Adaptive fuzzy knowledge-based systems for control metabots' mobility on virtual environments

The confluence of three-dimensional (3D) virtual worlds with social networks imposes on software agents, in addition to conversational functions, the same behaviours as those common to human-driven avatars. In this paper, we explore the possibilities of the use of metabots (metaverse robots) with motion capabilities in complex virtual 3D worlds and we put forward a learning model based on the techniques used in evolutionary computation for optimizing the fuzzy controllers which will subsequently be used by metabots for moving around a virtual environment.

A knowledge-based method for generating summaries of spatial movement in geographic areas

In this article we describe a method for automatically generating text summaries of data corresponding to traces of spatial movement in geographical areas. The method can help humans to understand large data streams, such as the amounts of GPS data recorded by a variety of sensors in mobile phones, cars, etc. We describe the knowledge representations we designed for our method and the main components of our method for generating the summaries: a discourse planner, an abstraction module and a text generator. We also present evaluation results that show the ability of our method to generate certain types of geospatial and temporal descriptions.

Reusable Knowledge-based Components for Building Software Applications: A Knowledge Modelling Approach

In computer science, different types of reusable components for building software applications were proposed as a direct consequence of the emergence of new software programming paradigms. The success of these components for building applications depends on factors such as the flexibility in their combination or the facility for their selection in centralised or distributed environments such as internet. In this article, we propose a general type of reusable component, called primitive of representation, inspired by a knowledge-based approach that can promote reusability. The proposal can be understood as a generalisation of existing partial solutions that is applicable to both software and knowledge engineering for the development of hybrid applications that integrate conventional and knowledge based techniques. The article presents the structure and use of the component and describes our recent experience in the development of real-world applications based on this approach.

Fusion of probabilistic knowledge-based classification rules and learning automata for automatic recognition of digital images

In this paper, the fusion of probabilistic knowledge-based classification rules and learning automata theory is proposed and as a result we present a set of probabilistic classification rules with self-learning capability. The probabilities of the classification rules change dynamically guided by a supervised reinforcement process aimed at obtaining an optimum classification accuracy. This novel classifier is applied to the automatic recognition of digital images corresponding to visual landmarks for the autonomous navigation of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed by the authors. The classification accuracy of the proposed classifier and its comparison with well-established pattern recognition methods is finally reported.

A knowledge based framework to support active aging at home based environments

Information and Communication Technologies can support Active Aging strategies in a scenario like the Smart Home. This paper details a person centered distributed framework, called TALISMAN+, whose aim is to promote personal autonomy by taking advantage of knowledge based technologies, sensors networks, mobile devices and internet. The proposed solution can support an elderly person to keep living alone at his house without being obliged to move to a residential center. The framework is composed by five subsystems: a reasoning module that is able to take local decisions at home in order to support active aging, a biomedical variables telemonitorisation platform running on a mobile device, a hybrid reasoning middleware aimed to assess cardiovascular risk in a remote way, a private vision based sensor subsystem, and a secure telematics solution that guarantees confidentiality for personal information. TALISMAN+ framework deployment is being evaluated at a real environment like the Accessible Digital Home.

A knowledge based application for industrialization design

After being designed, a product has to be manufactured, which means converting concepts and information into a real, physical object. This requires a big amount of resources and a careful planning. The product manufacturing must be designed too, and that is called Industrialization Design. An accepted methodology for this activity is starting defining simple structures and then progressively increasing the detail degree of the manufacturing solution. The impact of decisions taken at first stages of Industrialization Design is remarkable, and software tools to assist designers are required. In this paper a Knowledge Based Application prototype for the Industrialization Design is presented. The application is implemented within the environment CATIA V5/DELMIA. A case study with a simple Product from aerospace sector illustrates the prototype development.

