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Building interoperation among separately developed software units requires checking their conceptual assumptions and constraints. However, eliciting such assumptions and constraints is time consuming and is a challenging task as it requires analyzing each of the interoperating software units. To address this issue we proposed a new conceptual interoperability analysis approach which aims at decreasing the analysis cost and the conceptual mismatches between the interoperating software units. In this report we present the design of a planned controlled experiment for evaluating the effectiveness, efficiency, and acceptance of our proposed conceptual interoperability analysis approach. The design includes the study objectives, research questions, statistical hypotheses, and experimental design. It also provides the materials that will be used in the execution phase of the planned experiment.
Most of the evolution in ambient assisted living is due to embedded
systems that dynamically adapt themself to react to environmental
changes or component/subsystem failures to maintain a certain level of
safety. Following this evolution fault tree analysis techniques have been
extended with concept for dynamic adaptation but resulting techniques
such as dynamic fault trees or state event fault trees analysis are not
widely used as expected.
In this report we describe a controlled experiment to analyze these two
techniques with regard to their applicability and efficiency in modeling
dynamic behavior of ambient assisted living systems.
Results of the experiment show that Dynamic Fault Trees are easier and more effective
to use, although they produce better results (models) with State Events Fault Trees.
Most innovation in the automotive industry is driven by embedded systems. They make usage of dynamic adaption to environmental changes or component/subsystem failures for remaining safe. Following this evolution, fault tree analysis techniques have been extended with concept for dynamic adaptation but resulting techniques like state event fault tree analysis, are not widely used in practice.
In this report we present the results of a controlled experiment that analyze these two techniques (State Events Fault Trees and Faul trees combined with markov chains) with regard to their applicability and efficiency in modeling dynamic behavior of dynamic embedded systems.
The experiment was conducted with students of the TU Kaiserslautern to modeli different safety aspects of an ambient assisted living system.
The main results of the experiment show that SEFTs where more easy and effective to use.
Conditional Compilation (CC) is frequently used as a variation mechanism in software product lines (SPLs). However, as a SPL evolves the variable code realized by CC erodes in the sense that it becomes overly complex and difficult to understand and maintain. As a result, the SPL productivity goes down and puts expected advantages more and more at risk. To investigate the variability erosion and keep the productivity above a sufficiently good level, in this paper we 1) investigate several erosion symptoms in an industrial SPL; 2) present a variability improvement process that includes two major improvement strategies. While one strategy is to optimize variable code within the scope of CC, the other strategy is to transition CC to a new variation mechanism called Parameterized Inclusion. Both of these two improvement strategies can be conducted automatically, and the result of CC optimization is provided. Related issues such as applicability and cost of the improvement are also discussed.
As a Software Product Line (SPL) evolves with increasing number of features and feature values, the feature correlations become extremely intricate, and the specifications of these correlations tend to be either incomplete or inconsistent with their realizations, causing misconfigurations in practice. In order to guide product configuration processes, we present a solution framework to recover complex feature correlations from existing product configurations. These correlations are further pruned automatically and validated by domain experts. During implementation, we use association mining techniques to automatically extract strong association rules as potential feature correlations. This approach is evaluated using a large-scale industrial SPL in the embedded system domain, and finally we identify a large number of complex feature correlations.
A translation contract is a binary predicate corrTransl(S,T) for source programs S and target programs T. It precisely specifies when T is considered to be a correct translation of S. A certifying compiler generates --in addittion to the target T-- a proof for corrTransl(S,T). Certifying compilers are important for the development of safety critical systems to establish the behavioral equivalence of high-level programs with their compiled assembler code. In this paper, we report on a certifying compiler, its proof techniques, and the underlying formal framework developed within the proof assistent Isabelle/HOL. The compiler uses a tiny C-like language as input, has an optimization phase, and generates MIPS code. The underlying translation contract is based on a trace semantics. We investigate design alternatives and discuss our experiences.
This paper deals with the handling of deformable linear objects (DLOs), such as hoses, wires, or leaf springs. It investigates usable features for the vision-based detection of a changing contact situation between a DLO and a rigid polyhedral obstacle and a classification of such contact state transitions. The result is a complete classification of contact state transitions and of the most significant features for each class. This knowledge enables reliable detection of changes in the DLO contact situation, facilitating implementation of sensor-based manipulation skills for all possible contact changes.
