Prototype System (prototype + system)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


ChemInform Abstract: Prototype Systems for Rechargeable Magnesium Batteries.

CHEMINFORM, Issue 3 2001
D. Aurbach
Abstract ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a "Full Text" option. The original article is trackable via the "References" option. [source]


Empowering Automated Trading in Multi-Agent Environments

COMPUTATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, Issue 4 2004
David W. Ash
Trading in the financial markets often requires that information be available in real time to be effectively processed. Furthermore, complete information is not always available about the reliability of data, or its timeliness,nevertheless, a decision must still be made about whether to trade or not. We propose a mechanism whereby different data sources are monitored, using Semantic Web facilities, by different agents, which communicate among each other to determine the presence of good trading opportunities. When a trading opportunity presents itself, the human traders are notified to determine whether or not to execute the trade. The Semantic Web, Web Services, and URML technologies are used to enable this mechanism. The human traders are notified of the trade at the optimal time so as not to either waste their resources or lose a good trading opportunity. We also have designed a rudimentary prototype system for simulating the interaction between the intelligent agents and the human beings, and show some results through experiments on this simulation for trading of the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) options. [source]


English,Thai Structure,Based Machine Translation

COMPUTATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, Issue 3 2002
Booncharoen Sirinaovakul
We propose an alternative method of machine,aided translation: Structure,Based Machine Translation (SBMT). SBMT uses language structure matching techniques to reduce complicated grammar rules and provide efficient and feasible translation results. SBMT comprises the following four features: (1) source language input sentence analysis; (2) source language sentence transformation into target language structure; (3) dictionary lookup; and (4) semantic disambiguation or word sense disambiguation (WSD) for correct output selection. SBMT has been designed and a prototype system has been implemented that generates satisfactory translations. [source]


Integrating Web-Based Documents, Shared Knowledge Bases, and Information Retrieval for User Help

COMPUTATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, Issue 1 2000
Doug Skuce
We describe a prototype system, IKARUS, with which we investigated the potential of integrating web-based documents, shared knowledge bases, and information retrieval for improving knowledge storage and retrieval. As an example, we discuss how to implement both a user manual and an online help system as one system. The following technologies are combined: a web-based design, a frame-based knowledge engine, use of an advanced full-text search engine, and simple techniques to control terminology. We have combined graphical browsing with several unusual forms of text retrieval,for example, to the sentence and paragraph level. [source]


Stylized lighting for cartoon shader

COMPUTER ANIMATION AND VIRTUAL WORLDS (PREV: JNL OF VISUALISATION & COMPUTER ANIMATION), Issue 2-3 2009
Hideki Todo
Abstract In the context of non-photorealistic imaging, such as digital cel animation, lighting is symbolic and stylized to depict the scene's mood and the geometric or physical features of the objects in the scene. Stylized light and shade should therefore be intentionally animated rather than rigorously simulated. However, it is difficult to achieve smooth animation of light and shade that are stylized with a user's intention, because such stylization cannot be achieved using just conventional 3D lighting. To address this problem, we propose a 3D stylized lighting method, focusing on several stylized effects including straight lighting, edge lighting, and detail lighting which are important features in hand-drawn cartoon animation. Our method is an extension of the conventional cartoon shader and introduces a light coordinate system for light shape control with smooth animations of light and shade. We also extend a toon mapping process for detailed feature lighting. Having these algorithms in a real-time cartoon shader, our prototype system allows the interactive creation of stylized lighting animations. We show several animation results obtained by our method to illustrate usefulness and effectiveness of our method. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Behaviour-based multiplayer collaborative interaction management

COMPUTER ANIMATION AND VIRTUAL WORLDS (PREV: JNL OF VISUALISATION & COMPUTER ANIMATION), Issue 1 2006
Qingping Lin
Abstract A collaborative virtual environment (CVE) allows geographically dispersed users to interact with each other and objects in a common virtual environment via network connections. One of the successful applications of CVE is multiplayer on-line role-playing game. To support massive interactions among virtual entities in a large-scale CVE and maintain consistent status of the interaction among users with the constraint of limited network bandwidth, an efficient collaborative interaction management method is required. In this paper, we propose a behaviour-based interaction management framework for supporting multiplayer role-playing CVE applications. It incorporates a two-tiered architecture which includes high-level role behaviour-based interaction management and low-level message routing. In the high level, interaction management is achieved by enabling interactions based on collaborative behaviour definitions. In the low level, message routing controls interactions according to the run-time status of the interactive entities. Collaborative Behaviour Description Language is designed as a scripting interface for application developers to define collaborative behaviours of interactive entities and simulation logics/game rules in a CVE. We demonstrate and evaluate the performance of the proposed framework through a prototype system and simulations. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Generic personality and emotion simulation for conversational agents