A Knowledge-based Approach for Automatic Generation of Summaries of Behavior

Effective automatic summarization usually requires simulating human reasoning such as abstraction or relevance reasoning. In this paper we describe a solution for this type of reasoning in the particular case of surveillance of the behavior of a dynamic system using sensor data. The paper first presents the approach describing the required type of knowledge with a possible representation. This includes knowledge about the system structure, behavior, interpretation and saliency. Then, the paper shows the inference algorithm to produce a summarization tree based on the exploitation of the physical characteristics of the system. The paper illustrates how the method is used in the context of automatic generation of summaries of behavior in an application for basin surveillance in the presence of river floods.

Knowledge-based models for adaptive traffic management systems

This paper describes a general approach for real time traffic management support using knowledge based models. Recognizing that human intervention is usually required to apply the current automatic traffic control systems, it is argued that there is a need for an additional intelligent layer to help operators to understand traffic problems and to make the best choice of strategic control actions that modify the assumption framework of the existing systems.

Knowledge-based spatiotemporal linear abstraction

We present a theoretical framework and a case study for reusing the same conceptual and computational methodology for both temporal abstraction and linear (unidimensional) space abstraction, in a domain (evaluation of traffic-control actions) significantly different from the one (clinical medicine) in which the method was originally used. The method, known as knowledge-based temporal abstraction, abstracts high-level concepts and patterns from time-stamped raw data using a formal theory of domain-specific temporal-abstraction knowledge. We applied this method, originally used to interpret time-oriented clinical data, to the domain of traffic control, in which the monitoring task requires linear pattern matching along both space and time. First, we reused the method for creation of unidimensional spatial abstractions over highways, given sensor measurements along each highway measured at the same time point. Second, we reused the method to create temporal abstractions of the traffic behavior, for the same space segments, but during consecutive time points. We defined the corresponding temporal-abstraction and spatial-abstraction domain-specific knowledge. Our results suggest that (1) the knowledge-based temporal-abstraction method is reusable over time and unidimensional space as well as over significantly different domains; (2) the method can be generalized into a knowledge-based linear-abstraction method, which solves tasks requiring abstraction of data along any linear distance measure; and (3) a spatiotemporal-abstraction method can be assembled from two copies of the generalized method and a spatial-decomposition mechanism, and is applicable to tasks requiring abstraction of time-oriented data into meaningful spatiotemporal patterns over a linear, decomposable space, such as traffic over a set of highways.

A knowledge based application for industrialization design

After being designed, a product has to be manufactured, which means converting concepts and information into a real, physical object. This requires a big amount of resources and a careful planning. The product manufacturing must be designed too, and that is called Industrialization Design. An accepted methodology for this activity is starting defining simple structures and then progressively increasing the detail degree of the manufacturing solution. The impact of decisions taken at first stages of Industrialization Design is remarkable, and software tools to assist designers are required. In this paper a Knowledge Based Application prototype for the Industrialization Design is presented. The application is implemented within the environment CATIA V5/DELMIA. A case study with a simple Product from aerospace sector illustrates the prototype development.

Modelo del sistema de gestión de la calidad y el desempeño organizacional en la producción de petróleo

