonstrated an acceptable solution, different issues were identified, based on which a set of recommendations have been made in this paper. On the other hand, in the common pre-tests, an average score of 6.40 was obtained as compared to a mean score of 7.33 in the post-tests for all participants. Knowledge gains were significantly higher for students who learnt IoT concepts through the TUI-based system where performance improved by 18 per cent. Originality/value The results revealed in this study are expected to help the research community, course designers and tutors comprehend the prospects of using tangible user interfaces to foster teaching and learning of IoT concepts. In addition, educational solution providers could consider commercialisation prospects of this technology to innovate in teaching and learning, while also building-up on limitations identified within this study

Exploring the application and usability of NFC for promoting self-learning on energy consumption of household electronic appliances

During the past decade, the significant increase in the adoption of consumer electronics has caused a rise in energy demand within the residential and household sectors globally. Since these electronics are dependent on electricity, the impact of these sectors on the environment is also deteriorating and it becomes important to take remedial action. For this, various websites and mobile applications have emerged that provide information to household users on energy consumption of devices and as well as reduction mechanisms. However, since these platforms are limited in various ways in their endeavor to promote self-learning on energy consumption reduction, awareness still remains an important barrier thus giving rise to the need for further investigation on innovative technologies and platforms. Even though Near Field Communication (NFC) could potentially be used, limited work has been conducted in relation to energy consumption of consumer electronics. As such, this paper delves into the application and usability of NFC for promoting self-learning on energy consumption of household electronic appliances through an Android based application called NFC Energy Tracker (NET)