Die Domäne der Operationsroboter liegt heute in Fräsarbeiten an knöchernen Strukturen. Da Roboter über eine extreme Präzision verfügen und nicht ermüden bietet sich ihr Einsatz ins-besondere bei langwierigen und zugleich hochpräzisen Fräsvorgängen im Bereich der later-alen Schädelbasis an. Aus diesem Grunde wurde ein Verfahren entwickelt, welches aus einer geometrischen Beschreibung des Implantates eine geeignete Fräsbahn errechnet und eine kraftgeregelte Prozesskontrolle des Fräsvorganges implementiert. Mit einem 6*achsigen Knickarmroboter erfolgten die Untersuchungen primär an Tierpräparaten und zur Optimierung an Felsenbeinpräparaten.
Manipulating Deformable Linear Objects: Manipulation Skill for Active Damping of Oscillations
(2002)
While handling deformable linear objects (DLOs), such as hoses, wires or leaf springs, with an industrial robot at high speed, unintended and undesired oscillations that delay further operations may occur. This paper analyzes oscillations based on a simple model with one degree of freedom (DOF) and presents a method for active open-loop damping. Different ways to interpret an oscillating DLO as a system with 1 DOF lead to translational and rotational adjustment motions. Both were implemented as a manipulation skill with a sepa-rate program that can be executed immediately after any robot motion. We showed how these manipulation skills can generate the needed adjustment motions automatically based on the readings of a wrist-mounted force/torque sensor. Experiments demonstrated the effectiveness under various conditions.
Handhabung deformierbarer linearer Objekte: Programmierung mit verschiedenen Manipulation-Skills
(2002)
Diese Arbeit beschreibt verschiedene Bewegungsprimitive zur Lösung einiger häufig auftre-tender Probleme bei der Handhabung von deformierbaren linearen Objekten. Anhand der beispielhaften Montage einer Feder wird die Nützlichkeit der verschiedenen Manipulation-Skills im einzelnen, aber auch deren Kombination dargestellt.
Die Domäne der Operationsroboter liegt heute in Fräsarbeiten an knöchernen Strukturen. Da Roboter über eine extreme Präzision verfügen und nicht ermüden bietet sich ihr Einsatz insbesondere bei langwierigen und zugleich hochpräzisen Fräsvorgängen im Bereich der lateralen Schädelbasis an. In jüngsten Arbeiten wurden Prozessparameter zur Anlage eines Implantatlagers bspw. für ein Cochlea Implantat oder für eine roboterunterstützte Mastoidektomie ermittelt. Gemessen wurden die Parameter Kraft, Moment, Vibration und Temperatur bei unterschiedlichen Vorschüben, Drehzahlen, Bahnkurven und unterschiedlichem Knochenmaterial (Mastoid, Kalotte). Hieraus ergaben sich Optimierungsparameter für solche Fräsvorgänge. Auffallend waren unvermittelt auftretende und extrem weit über dem Grenzwert liegende Spitzenwerte für Kräfte, bei im Normbereich liegenden Mittelwerten. Aus diesem Grunde wurde ein Verfahren entwickelt, welches aus einer geometrischen Beschreibung des Implantates eine geeignete Fräsbahn errechnet und eine Kraft-geregelte Prozesskontrolle des Fräsvorganges implementiert. Mit einem 6-achsigen Knickarmroboter erfolgten die Untersuchungen primär an Tierpräparaten und zur Optimierung an Felsenbeinpräparaten.Durch intraoperative online Rückkopplung der Kraft - Sensorik war eine lokale Navigation möglich. Bei steigenden Kräften über den Grenzwert wurde die Vorschubgeschwindigkeit automatisch reguliert, auch konnte das Errreichen der Dura an Hand der Werte detektiert werden. Das Implantatlager ließ sich durch das entwickelte Computerprogramm exakt ausfräsen. Die Untersuchungen ergaben, dass eine zufriedenstellende Anlage eines Implantatbettes in der Kalotte durch einen Kraft-geregelten Fräsvorgang mit einem Roboter, im Sinne einer lokalen Navigation, gelingt.