El proceso de cambio de una sociedad industrial a una sociedad del conocimiento, que experimenta el mundo globalizado en el siglo XXI, induce a las empresas y organizaciones a desarrollar ventajas competitivas y sostenibles basadas en sus activos intangibles, entre los cuales destacan los sistemas de gestión en general y los sistemas de gestión de la calidad (SGC) en particular. Las organizaciones dedicadas a la producción de petróleo están influenciadas por dicha tendencia. El petróleo es un recurso natural con reservas limitadas, cuya producción y consumo ha crecido progresivamente, aportando la mayor cuota (35 %) del total de la energía que se consume en el mundo contemporáneo, aporte que se mantendrá hasta el año 2035, según las previsiones más conservadoras. Por tanto, se hace necesario desarrollar modelos de producción innovadores, que contribuyan a la mejora del factor de recobro de los yacimientos y de la vida útil de los mismos, al tiempo que satisfagan los requerimientos de producción y consumo diarios de los exigentes mercados globales. El objeto de esta investigación es el desarrollo de un modelo de gestión de la calidad y su efecto en el desempeño organizacional, a través del efecto mediador de los constructos satisfacción del cliente interno y gestión del conocimiento en la producción de petróleo. Esta investigación de carácter explicativo, no experimental, transeccional y ex-postfacto, se realizó en la región petrolífera del lago de Maracaibo, al occidente de Venezuela, la cual tiene más de 70 años en producción y cuenta con yacimientos maduros. La población objeto de estudio fue de 369 trabajadores petroleros, quienes participaron en las mesas técnicas de la calidad, durante los meses de mayo y julio del año 2012, los cuales en su mayoría están en proceso de formación como analistas, asesores y auditores de los SGC. La técnica de muestreo aplicada fue de tipo aleatorio simple, con una muestra de 252 individuos. A la misma se le aplicó un cuestionario diseñado ad hoc, el cual fue validado por las técnicas de juicio de expertos y prueba piloto. El procedimiento de investigación se realizó a través de una secuencia, que incluyó la elaboración de un modelo teórico, basado en la revisión del estado del arte; un modelo factorial, sobre la base del análisis factorial de los datos de la encuesta; un modelo de regresión lineal, elaborado a través del método de regresión lineal simple y múltiple; un modelo de análisis de sendero, realizado con el software Amos 20 SPSS y finalmente, un modelo informático, realizado con el simulador Vensim PLE v.6.2. Los resultados obtenidos indican que el modelo teórico se transformó en un modelo empírico, en el cual, la variable independiente fue el SGC, la variable mediadora fue la integración de las dimensiones eliminación de la no conformidad, satisfacción del cliente interno y aprendizaje organizacional (ENCSCIAO) y la variable respuesta la integración de las dimensiones desempeño organizacional y aprendizaje organizacional (DOOA). Se verificó el efecto mediador del ENSCIAO sobre la relación SGC-DOOA con una bondad del ajuste, del 42,65%. En el modelo de regresión múltiple se encontró que las variables determinantes son eliminación de la no conformidad (ENC), conocimiento adquirido (CA) y conocimiento espontáneo (CE), lo cual fue corroborado con el modelo de análisis de sendero. El modelo informático se desarrolló empleando datos aproximados de una unidad de producción tipo, generándose cuatro escenarios; siendo el más favorable, aquel en el cual se aplicaba el SGC y variables relacionadas, reduciendo la desviación de la producción, incrementando el factor de recobro y ampliando la vida útil del yacimiento. Se concluye que la aplicación del SGC y constructos relacionados favorece el desempeño y la producción de las unidades de explotación de yacimientos petrolíferos maduros. Los principales aportes de la tesis son la obtención de un modelo de gestión de la producción de petróleo en yacimientos maduros, basado en los SGC. Asimismo, el desarrollo de un concepto de gestión de la calidad asociado a la reducción de la desviación de la producción petrolífera anual, al incremento del factor de recobro y al aumento de la vida útil del yacimiento. Las futuras líneas de investigación