Mechatronics: from the 20th to 21st century

This paper presents a Year-2000 (Y2K) status report of mechatronics. The Y2K definition of mechatronics is “the synergetic integration of physical systems with information technology and complex-decision making in the design, manufacture and operation of industrial products and processes.” Mechatronics may be interpreted as the best practice for synthesis of engineering systems, and it covers a broad area and scope. Vehicle lateral control for automated highway systems, hard disk drives and media handling mechanisms for printing engines are reviewed as examples of mechatronics research. Engineering students should be exposed to mechatronics and to the culture of working in teams.     

Development of an autonomous aerial vehicle: A case study

This paper describes the design, development, and deployment of an unmanned autonomous aerial vehicle developed at the Georgia Institute of Technology during 1990–1991. The approach taken, the system architecture, and the embedded intelligence of the project as conceived by a team of students, faculty, and industrial affiliates is reported. The project focused on engineering a vehicle which performed an intended mission in the time, space, and weight restrictions specified as part of an AUVS 1991 Competition. This paper documents the system and its various components and also provides a discussion of integration issues.The project demonstrated capabilities of existing and new technologies, but also highlighted many serious integration issues, particularly when using prototype components. The project also demonstrated the utility and mutual benefits of academic-industry projects. All members of the team benefited by working on a real and tangible project. Industrial participates gained first hand experience integrating their products with other components and many saw potential for their products and services in new markets.     

The science and education of mechatronics engineering

We try to get to the heart of multidisciplinary engineering, of which mechatronics is an excellent example, and point out how the integration of disciplines leads to new degrees of freedom in design and corresponding research directions that otherwise would not have been investigated. This is the major contribution achieved by a multidisciplinary approach to engineering science; it leads to a new important research field and at the same time helps to push research in related fields into new fruitful directions. We point to a number of areas that have benefited from the interdisciplinary perspective and a focus on interactions between disciplines including: engineering curriculum; mechatronics research; control of nonlinear mechanical systems; real time control systems modelling; and time varying control systems     

Is anything really new in mechatronics education?

Yes, there is something new in the way mechanical engineers are expected to design and in the way professors must now teach design. To illustrate how one institution is helping mechanical engineers to become mechatronics engineers, the article describes the undergraduate program in mechatronics at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and in particular, the integration of the theory covered in lectures with the laboratory exercises. The hardware systems used in both courses are described. Also discussed are observations from conducting professional training in mechatronics both in industry and for the ASME Professional Development Program     

Using collaborative computing technologies to enable the sharing and integration of simulation services for product design

Nowadays simulation is commonly used in engineering design for verifying design concepts before physical prototypes are produced. The simulation of complex products such as mechatronics in general involves a synergy of multiple traditional disciplinary areas and entails the collaborative work of a multidisciplinary team. A need thus arises for supporting the effective and efficient integration of subsystem models at simulation runtime and in a distributed environment. These models are generally created using different simulation tools and depend on the inputs from each other to perform numerical integration. As such, many issues need to be addressed, e.g. system modeling, the use of computing technologies, and the runtime interaction between models. In this paper, a service-oriented paradigm is presented which is underpinned by collaborative computing technologies to enable the provision of simulation models as services as well as the integration of these services for performing simulation tasks in product design. As well as the implementation of such a paradigm, a method for the interaction between models is in particular developed to achieve high accuracy for the simulation of design problems involving the solving of system equations. Preliminary evaluation work shows that the proposed paradigm underpinned by collaborative computing technologies is viable and have great potential in supporting collaborative simulation development in industry and the method for interaction control successfully achieves better accuracy compared with traditional methods.     

基于XML的Web数据挖掘关键技术的研究

由于存在着大量的在线信息，WWW成为数据挖掘的热点。该文介绍了Web网页的数据挖掘技术，提出一种基于XML的Web数据挖掘模型，阐述将半结构化HTML文档转换成良构的XML文档的原因，并给出基于HTML Tide库的转换代码，介绍了利用XML技术从Web网页析取数据的关键技术，包括XHTML、XSLT和XQuery等，对Web数据挖掘的其他方面如数据检验和集成作了一定的探讨。     

Putting low-cost commercial robotics components to the test - Development of an educational mechatronics/robotics platform using LEGO components

In this article, we investigate the possibility of using low-cost commercial material as a means of learning, research, and experimentation in fields such as mechatronics, robotics, and automatic control. The capabilities and limitations of the selected platform, i.e., of the LEGO elements, are studied via two projects that were designed and carried out, including a number of enhancements that address hardware and software limitations. The first project involves a robotic vehicle that can follow predefined paths, while the second concerns two robotic vehicles cooperating in a specific task. Algorithms and additional hardware were developed and the overall results are presented. It was found that the platform is suitable for teaching many diverse issues of central importance in the areas of interest.     