COMPUTER ANIMATION AND VIRTUAL WORLDS (PREV: JNL OF VISUALISATION & COMPUTER ANIMATION), Issue 1 2004
Arjan Egges
Abstract This paper describes a generic model for personality, mood and emotion simulation for conversational virtual humans. We present a generic model for updating the parameters related to emotional behaviour, as well as a linear implementation of the generic update mechanisms. We explore how existing theories for appraisal can be integrated into the framework. Then we describe a prototype system that uses the described models in combination with a dialogue system and a talking head with synchronized speech and facial expressions. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Case,Based Reasoning for Assessing Intelligent Transportation Systems Benefits

COMPUTER-AIDED CIVIL AND INFRASTRUCTURE ENGINEERING, Issue 3 2003
Adel Sadek
Existing transportation planning modeling tools have critical limitations with respect to assessing the benefits of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) deployment. In this article, we present a novel framework for developing modeling tools for quantifying ITS deployments benefits. This approach is based on using case,based reasoning (CBR), an artificial intelligence paradigm, to capture and organize the insights gained from running a dynamic traffic assignment (DTA) model. To demonstrate the feasibility of the approach, the study develops a prototype system for evaluating the benefits of diverting traffic away from incident locations using variable message signs. A real,world network from the Hartford area in Connecticut is used in developing the system. The performance of the prototype is evaluated by comparing its predictions to those obtained using a detailed DTA model. The prototype system is shown to yield solutions comparable to those obtained from the DTA model, thus demonstrating the feasibility of the approach. [source]


Semantic knowledge facilities for a web-based recipe database system supporting personalization

CONCURRENCY AND COMPUTATION: PRACTICE & EXPERIENCE, Issue 7 2008
Liping Wang
Abstract The recent explosive proliferation of interesting and useful data over the Web such as various recipes, while providing people with readily available information, brings out a challenging issue on how to manage such non-conventional data effectively. To respond to the challenge, we have been developing a Web-based recipe database system called Dish_Master to manage recipes in a novel way, which not only covers the static recipe attributes but also elucidates the dynamic cooking behaviors. In this paper, we present several semantic knowledge facilities devised in Dish_Master, including a set of semantic modeling and knowledge constructs to effectively represent recipe data, rules and constraints, and user profile aspects. With such a rich set of semantic knowledge facilities, Dish_Master lays down a solid foundation of providing users with personalized services such as adaptation and recommendation. Users can benefit from the system's real-time consultation and automatic summarization of cuisine knowledge. The usefulness and elegance of Dish_Master are demonstrated through an experimental prototype system. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Towards workflow simulation in service-oriented architecture: an event-based approach

CONCURRENCY AND COMPUTATION: PRACTICE & EXPERIENCE, Issue 4 2008
Yanchong Zheng
Abstract The emergence of service-oriented architecture (SOA) has brought about a loosely coupled computing environment that enables flexible integration and reuse of heterogeneous systems. On building a SOA for application systems, more and more research has been focused on service composition, in which workflow and simulation techniques have shown great potential. Simulation of services' interaction is important since the services ecosystem is dynamic and in continuous evolution. However, there is a lack in the research of services' simulation, especially models, methods and systems to support the simulation of interaction behavior of composite services. In this paper, an enhanced workflow simulation method with the support of interactive events mechanism is proposed to fulfill this requirement. At build time, we introduce an event sub-model in the workflow meta-model, and our simulation engine supports the event-based interaction pattern at run time. With an example simulated in the prototype system developed according to our method, the advantages of our method in model verification and QoS evaluation for service compositions are also highlighted. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Knowledge-based treatment planning for adolescent early intervention of mental healthcare: a hybrid case-based reasoning approach

