A practical approach to data modelling in spatial applications

The storage and manipulation of spatial data requires a different style of support from that normally found in commercial database systems. This paper explores the use of the functional data model and the high level language Daplex to provide an integrated tool for the conceptual modelling of spatial data and the manipulation of data values. Importance is attached to allowing dynamic schema definition and to the provision of abstract data types to support spatial objects. The implementation comprises three separate modules and uses an underlying relational DBMS to store all metadata and data values. This modular design has enabled the user interface, Daplex language and storage aspects of the software to be developed independently, creating a system which has already proved to be easily portable. Consideration has also been given to ways of improving system performance.     

A knowledge encapsulation approach to ontology modularization

The development of monolithic ontologies for complex domains may face various challenges in reasoning and implementation. The notion of modularity can be employed for developing more efficient ontologies, especially in distributed environments. In this paper, we introduce a framework for developing ontologies in a modular manner. We describe the interface-based modular ontology formalism, (IBF), which theoretically supports the framework. The main feature of the framework is its support for knowledge encapsulation, i.e., it allows ontologies to define their main content using well-defined interfaces, such that their knowledge bases can only be accessed by other ontologies through these interfaces. An important implication of the proposed framework is that ontology modules can be developed completely independent of each other’s signature and languages. Such modules are free to only utilize the required knowledge segments of the others. We also investigate the issues of inconsistency in the proposed modular ontology framework. We provide solutions for isolating inconsistent ontology modules from the other parts of a modular ontology and also resolve inconsistencies which may be arisen by integrating consistent knowledge bases.     

基于WinCC组态的实验室气候试验综合监控系统设计

如何实现飞机实验室气候试验过程中各种环境试验工况的快速切换,保证试验的连续性,是飞机气候实验室综合监控系统必须解决的问题。针对飞机气候试验控制任务要求,提出一套基于WinCC组态的分布式综合试验监控系统,采用分布式网络对各个工艺设备进行协调控制,利用模块化的设计方法对各试验工况进行定义,实现不同气候环境的模拟;利用WinCC组态软件开发了友好、方便的人机界面接口,实现对试验过程和设备运行状态的实时监测,有效地满足了试验需求,为飞机气候试验安全可靠进行提供了有利保障。     

基于本体模块接口的入侵防御系统研究

建立一种新型分布式入侵防御模型并进行应用示例,该模型的知识库采用基于接口的模块化本体,防御方法采用上下文相关的策略。模块化本体能有效克服单一本体推理效率低、扩展性差等缺点,而在模块化本体中采用接口的方法有利于模块的独立进化和灵活配置。本体模块通过发送事件消息能够高效、及时地进行知识更新。     

Simulation of Quantification Abilities Using a Modular Neural Network Approach

A novel modular neural network architecture and its application to the field of numerical cognition simulation are presented. Previous modular connectionist systems are typically constrained at one of two levels: at the representational level, in that the connectivity of the modules is hard-wired by the modeller; or at a local architectural level, in that the modeller explicitly allocates each module to a specific subtask. Our approach aims to minimise the constraints, thus reducing the bias possibly introduced by the modeller. The efficacy of this approach is demonstrated through the successful simulation of the development of two quantification abilities, subitising and counting, amongst children. It is concluded that such a minimally constrained modular system may contribute to both the capturing of learnt behaviour, and the allocation of modules to subtasks according to the nature of the task.     

Computer networking: Academic development and education

This paper identifies the importance of academic networking in Lithuania and traces the development of educational resources together with the introduction of new curricula for a Computer Science modular degree programme at Kaunas University of Technology, Lithuania under support from the EC TEMPUS programme. During the three year programme, a purpose‐built computer network teaching laboratory was created to support new teaching modules which, through a modular structure, would enable students to develop a range of networking skills within existing undergraduate and postgraduate computing schemes. The project was primarily aimed at curricula development which would provide students with a basic level of knowledge sufficient to develop distributed applications software and to design and maintain data network infrastructures. A curriculum model was developed to embody both software development and technological development themes and out of this both teaching material and practical exercises have been devised. The paper reviews how this new curriculum has been integrated into the existing Computer Science scheme in Kaunas and considers the impact it has had within the institution and its importance as a pioneering initiative for Lithuania.     