están orientadas a la aplicación del modelo en contextos reales y específicos, para medir su impacto y realizar los ajustes pertinentes. ABSTRACT The process of change from an industrial society to a knowledge-based society, which undergoes the globalized world in the twenty-first century, induces companies and organizations to develop a sustainable and competitive advantages based on its intangible assets, among which are noteworthy the management systems in general and particularly the quality management systems (QMS). Organizations engaged in oil production are influenced by said trend. Oil is a natural resource with limited reserves, where production and consumption has grown progressively, providing the largest share (35%) of the total energy consumed in the contemporary world, a contribution that will remain until the year 2035 according to the more conservative trust estimations. Therefore, it becomes necessary to develop innovative production models which contribute with the improvement of reservoirs´ recovery factor and the lifetime thereof, while meeting the production requirements and daily consumption of demanding global markets. The aim of this research is to develop a model of quality management and its effect on organizational performance through the mediator effect of the constructs, internal customer satisfaction and knowledge management in oil production. This research of explanatory nature, not experimental, transactional and expos-facto was carried out in the oil-region of Maracaibo Lake located to the west of Venezuela, which has more than 70 years in continuous production and has mature reservoirs. The population under study was 369 oil workers who participated in the technical quality workshops, during the months of May and July of 2012, the majority of which were in the process of training as analysts, consultants and auditors of the QMS. The sampling technique applied was simple random type. To a sample of 252 individuals of the population it was applied an ad hoc designed questionnaire, which was validated by the techniques of expert judgment and pilot test. The research procedure was performed through a sequence, which included the elaboration of a theoretical model, based on the review of the state of the art; a factorial model with based on factorial analysis of the survey data; a linear regression model, developed through the method of simple and multiple linear regression; a structural equation model, made with software °Amos 20 SPSS° and finally, a computer model, performed with the simulator Vensim PLE v.6.2. The results indicate that the theoretical model was transformed into an empirical model, in which the independent variable was the QMS, the mediator variable was the integration of the dimensions: elimination of non-conformity, internal customer satisfaction and organizational learning (ENCSCIAO) and the response variable the integration of the dimensions, organizational performance and learning organizational (DOOA). ENSCIAO´s mediator effect on the relation QMS-DOOA was verified with a goodness of fit of 42,65%. In the multiple regression model was found to be the determining variables are elimination of nonconformity (ENC), knowledge acquired (CA) and spontaneous knowledge (EC), which was verified with the structural equation model. The computer model was developed based on approximate data of an oil production unit type, creating four (04) scenarios; being the most favorable, that one which it was applied the QMS and related variables, reducing the production deviation, increasing the recovery factor and extending the lifetime of the reservoir. It is concluded that QMS implementation powered with the related constructs, favors performance and production of mature oilfield of exploitation reservoirs units. The main contributions of this thesis are obtaining a management model for oil production in mature oilfields, based on QMS. In addition, development of a concept of quality associated to reduce the annual oil production deviation, increase the recovery factor and increase oilfield lifetime. Future lines of research are oriented to the implementation of this model in real and specific contexts to measure its impact and make the necessary adjustments that might take place.