Cloud E-learning for Mechatronics: CLEM

This paper describes results of the CLEM project, Cloud E-learning for Mechatronics. CLEM is an example of a domain-specific cloud that is especially tuned to the needs of VET (Vocational, Education and Training) teachers. An interesting development has been the creation of remote laboratories in the cloud. Learners can access such laboratories to support their practical learning of mechatronics without the need to set up laboratories at their own institutions. The cloud infrastructure enables multiple laboratories to come together virtually to create an ecosystem for educators and learners. From such a system, educators can pick and mix materials to create suitable courses for their students and the learners can experience different types of devices and laboratories through the cloud. The paper provides an overview of this new cloud-based e-learning approach and presents the results. The paper explains how the use of cloud computing has enabled the development of a new method, showing how a holistic e-learning experience can be obtained through use of static, dynamic and interactive material together with facilities for collaboration and innovation.     

商务智能系统中的元数据管理策略研究

随着数据仓库的数据质量问题越来越引起重视,更进一步让人们认识到了元数据管理的重要性。元数据管理技术和元数据管理策略都是进行成功的元数据集成所必需要重视的研究内容。该文从元数据来源、元数据范围、元数据分类、元数据用户、元数据集成项目开发方法、元模型和元数据标准、元数据管理系统的实现途径等方面阐述了商务智能系统中的元数据管理策略。     

Toward a Service-Oriented Development Through a Case Study

The rapidly emerging technology of Web services paves a new cost-effective way of engineering software to quickly develop and deploy Web applications by dynamically integrating other independently developed Web-service components to conduct new business transactions. This paper reports our efforts on designing and developing a Web service of pass-through authentication (PTA) for 12 online electronic-payment Web applications. In accordance with how a PTA service is developed and integrated with a corresponding back-end e-payment system, our strategies can be categorized in three stages: end-to-end integration stage, Web-services-enabled stage, and Web-services-oriented stage. Derived from real-world industrial experience, this three-stage pathway can be applied to a broad range of Web-application development projects to guide smooth transformation from a specific application-oriented design and development model toward a reusable Web-services-oriented model. Furthermore, this paper contributes to an engineering process that leads to practical Web-services-oriented software development. New research issues revealed by this project are also reported.     

Ontology-based enterprise knowledge integration

Enterprises are getting more knowledge intensive, and the integration of various types of knowledge becomes a challenge. It has been accepted that ontology is an important concept for knowledge integration. In this paper, three issues have been addressed: (i) ontology construction which includes the method and implementation of a Concept Map based ontology construction, and the evaluation of the constructed ontology; (ii) a dynamic workflow, in which an ontology-based workflow system is used to accumulate knowledge during the business process, and (iii) the rules and constraints used for knowledge representation, in which a Semantic Web Rule Language (SWRL) is used to group the rules and constraints into different classes executed by a inference engine. Two cases have been studied using the above methods and tools. Case one is an acquisition prototype for the aircraft industry. The other is for an on-going bar code management project carried out by this research team. Both cases show that the developed methods can be used for knowledge integration.     

Microcomputers in public investment planning: Harnessing the potential—the introduction of microcomputers into the central planning division,ministry of finance,government of Meridian*

Abstract

This paper describes a project designed to improve planning procedures, through the introduction of microcomputers into the Central Planning Division, Ministry of Finance, Government of Meridian. The first section places the logic of the computerization project within the context of a wider programme to upgrade skills and methodologies in Meridian, and the paper then discusses the background to the computerization proposal by way of explaining its aims and objectives.