Wearing the playware

In this conceptual paper, we describe and define the range of possible applications, and the technical contours, of a robotic system to be worn on the body for playful interactions. Earlier work on a modular robotic wearable (MRW) described how, by using modular robotics to create a wearable, it is possible to obtain a flexible wearable processing system where freely interchangeable input/output modules can be positioned on a body suit in accordance with the task at hand. Here, we guide attention toward early prototypes to show the potentialities of such an approach, and focus on depicting possible applications in the electronic games domain. Indeed, the MRW is an example of modular playware which can create playful interactions for many application domains, including electronic games.     

The Contribution of Domain Specificity in the Highly Modular Mind

Is there a notion of domain specificity which affords genuine insight in the context of the highly modular mind, i.e. a mind which has not only input modules, but also central ‘conceptual’ modules? Our answer to this question is no. The main argument is simple enough: we lay out some constraints that a theoretically useful notion of domain specificity, in the context of the highly modular mind, would need to meet. We then survey a host of accounts of what domain specificity is, based on the intuitive idea that a domain specific mechanism is restricted in the kind of information that it processes, and show that each fails at least one of those constraints.     

A distributed and morphology-independent strategy for adaptive locomotion in self-reconfigurable modular robots

In this paper, we present a distributed reinforcement learning strategy for morphology-independent life-long gait learning for modular robots. All modules run identical controllers that locally and independently optimize their action selection based on the robot’s velocity as a global, shared reward signal. We evaluate the strategy experimentally mainly on simulated, but also on physical, modular robots. We find that the strategy: (i) for six of seven configurations (3–12 modules) converge in 96% of the trials to the best known action-based gaits within 15 min, on average, (ii) can be transferred to physical robots with a comparable performance, (iii) can be applied to learn simple gait control tables for both M-TRAN and ATRON robots, (iv) enables an 8-module robot to adapt to faults and changes in its morphology, and (v) can learn gaits for up to 60 module robots but a divergence effect becomes substantial from 20–30 modules. These experiments demonstrate the advantages of a distributed learning strategy for modular robots, such as simplicity in implementation, low resource requirements, morphology independence, reconfigurability, and fault tolerance.     

Development of a framework for truss-braced wing conceptual MDO

The paper describes the development of a multidisciplinary design optimization framework for conceptual design of truss-braced wing configurations. This unconventional configuration requires specialized analysis tools supported by a modular and flexible framework to accommodate different configurations. While the previous framework developed at Virginia Tech was a monolithic Fortran-77 code, the need for more flexibility for complex truss-braced wing configurations was addressed by the development of this new framework, which is based on Phoenix Integration ModelCenter^TM environment. The framework uses updated structural and aerodynamic design modules that enable a more general geometry definition. The new framework, thus, provides a foundation for future design concepts, especially multi-member truss-braced wing configurations. The fuel saving potential of these truss-braced wing configurations is presented by comparing different truss designs with gradually increased level of complexity.     

Combined access control and routing for connection oriented traffic in high-speed networks: A two-level approach

In the management of integrated networks that support connection oriented traffic classes with varying bandwidth requirements, an efficient integration of the access control and routing functions is of particular importance in realizing optimum network performance. A novel development of a hierarchical scheme for combined access control and routing is presented in this paper for realizing the above objective. The hierarchy comprises of two levels — at the upper level, a network supervisor implements an access control policy based on a mixed-integer programming approach, while at the lower level, each network node implements a distributed call routing strategy. The access control function executed at the supervisory level essentially partitions the network into several distinct subnets, one corresponding to each distinct bandwidth class. For routing the admitted calls within each subnet in an optimal fashion, a distributed minimum loss algorithm is developed for implementation at the network nodes. The decision-making at the supervisor level proceeds at a slower time-scale compared to the nodal updating of the routing parameters at the lower level. The analytical developments are supported by appropriate numerical examples which compare the proposed methodology to other available schemes.     