Proposal for the Conceptual Design of Aeronautical Final Assembly Lines Based on the Industrial Digital Mock-Up Concept

The design of a Final Assembly Line (FAL) is carry out in the product industrialization activity. The phase dealing with the definition of conceptual solutions is characterized by depending heavily on the personnel experience and being time-consuming. To enhance such process, it is proposed a development of a knowledge based software application to assist designers in the definition of scenarios and to generate conceptual FAL alternatives. Both the scenario and the generated FAL solution are part of the industrialization digital mock-up (IDMU). A commercial software application used in the aircraft programmes and supporting the IDMU concepts of: Product, Process and Resource; was selected to implement a software prototype. This communication presents the adopted methodological approach and the architecture of the developed application.

Modeling Commercial Knowledge to Develop Advanced Agent-based Marketplaces for E-commerce

This paper argues about the utility of advanced knowledge-based techniques to develop web-based applications that help consumers in finding products within marketplaces in e-commerce. In particular, we describe the idea of model-based approach to develop a shopping agent that dynamically configures a product according to the needs and preferences of customers. Finally, the paper summarizes the advantages provided by this approach.

La telefonía móvil : el impacto social

El objetivo de este proyecto ha sido el de realizar un análisis del importante desarrollo que han sufrido las telecomunicaciones, haciendo un especial hincapié en la telefonía móvil y el impacto y repercusión que ha causado actualmente en nuestra sociedad. Para ello se hará un repaso evolutivo de las tecnologías de la información y las telecomunicaciones, y se establecerá una relación entre la gran difusión de éstas y su efecto sobre los usos, y cambios percibidos por los consumidores del nuevo siglo. Ciertamente la historia de la tecnología, nos enseña que la gente y las organizaciones acaban utilizándola para unos propósitos muy diferentes de aquellos que inicialmente fueron concebidas. Además cuanto más interactiva sea una tecnología, tanto más probable será que los usuarios se conviertan en productores o modificadores de la misma. Por tanto, la sociedad necesita resolver las incógnitas que pueda suscitar el rápido y continúo cambio de las comunicaciones. Este proyecto trata de ayudar a responder alguna de las cuestiones que actualmente se están planteando. ¿Son los teléfonos móviles una expresión de identidad, artilugios de moda, herramientas de la vida cotidiana, o todo lo anterior? ¿Existen nuevos modelos de comportamiento y conducta social? ¿La comunicación móvil está favoreciendo la aparición de una nueva cultura joven con un lenguaje propio basado en la comunicación textual y multimodal? ¿Tienen los teléfonos móviles efectos nocivos en la salud? La respuesta a estas preguntas afecta a nuestras vidas y también condiciona las políticas públicas y las estrategias de negocio, por eso requiere adquirir un conocimiento cimentado en la información, y la recopilación de datos de diversas fuentes, tanto de estadísticas provenientes de diferentes estudios e investigaciones, como de empresas consultoras, siempre basada en una perspectiva global. En conjunto, se espera dentro de los límites del conocimiento actual, contribuir a establecer las bases para el análisis y valoración de la relación existente entre comunicación, tecnología y sociedad en todo el mundo. Abstract The purpose of this project has been to analyse the significant development undergone by telecommunications, putting a special emphasis on mobile phones and the impact it has caused in society. We will go over the evolution of IT technologies and telecommunications as well as establish a relationship between its spread and effect of its uses and changes understood by the new century consumers. Technology history shows us that people and organizations use it for very different purposes from those originally thought. Furthermore, the more interactive technologies are, the more users will modify or produce it. Therefore, society needs to solve the mysteries of the quick and continuous change of communications. This project tries to help and answer some of the questions considered these days. Are mobile phones an expression of identity, fashionable devices, tools for everyday life or all at once? Are there any new models of performance and social behaviour? Is mobile communication favouring the existence of a new young culture with a typical language based on textual and multimodal communication? Are mobile phones bad for our health? The answer to these questions affects us all and conditions public politics and business strategies so it is required to get firm knowledge based on information. It is also important to compile data from various sources, from statistics of research and studies, based on a global perspective. As a whole, we hope to contribute to establish the bases for the future analysis and assessment of a fundamental trend that is redefining the relationship between communication, technology and society worldwide by transforming the wireless networks that make our lives.

Generating multimedia presentations that summarize the behavior of dynamic systems using a model-based approach

This article describes a knowledge-based method for generating multimedia descriptions that summarize the behavior of dynamic systems. We designed this method for users who monitor the behavior of a dynamic system with the help of sensor networks and make decisions according to prefixed management goals. Our method generates presentations using different modes such as text in natural language, 2D graphics and 3D animations. The method uses a qualitative representation of the dynamic system based on hierarchies of components and causal influences. The method includes an abstraction generator that uses the system representation to find and aggregate relevant data at an appropriate level of abstraction. In addition, the method includes a hierarchical planner to generate a presentation using a model with dis- course patterns. Our method provides an efficient and flexible solution to generate concise and adapted multimedia presentations that summarize thousands of time series. It is general to be adapted to differ- ent dynamic systems with acceptable knowledge acquisition effort by reusing and adapting intuitive rep- resentations. We validated our method and evaluated its practical utility by developing several models for an application that worked in continuous real time operation for more than 1 year, summarizing sen- sor data of a national hydrologic information system in Spain.