The third section focuses on technical issues, and examines the particular virtues of microcomputers in this type of centralized planning division. The hardware, software and training requirements are considered, and the schedule and milestones of this particular project explained. Organizational issues are then examined, from which the sources of many of the problems encountered in this project can be identified. Actual progress to date is described in the light of both technical and organizational issues, and an attempt made to assess the effectiveness of the project as a whole. The paper ends by pointing to some broader conclusions on the potential of microcomputers in development planning and to issues which critically determine the effectiveness of their value in central planning agencies, such as that described here.     

商务智能系统中的元数据管理策略研究

随着数据仓库的数据质量问题越来越引起重视,更进一步让人们认识到了元数据管理的重要性。元数据管理技术和元数据管理策略都是进行成功的元数据集成所必需要重视的研究内容。该文从元数据来源、元数据范围、元数据分类、元数据用户、元数据集成项目开发方法、元模型和元数据标准、元数据管理系统的实现途径等方面阐述了商务智能系统中的元数据管理策略。     

Information systems and the allure of organisational integration: a cautionary tale from the Irish financial services sector

In this paper we draw on evidence from an in-depth, longitudinal, interpretive study of an ambitious attempt to implement a large-scale information systems (IS) infrastructure (the ILCUTECH Standard Information System (ISIS) project) within the Irish credit union movement, to explore some of the difficulties and contradictions associated with information and communication technology (ICT)-enabled organisational integration. We argue that, in their enthusiasm for facilitating IS innovation, the leadership of the movement neglected more deep-seated organisational issues that were, to that point, largely unarticulated. In an attempt to get to the heart of these issues, we synthesise a distinctive theoretical perspective that draws mainly on institutional theory. This helps untangle the complex institutional heritage of the credit union movement, which resulted in the emergence of an interesting hybridity of institutional logics and latent contradictions. These contradictions provoked the emergence of a particular kind of institutional entrepreneurship, which was deeply implicated in reshaping institutionalised ways of thinking and doing. We emphasise the political nature of the change process and argue that the institutional arrangements for governing the ISIS project, which also underpinned the governance of the broader movement, were not well suited to manage the risk associated with such an enterprise. We conclude by suggesting that the case described might be an example of the workings of a broader kind of change dynamics around ICT. Specifically, the scale and scope of the change project acted as a trigger that brought tensions underlying existing competing institutional logics to a head, thus provoking institutional reform.     

矿井提升机全数字监控器的研究与应用

介绍一种用于矿井提升机的全数字监控器，详细讨论了它的硬件配置、软件编程及实际运行情况，代表了提升机控制系统机电一体化、智能化的发展方向。     

A new plug-in for the creation of OPC servers based on EcosimPro© simulation software

OPC (Ole for Process Control) is an Interoperability Standard that is being extensively used at industry because it facilitates integration and communication between heterogeneous subsystems. From the point of view of the simulation software, OPC support is a bonus that enhances the communication capability between simulation models. In this paper, we describe the development issues for incorporating OPC support into the EcosimPro© modelling and simulation software. The result of this project is a commercially available plug-in that transforms an EcosimPro© model into an OPC server ready to exchange data with other subsystems. Possibilities of the new functionality of the tool are also discussed.     

Four integration patterns: a socio-technical approach to integration in IS development projects

This paper aims to contribute to a theory of integration within the field of information systems (IS) project management. Integration is a key IS project management issue when new systems are developed and implemented into an increasingly integrated information infrastructure in corporate and governmental organizations. Expanding the perspective of traditional project management research, we draw extensively on central insights from IS research. Building on socio-technical IS research and software engineering research, we suggest four generic patterns of integration: big bang, stakeholder integration, technical integration and socio-technical integration. We analyse and describe the advantages and disadvantages of each pattern. The four patterns are ideal types. To explore the forces and challenges in these patterns, three longitudinal case studies were conducted. In particular we investigate the management challenges for each pattern. We find that the patterns are context-sensitive and describe the different contexts where the patterns are applicable. For IS project management, the four integration patterns are a contribution to the management of integration risks – extending the vocabulary for assessing and mitigating these risks in IS development. For practitioners the four integration patterns represent an analytical framework to be used in planning modern IS development projects.     

论信息系统集成的实施

本文以笔者从事信息系统集成的经验为基础，讨论了信息系统集成的内涵，实施信息系统信成的三种模式及其利弊，适用场合，以及目前信息系统集成行业中存在的问题。