Point-to-Point Trajectory Planning of Flexible Redundant Robot Manipulators Using Genetic Algorithms
(2001)
The paper focuses on the problem of point-to-point trajectory planning for flexible redundant robot manipulators (FRM) in joint space. Compared with irredundant flexible manipulators, a FRM possesses additional possibilities during point-to-point trajectory planning due to its kinematics redundancy. A trajectory planning method to minimize vibration and/or executing time of a point-to-point motion is presented for FRM based on Genetic Algorithms (GAs). Kinematics redundancy is integrated into the presented method as planning variables. Quadrinomial and quintic polynomial are used to describe the segments that connect the initial, intermediate, and final points in joint space. The trajectory planning of FRM is formulated as a problem of optimization with constraints. A planar FRM with three flexible links is used in simulation. Case studies show that the method is applicable.
This article presents contributions in the field of path planning for industrial robots with 6 degrees of freedom. This work presents the results of our research in the last 4 years at the Institute for Process Control and Robotics at the University of Karlsruhe. The path planning approach we present works in an implicit and discretized C-space. Collisions are detected in the Cartesian workspace by a hierarchical distance computation. The method is based on the A* search algorithm and needs no essential off-line computation. A new optimal discretization method leads to smaller search spaces, thus speeding up the planning. For a further acceleration, the search was parallelized. With a static load distribution good speedups can be achieved. By extending the algorithm to a bidirectional search, the planner is able to automatically select the easier search direction. The new dynamic switching of start and goal leads finally to the multi-goal path planning, which is able to compute a collision-free path between a set of goal poses (e.g., spot welding points) while minimizing the total path length.
The vibration induced in a deformable object upon automatic handling by robot manipulators can often be bothersome. This paper presents a force/torque sensor-based method for handling deformable linear objects (DLOs) in a manner suitable to eliminate acute vibration. An adjustment-motion that can be attached to the end of an arbitrary end-effector's trajectory is employed to eliminate vibration of deformable objects. Differently from model-based methods, the presented sensor-based method does not employ any information from previous motions. The adjustment-motion is generated automatically by analyzing data from a force/torque sensor mounted on the robot wrist. Template matching technique is used to find out the matching point between the vibrational signal of the DLO and a template. Experiments are conducted to test the new method under various conditions. Results demonstrate the effectiveness of the sensor-based adjustment-motion.
The task of handling non-rigid one-dimensional objects by a robot manipulation system is investigated. Especially, approaches to calculate motions with specific behavior in point contacts between the object and environment are regarded. For single point contacts, motions based on generalized rotations solving the direct and inverse manipulation problem are investigated. The latter problem is additionally tackled by simple rotation and translation motions. For double and multiple point contacts, motions based on Splines are suggested. In experimental results with steel springs, the predicted and measured effect for each approach are compared.
Manipulating Deformable Linear Objects: Attachable Adjustment-Motions for Vibration Reduction
(2001)
This paper addresses the problem of handling deformable linear objects (DLOs) in a suitable way to avoid acute vibration. Different types of adjustment-motions that eliminate vibration of deformable objects and can be attached to the end of an arbitrary end-effector trajectory are presented. For describing the dynamics of deformable linear objects, the finite element method is used to derive the dynamic differential equations. Genetic algorithm is used to find the optimal adjustment motion for each simulation example. Experiments are conducted to verify the presented manipulating method.
Manipulating Deformable Linear Objects: Model-Based Adjustment-Motion for Vibration Reduction
(2001)
This paper addresses the problem of handling deformable linear objects (DLOs) in a suitable way to avoid acute vibration. An adjustment-motion that eliminates vibration of DLOs and can be attached to the end of any arbitrary end-effector's trajectory is presented, based on the concept of open-loop control. The presented adjustment-motion is a kind of agile end-effector motion with limited scope. To describe the dynamics of deformable linear objects, the finite element method is used to derive the dynamic differential equations. Genetic algorithm is used to find the optimal adjustment-motion for each simulation example. In contrast to previous approaches, the presented method can be treated as one of the manipulation skills and can be applied to different cases without major changes to the method.