模块机器人及计算机辅助设计

本文利用新一代计算机辅助设计方法,开展模块机器 人的设计方法论和CAD系统的研究,旨在提出解决柔性加工系统的计算机辅助设计智能软件 的思路和框架．本文以模块机器人的设计为突破口,提出了以面向任务为特征、基于事例的 设计方法在机械概念化设计中的应用．论文中介绍了近年来发展迅速的模块机器人的标准模 块和基本拓扑关系,根据模块机器人概念化设计的特征,结合人工智能应用中基于事例的推 理机制,提出了面向任务和基于事例的计算机辅助设计方法和应用软件的框架,以及实现自 上而下的计算机推理的流程．文中还介绍了面向用户的机器人任务和工作环境的表示．     

Modularized design-oriented systematic inventive thinking approach supporting collaborative service innovations

The rapid evolution of new service systems raises crucial challenges for service design and requires effective methods. This study depicts a conceptual service design framework, called design-oriented systematic inventive thinking (DSIT) approach, which can be applied in different problem contexts. DSIT is presented as a new systematic and collaborative intelligence approach for creating and evaluating complex service systems using multi-criteria data analytics. DSIT synthesizes the current field of TRIZ service-design knowledge system and the emerging area of non-TRIZ service-design knowledge system. DSIT enables integrated development of service offerings at four dimensions and provides the matching integrated service design approach for each dimension. Four types of service design approaches are conceptualized as “human-independent service engineering,” “problem-clarified service engineering,” “solution-converged service engineering,” and “designing for service.” A new service computer-aided design system (service CAD) named DSIT explorer is developed consisting of customization, compatibility, and extensiveness of DSIT modules. A pervasive and smart collaborative service system (i.e., the smart MOS burger service solution) designed using DSIT explorer is illustrated. DSIT is a holistic, interdisciplinary, and collaborative service design concept, which is incorporated into a collaborative and intelligent service CAD framework to enable systematic inventive thinking throughout phases of service design lifecycle from problem definition, problem resolution, to solution evaluation.     

Man-machine interface for modular robot systems

A modular robot is composed of multiple modules, each comprising a sensor, an actuator, and a control system. Each module accumulates information about its own sensor, actuator, and connections to other modules, as well as communication information between adjoining modules. The user obtains this information via an interface, and can thus recognize the state of the robot and issue commands. However, when the number of modules becomes large, the amount of information sent from the modules becomes too much for the user to deal with effectively. Naturally, it also becomes more difficult for the user to issue commands to the modular robot as the number of modules increases. In this study, we developed an interface to present, in a simple manner, information aggregated in a certain module from other modules, and we examined its effectiveness in a modular robot composed of these modules.     

Reconfigurable and transportable container-integrated production system

In this paper, the concept and the prototype realization of a novel reconfigurable small-footprint manufacturing system in a transportable container is presented. The containerized format enables transportation of the system to provide on-site manufacturing, enabling the benefits of localized service delivery without duplication of equipment at multiple locations.Three industrial product use cases with varying manufacturing and performance requirements were analysed. All of the use cases demanded highly customized products with high quality in low production volumes. Based on their requirements, a general system specification was derived and used to develop a concept for the container-integrated factory.A reconfigurable, modular manufacturing system is integral to the overall container concept. Production equipment was integrated in the form of interchangeable process modules, which can be quickly connected by standard utility supply and control interfaces. A modular and self-configuring control system provides assisted production workflow programming, while a modular process chain combining Additive Manufacturing, CNC milling, precision assembly and cleaning processes has been developed.A prototype of the container-integrated factory with reconfigurable process modules and control system has been established, with full functionality and feasibility of the system demonstrated.     

A paris-model approach to modular simulation

The development of complex models can be greatly facilitated by the utilization of libraries of reusable model components. In this paper we describe an object-oriented module specification formalism (MSF) for implementing archivable modules in support of continuous spatial modeling. This declarative formalism provides the high level of abstraction necessary for maximum generality, provides enough detail to allow a dynamic simulation to be generated automatically, and avoids the “hard-coded” implementation of space-time dynamics that makes procedural specifications of limited usefulness for specifying archivable modules. A set of these MSF modules can be hierarchically linked to create a parsimonious model specification, or “parsi-model”. The parsi-model exists within the context of a modeling environment (an integrated set of software tools which provide the computer services necessary for simulation development and execution), which can offer simulation services that are not possible in a loosely-coupled “federated” environment, such as graphical module development and configuration, automatic differentiation of model equations, run-time visualization of the data and dynamics of any variable in the simulation, transparent distributed computing within each module, and fully configurable space-time representations. We believe this approach has great potential for bringing the power of modular model development into the collaborative simulation arena.     