EXPERT SYSTEMS, Issue 4 2007
W.M. Wang
Abstract: Treatment planning is a crucial and complex task in the social services industry. There is an increasing need for knowledge-based systems for supporting caseworkers in the decision-making of treatment planning. This paper presents a hybrid case-based reasoning approach for building a knowledge-based treatment planning system for adolescent early intervention of mental healthcare. The hybrid case-based reasoning approach combines aspects of case-based reasoning, rule-based reasoning and fuzzy theory. The knowledge base of case-based reasoning is a case base of client records consisting of documented experience while that for rule-based reasoning is a set of IF,THEN rules based on the experience of social service professionals. Fuzzy theory is adopted to deal with the uncertain nature of treatment planning. A prototype system has been implemented in a social services company and its performance is evaluated by a group of caseworkers. The results indicate that hybrid case-based reasoning has an enhanced performance and the knowledge-based treatment planning system enables caseworkers to construct more efficient treatment planning in less cost and less time. [source]


Tools and strategies for searching in hypermedia environments

JOURNAL OF COMPUTER ASSISTED LEARNING, Issue 2 2000
A. Beaufils
Abstract This paper presents the results of several investigations into the use made by students of a prototype system of help for the exploitation of hypermedia documents. This prototype was derived from a common type of educational CD-ROM in which the presentation of the contents was improved and certain research and note-taking tools added. The evolving, personalised note-taking system interacts constantly with the environment being explored. Beyond the storage of personal notes (clues, personal knowledge of the area), it allows the student to keep the explored sections in mind and ultimately to plan further explorations. It also enables the extraction and structuring of the data retrieved from the body of the database. The role of this system is to facilitate more thorough searches for information which might sometimes require several sessions stretched out over a long period. It could be profitably used in the context of independent student activities. [source]


Performance evaluation of decision making strategies for an embedded lane departure warning system

JOURNAL OF FIELD ROBOTICS (FORMERLY JOURNAL OF ROBOTIC SYSTEMS), Issue 10 2002
Woong Kwon
An on-board lane departure warning system embedded in a vehicle is composed of a localization module and a decision making module. The decision making module detects unintended lane departure so as to warn the driver of the danger. The performance of a decision making module is crucial to the performance of the total embedded system. This article proposes two heuristic decision making strategies: a lateral offset (LO) based strategy and a time-to-lane crossing (TLC) based strategy. The performance criteria of decision making strategies are proposed as: (1) false alarm rate, and (2) alarm triggering time (ATT). Numerical parameters of both strategies are optimized through numerical simulation, taking the performance criteria into consideration. The proposed strategies are incorporated into the prototype system and evaluated in real expressway experiments. The comparative study of both methods with experimental results shows the applicability of the on-board lane departure warning system. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source]


Toward a Microfluidic-Based Rapid Amylase Assay System

JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE, Issue 6 2009
Richard J. Holmes
ABSTRACT:, This article describes work into a prototype system for the assay of amylase, using microfludic technologies. The new system has a significantly shorter cycle time than the current laboratory methods, which generally use microtitre plates, yet is capable of generating significantly superior results. As such, we have shown that sensitivity is enhanced by a factor of 10 in the standard assay trials, and by a factor of 2 in the real-sample lab trials. In both assays, the use of a microreactor system reduced the reaction time by a factor of 6.2, from 20 min incubation to 3.2 min. Basing the conclusion on the Megazyme Cerealpha Standard Method, and using the Cerealpha units as a measure of assay efficiency, the typical response for the microfluidic assay was shown to be 1.0 × 10,3 CU/mL (standard deviation [SD] 2.5 × 10,4 CU/mL), compared to 2.56 × 10,4 CU/mL (SD 5.94 × 10,5 CU/mL) for the standard macroassay. It is believed that this improvement in the reaction schematics is due to the inherent advantages of microfluidic devices such as superior mixing, higher thermal efficiency, and enhanced reaction kinetics. [source]


Three-Dimensional Surface Topography Acquisition and Analysis for Firearm Identification

JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES, Issue 2 2006
Nicola Senin M.S.
ABSTRACT: In the last decade, computer-based systems for the comparison of microscopic firearms evidence have been the subject of considerable research work because of their expected capability of supporting the firearms examiner through the automated analysis of large amounts of evidence. The Integrated Ballistics Identification System, which is based on a two-dimensional representation of the specimen surface, has been widely adopted in forensic laboratories worldwide. More recently, some attempts to develop systems based on three-dimensional (3D) representations of the specimen surface have been made, both in the literature and as industrial products, such as BulletTRAX-3D, but fundamental limitations in achieving fully automated identification remain. This work analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of a 3D-based approach by proposing an approach and a prototype system for firearms evidence comparison that is based on the acquisition and analysis of the 3D surface topography of specimens, with particular reference to cartridge cases. The concept of 3D virtual comparison microscope is introduced, whose purpose is not to provide fully automated identification, but to show how the availability of 3D shape information can provide a whole new set of verification means, some of them being described and discussed in this work, specifically, visual enhancement tools and quantitative measurement of shape properties, for supporting, not replacing, the firearm examiner in reaching the final decision. [source]


Evaluation of cognitively accessible software to increase independent access to cellphone technology for people with intellectual disability

JOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY RESEARCH, Issue 12 2008
S. E. Stock
Abstract Background There are over two billion telephones in use worldwide. Yet, for millions of Americans with intellectual disabilities (ID), access to the benefits of cellphone technology is limited because of deficits in literacy, numerical comprehension, the proliferation of features and shrinking size of cellphone hardware and user interfaces. Developments in smart phone technology and PDA-based cellphones provide an opportunity to make the social and safety benefits of cellphones more independently accessible to this population. Method This project involved employment of universal design and other specialised software development methods to create a multimedia cellphone interface prototype which was compared with a typical mainstream cellphone in a usability evaluation for individuals with ID. Participants completed a structured set of incoming/outgoing phone tasks using both the experimental and control conditions. Usability measurements included the amount of assistance needed and errors made in completing the cellphone use sequence. Results A total of 22 individuals with ID participated in the research by engaging in a series of incoming and outgoing cellphone calls using both the multimedia cellphone prototype system and a mainstream Nokia 6360 cellphone. Test subjects required significantly less help (P = 0.001) and made significantly fewer errors (P < 0.001) when completing eight calls using the specialised multimedia phone system as compared with the mainstream phone. Conclusions The statistical evidence of both usability results provide promising evidence of the feasibility of implementing universal design and other specialised software development methodologies for increasing independent access to the benefits of cellphone technologies for students and adults with ID. Issues related to designing cognitively accessible interfaces, study limitations and future directions are discussed. [source]


Development of a differential pumping system for soft X-ray beamlines for windowless experiments under normal atmospheric conditions

JOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION, Issue 2 2010
Y. Tamenori
A novel design for a differential pumping system has been investigated. This system allows windowless experiments in a soft X-ray beamline under normal atmospheric conditions. The new design consists of an aperture-based four-stage differential pumping system, based on a simple model calculation. A prototype system with a total length of 600,mm was constructed to confirm the validity of the design concept. Relatively short conductance-limiting components allow easy installation and alignment of the system on a synchrotron beamline. The fabricated system was installed on a beamline to test the transmission of soft X-rays through atmospheric helium. [source]


Effects of granularity of search results on the relevance judgment behavior of engineers: Building systems for retrieval and understanding of context

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR INFORMATION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 3 2010
Panos Balatsoukas
Granularity is a novel concept for presenting information in search result interfaces of hierarchical query-driven information retrieval systems in a manner that can support understanding and exploration of the context of the retrieved information (e.g., by highlighting its position in the granular hierarchy and exposing its relationship with relatives in the hierarchy). Little research, however, has been conducted on the effects of granularity of search results on the relevance judgment behavior of engineers. Engineers are highly motivated information users who are particularly interested in understanding the context of the retrieved information. Therefore, it is hypothesized that the design of systems with careful regard for granularity would improve engineers' relevance judgment behavior. To test this hypothesis, a prototype system was developed and evaluated in terms of the time needed for users to find relevant information, the accuracy of their relevance judgment, and their subjective satisfaction. To evaluate the prototype, a user study was conducted where participants were asked to complete tasks, complete a satisfaction questionnaire, and be interviewed. The findings showed that participants performed better and were more satisfied when the prototype system presented only relevant information in context. Although this study presents some novel findings about the effects of granularity and context on user relevance judgment behavior, the results should be interpreted with caution. For example, participants in this research were recruited by convenience and performed a set of simulated tasks as opposed to real ones. However, suggestions for further research are presented. [source]


Computer-aided navigation for arthroscopic hip surgery using encoder linkages for position tracking,

THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ROBOTICS AND COMPUTER ASSISTED SURGERY, Issue 3 2006
Emily Monahan
Abstract Background While arthroscopic surgery has many advantages over traditional surgery, this minimally invasive technique is not often applied to the hip joint. Two main reasons for this are the complexity of navigating within the joint and the difficulty of correctly placing portal incisions without damaging critical neurovascular structures. This paper proposes a computer-aided navigation system to address the challenges of arthroscopic hip surgery. Methods Unlike conventional arthroscopic methods, our system uses a hyper-redundant encoder linkage to track surgical instruments, thus eliminating the occlusion and distortion problems associated with standard optical and electromagnetic tracking systems. The encoder linkage position information is used to generate a computer display of patient anatomy. Results The tracking error from the encoder linkage was evaluated to be within an acceptable range for this tracking prototype, and the new computer-aided approach to arthroscopic hip surgery was applied to a prototype system for concept verification. Conclusion This navigation system for arthroscopic hip surgery can be used as a tool to address the challenges of joint navigation and portal placement in arthroscopic hip surgery by visually supplementing the limiting view from the arthroscope. The introduction of a tracking linkage shows significant potential as an alternative to other tracking systems. Positive feedback about the completed demo system was obtained from surgeons who perform arthroscopic proceduces. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Contactless passive diagnosis for brain intracranial applications: A study using dielectric matching materials

BIOELECTROMAGNETICS, Issue 5 2010
Ioannis A. Gouzouasis
Abstract A prototype system for passive intracranial monitoring using microwave radiometry is proposed. It comprises an ellipsoidal conductive wall cavity to achieve beamforming and focusing, in conjunction with sensitive multiband receivers for detection. The system has already shown the capability to provide temperature and/or conductivity variations in phantoms and biological tissue. In this article, a variant of the initially constructed modality is theoretically and experimentally investigated. Specifically, dielectric matching materials are used in an effort to improve the system's focusing attributes. The theoretical study investigates the effect of dielectric matching materials on the system's detection depth, whereas measurements with phantoms focus on the investigation of the system's detection level and spatial resolution. The combined results suggest that the dielectric matching layers lead to the improvement of the system's detection depth and temperature detection level. Also, the system's spatial resolution is explored at various experimental setups. Theoretical and experimental results conclude that with the appropriate combination of operation frequencies and dielectric layers, it is possible to monitor areas of interest inside human head models with a variety of detection depths and spatial resolutions. Bioelectromagnetics 31:335,349, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Development of terabit-class super-networking technologies

IEEJ TRANSACTIONS ON ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING, Issue 2 2007
Junichi Murayama Member
Abstract We propose terabit-class super-networking technologies, designed to improve the scalability, reliability and performance of optical Internet protocol networks. Our technologies comprise both intra- and interlayer traffic engineering technologies. The intralayer technologies include an optical path protection scheme, an electrical load-balancing scheme and a distributed content-caching scheme. These provide an effective and economical way of improving performance and reliability. The interlayer technologies include both traffic-driven and application-driven optical cut-through control schemes and a policy control scheme. These provide an effective and economical way of improving scalability and performance. The feasibility of our technologies has been verified by means of experiments using prototype systems. The results showed that the different techniques can be combined to form a single network architecture for dynamic optical path control. Copyright © 2007 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [source]


Mobile information retrieval with search results clustering: Prototypes and evaluations

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR INFORMATION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 5 2009
Claudio Carpineto
Web searches from mobile devices such as PDAs and cell phones are becoming increasingly popular. However, the traditional list-based search interface paradigm does not scale well to mobile devices due to their inherent limitations. In this article, we investigate the application of search results clustering, used with some success for desktop computer searches, to the mobile scenario. Building on CREDO (Conceptual Reorganization of Documents), a Web clustering engine based on concept lattices, we present its mobile versions Credino and SmartCREDO, for PDAs and cell phones, respectively. Next, we evaluate the retrieval performance of the three prototype systems. We measure the effectiveness of their clustered results compared to a ranked list of results on a subtopic retrieval task, by means of the device-independent notion of subtopic reach time together with a reusable test collection built from Wikipedia ambiguous entries. Then, we make a cross-comparison of methods (i.e., clustering and ranked list) and devices (i.e., desktop, PDA, and cell phone), using an interactive information-finding task performed by external participants. The main finding is that clustering engines are a viable complementary approach to plain search engines both for desktop and mobile searches especially, but not only, for multitopic informational queries. [source]