A systematic mapping study of software product lines testing

Context

In software development, Testing is an important mechanism both to identify defects and assure that completed products work as specified. This is a common practice in single-system development, and continues to hold in Software Product Lines (SPL). Even though extensive research has been done in the SPL Testing field, it is necessary to assess the current state of research and practice, in order to provide practitioners with evidence that enable fostering its further development.

Objective

This paper focuses on Testing in SPL and has the following goals: investigate state-of-the-art testing practices, synthesize available evidence, and identify gaps between required techniques and existing approaches, available in the literature.

Method

A systematic mapping study was conducted with a set of nine research questions, in which 120 studies, dated from 1993 to 2009, were evaluated.

Results

Although several aspects regarding testing have been covered by single-system development approaches, many cannot be directly applied in the SPL context due to specific issues. In addition, particular aspects regarding SPL are not covered by the existing SPL approaches, and when the aspects are covered, the literature just gives brief overviews. This scenario indicates that additional investigation, empirical and practical, should be performed.

Conclusion

The results can help to understand the needs in SPL Testing, by identifying points that still require additional investigation, since important aspects regarding particular points of software product lines have not been addressed yet.     

Combining Support Vector Machines and simulated annealing for stereovision matching with fish eye lenses in forest environments

We present a novel strategy for computing disparity maps from omni-directional stereo images obtained with fish-eye lenses in forest environments. At a first segmentation stage, the method identifies textures of interest to be either matched or discarded. Two of them are identified by applying the powerful Support Vector Machines approach. At a second stage, a stereovision matching process is designed based on the application of four stereovision matching constraints: epipolarity, similarity, uniqueness and smoothness. The epipolarity guides the process. The similarity and uniqueness are mapped once again through the Support Vector Machines, but under a different way to the previous case; after this an initial disparity map is obtained. This map is later filtered by applying the Discrete Simulated Annealing framework where the smoothness constraint is conveniently mapped. The combination of the segmentation and stereovision matching approaches makes the main contribution. The method is compared against the usage of simple features and combined similarity matching strategies.     

Characterization of renal tumours based on Raman spectra classification

In this study, we propose to evaluate the potential of Raman spectroscopy (RS) to assess renal tumours at surgery. Different classes of Raman renal spectra acquired during a clinical protocol are discriminated using support vector machines classifiers. The influence on the classification scores of various preprocessing steps generally involved in RS are also investigated and evaluated in the particular context of renal tumour characterization. Encouraging results show the interest of RS to evaluate kidney cancer and suggest the potential of this technique as a surgical assistance during partial nephrectomy.     

Multimodal augmented reality tangible gaming

This paper presents tangible augmented reality gaming environment that can be used to enhance entertainment using a multimodal tracking interface. Players can interact using different combinations between a pinch glove, a Wiimote, a six-degrees-of-freedom tracker, through tangible ways as well as through I/O controls. Two tabletop augmented reality games have been designed and implemented including a racing game and a pile game. The goal of the augmented reality racing game is to start the car and move around the track without colliding with either the wall or the objects that exist in the gaming arena. Initial evaluation results showed that multimodal-based interaction games can be beneficial in gaming. Based on these results, an augmented reality pile game was implemented with goal of completing a circuit of pipes (from a starting point to an end point on a grid). Initial evaluation showed that tangible interaction is preferred to keyboard interaction and that tangible games are much more enjoyable.     

Effective spacetime from multidimensional gravity

We study the effective spacetimes in lower dimensions that can be extracted from a multidimensional generalization of the Schwarzschild-Tangherlini spacetimes derived by Fadeev, Ivashchuk, and Melnikov (Phys. Lett. A 161, 98 (1991)). The higher-dimensional spacetime has D = (4 + n + m) dimensions, where n and m are the number of “internal” and “external” extra dimensions, respectively. We analyze the effective (4 + n) spacetime obtained after dimensional reduction of the m external dimensions. We find that when the m extra dimensions are compact (i) the physics in lower dimensions is independent of m and the character of singularities in higher dimensions, and (ii) the total gravitational mass M of the effective matter distribution is less than the Schwarzschild mass. In contrast, when the m extra dimensions are large, this is not so; the physics in (4 + n) does explicitly depend on m as well as on the nature of singularities in high dimensions, and the mass of the effective matter distribution (with the exception of wormhole-like distributions) is larger than the Schwarzschild mass. These results may be relevant to observations for an experimental/observational test of the theory.     