Modular Neural Tile Architecture for Compact Embedded Hardware Spiking Neural Network

Biologically-inspired packet switched network on chip (NoC) based hardware spiking neural network (SNN) architectures have been proposed as an embedded computing platform for classification, estimation and control applications. Storage of large synaptic connectivity (SNN topology) information in SNNs require large distributed on-chip memory, which poses serious challenges for compact hardware implementation of such architectures. Based on the structured neural organisation observed in human brain, a modular neural networks (MNN) design strategy partitions complex application tasks into smaller subtasks executing on distinct neural network modules, and integrates intermediate outputs in higher level functions. This paper proposes a hardware modular neural tile (MNT) architecture that reduces the SNN topology memory requirement of NoC-based hardware SNNs by using a combination of fixed and configurable synaptic connections. The proposed MNT contains a 16:16 fully-connected feed-forward SNN structure and integrates in a mesh topology NoC communication infrastructure. The SNN topology memory requirement is 50 % of the monolithic NoC-based hardware SNN implementation. The paper also presents a lookup table based SNN topology memory allocation technique, which further increases the memory utilisation efficiency. Overall the area requirement of the architecture is reduced by an average of 66 % for practical SNN application topologies. The paper presents micro-architecture details of the proposed MNT and digital neuron circuit. The proposed architecture has been validated on a Xilinx Virtex-6 FPGA and synthesised using 65 nm low-power CMOS technology. The evolvable capability of the proposed MNT and its suitability for executing subtasks within a MNN execution architecture is demonstrated by successfully evolving benchmark SNN application tasks representing classification and non-linear control functions. The paper addresses hardware modular SNN design and implementation challenges and contributes to the development of a compact hardware modular SNN architecture suitable for embedded applications     

Category-based modularisation for equational logic programming

Although modularisation is basic to modern computing, it has been little studied for logic-based programming. We treat modularisation for equational logic programming using the institution of category-based equational logic in three different ways: (1) to provide a generic satisfaction condition for equational logics; (2) to give a category-based semantics for queries and their solutions; and (3) as an abstract definition of compilation from one (equational) logic programming language to another. Regarding (2), we study soundness and completeness for equational logic programming queries and their solutions. This can be understood as ordinary soundness and completeness in a suitable “non-logical” institution. Soundness holds for all module imports, but completeness only holds for conservative module imports. Category-based equational signatures are seen as modules, and morphisms of such signatures as module imports. Regarding (3), completeness corresponds to compiler correctness. The results of this research applies to languages based on a wide class of equational logic systems, including Horn clause logic, with or without equality; all variants of order and many sorted equational logic, including working modulo a set of axioms; constraint logic programming over arbitrary user-defined data types; and any combination of the above. Most importantly, due to the abstraction level, this research gives the possibility to have semantics and to study modularisation for equational logic programming developed over non-conventional structures. Received April 15, 1994/April 12, 1995     

Cognitive versatility

Jerry Fodor divides the mind into peripheral, domain-specific modules and a domaingeneral faculty of central cognition. John Tooby and Lisa Cosmides argue instead that the mind is modular all the way through; cognition consists of a multitude of domain-specific processes. But human thought has a flexible, innovative character that contrasts with the inflexible, stereotyped performances of modular systems. My goal is to discover how minds that are constructed on modular principles might come to exhibit cognitive versatility. Cognitive versatility is exhibited in the ability to learn from experience. How can this ability emerge from the resources made available by earlier stages of cognitive specialization without sacrificing the many benefits of modularization? A transition into versatile cognition occurred in the history of our species. A similar development which occurs within individual ontogeny provides clues about the phylogenetic changes. Annette Karmiloff-Smith describes an ontogenetic process in which the mind's representational resources are enriched. The key idea is that versatile thinkers have access to an inferentially integrated library of knowledge. A distinction between nonconceptual and conceptual representations helps to explain how smart minds can draw much finer-grained discriminations within their experience than can simple minds. This is an important though insufficient condition for cognitive versatility.