A strategy for allowing meaningful and comparable scores in approximate matching

Approximate data matching aims at assessing whether two distinct instances of data represent the same real-world object. The comparison between data values is usually done by applying a similarity function which returns a similarity score. If this score surpasses a given threshold, both data instances are considered as representing the same real-world object. These score values depend on the algorithm that implements the function and have no meaning to the user. In addition, score values generated by different functions are not comparable. This will potentially lead to problems when the scores returned by different similarity functions need to be combined for computing the similarity between records. In this article, we propose that thresholds should be defined in terms of the precision that is expected from the matching process rather than in terms of the raw scores returned by the similarity function. Precision is a widely known similarity metric and has a clear interpretation from the user's point of view. Our approach defines mappings from score values to precision values, which we call adjusted scores. In order to obtain such mappings, our approach requires training over a small dataset. Experiments show that training can be reused for different datasets on the same domain. Our results also demonstrate that existing methods for combining scores for computing the similarity between records may be enhanced if adjusted scores are used.     

The use of ‘exploratory learning’ for supporting immersive learning in virtual environments

User interfaces are becoming more intuitive following the requirements of the individual learner and reinforcing the drive towards more personalised learning and greater learner autonomy. There are clearly a new set of challenges emerging for teaching practitioners that will have implications upon not just what is learned but importantly upon lesson planning. This paper explores these changes to teaching through a consideration of an exploratory learning model which allows practitioners to rethink how they teach in 3D and immersive spaces where learning sequences and experiences are choreographed to support peer interactions and exchanges. The ELM extends from Kolb’s experiential learning model to adapt the use of 3D applications, and provides examples from research and development projects to exemplify how the model works in practice. Teaching in these contexts provides less emphasis upon curriculum and more emphasis upon sequencing learning experiences, meta-reflection, peer assessment and group work.     

An haptic-based immersive environment for shape analysis and modelling

Currently, the design of aesthetic products is a process that requires a set of activities where digital models and physical mockups play a key role. Typically, these are modified (and built) several times before reaching the desired design, increasing the development time and, consequently, the final product cost. In this paper, we present an innovative design environment for computer-aided design (CAD) surface analysis. Our system relies on a direct visuo-haptic display system, which enables users to visualize models using a stereoscopic view, and allows the evaluation of sectional curves using touch. Profile curves are rendered using an haptic device that deforms a plastic strip, thanks to a set of actuators, to reproduce the curvature of the shape co-located with the virtual model. By touching the strip, users are able to evaluate shape characteristics, such as curvature or discontinuities (rendered using sound), and to assess the surface quality. We believe that future computer-aided systems (CAS)/CAD systems based on our approach will contribute in improving the design process at industrial level. Moreover, these will allow companies to reduce the product development time by reducing the number of physical mockups necessary for the product design evaluation and by increasing the quality of the final product, allowing a wider exploration and comparative evaluation of alternatives in the given time.     

Direction coding using a tactile chair

This laboratory study examined the possibility of using a car seat instrumented with a tactile display to communicate directional information to a driver. A car seat fitted with an 8 × 8 matrix of vibrators embedded in the seat pan was used to code eight different directions. Localization response time and angular accuracy were examined as a function of stimulus direction, presence of a tactile attention cue, temporal pattern, stimulus layout, age, and gender. The mean absolute angular error was 23°, and both localization accuracy and response times were superior for the back left, backward, and back right directions. Of the various temporal pattern/attention cue combinations examined, results favored the relatively fast patterns consisting of vibration bursts of 125 or 250 ms without a centrally located attention cue over 500 ms bursts that were preceded by an attention cue. Observed age and gender effects were relatively modest, suggesting that using tactile cueing to communicate direction is effective across a wide range of users. In addition, the tactile stimulus was detected by more than 90% of the participants under surprise trial conditions. Overall, these results indicate that the tactile chair provides a promising and robust method of providing directional information.