The paper focuses on the problem of trajectory planning of flexible redundant robot manipulators (FRM) in joint space. Compared to irredundant flexible manipulators, FRMs present additional possibilities in trajectory planning due to their kinematics redundancy. A trajectory planning method to minimize vibration of FRMs is presented based on Genetic Algorithms (GAs). Kinematics redundancy is integrated into the presented method as a planning variable. Quadrinomial and quintic polynomials are used to describe the segments which connect the initial, intermediate, and final points in joint space. The trajectory planning of FRMs is formulated as a problem of optimization with constraints. A planar FRM with three flexible links is used in simulation. A case study shows that the method is applicable.
Die Entwicklung des Zusammenlebens der Menschen geht immer mehr den Weg zur Informations- und Mediengesellschaft. Nicht zuletzt aufgrund der weltweiten Vernetzung ist es uns in minutenschnelle möglich, fast alle erdenklichen Informationen zu Hause auf den Bildschirm geliefert zu bekommen. Es findet sich so jeder zwar in einer gewissen schützenden Anonymität, aber dennoch einer genauso gewollten, wie erschreckenden Transparenz wieder. Jeder klassifiziert in gewisser Weise Informationen, die er preisgibt etwa in öffentliche, persönliche und vertrauliche Nachrichten. Gerade hier müssen Techniken und Methoden bereitstehen, um in dieser anonymen Transparenz Informationen, die nur für spezielle Empfänger gedacht sind vor unbefugtem Zugriff zu schützen und nur denjenigen zugänglich zu machen, die dazu berechtigt sind. Diesen Wunsch hat nicht nur allgemein die Gesellschaft, sondern im speziellen wird die Entwicklung auf diesem Gebiet gerade von staatlichen und militärischen Einrichtungen gefordert und gefördert. So sind häufig eingesetzte Werkzeuge die Methoden der Kryptologie, aber solange es geheime Nachrichten gibt, wird es Angreifer geben, die versuchen, sich unberechtigten Zugang zu diesen Informationen zu verschaffen. Da die ständig wachsende Leistung von EDV-Anlagen das "Knacken" von Verschlüsselungsmethoden begünstigt, muß zu immer sichereren Chiffrierverfahren übergegangen werden. Dieser Umstand macht das Thema Kryptologie für den Moment hochaktuell und auf lange Sicht zu einem zeitlosen Forschungsgebiet der Mathematik und Informatik.
Da gerade in der heutigen Zeit viele zusammenarbeitende Softwareentwickler benötigt werden, um immer komplexer werdende Applikationen zu entwerfen, geht der Trend mehr und mehr in die Richtung des räumlich getrennten Arbeitens. Begünstigt wird diese Entwicklung nicht zuletzt durch die Möglichkeiten der Kommunikation und des Datenaustauschs, die durch das Internet geboten werden. Auf dieser Basis sollen Werkzeuge konzipiert und entwickelt werden, die eine effiziente verteilte Softwareentwicklung ermöglichen. Die Nutzung des Internet zu diesem Zweck löst das Verbindungsproblem für sehr große Entfernungen, die Nutzung von Webservern und -browsern wird der Anforderung der Betriebssystemunabhängigkeit und der Realisierung der Verteiltheit im Sinne des Client/Server-Prinzips gerecht. Unter dem Oberbegriff "Software Configuration Management" versteht man die Menge aller Aufgaben, die bei der Produktverwaltung im Bereich der Softwareherstellung anfallen. In dieser Ausarbeitung sollen zunächst die Anforderungen an ein webbasiertes SCM-System formuliert, einige technische Möglichkeiten genannt und verschiedene existierende SCM-Produkte, die eine Web-Schnittstelle bieten auf die Anforderungen überprüft und miteinander verglichen werden.
Gerade in einer Zeit, in der das Internet in nahezu alle Bereiche des menschlichen Lebens vorgedrungen ist und sich nicht zuletzt aufgrund seiner unbegrenzt scheinenden Möglichkeiten zur Beschaffung und zum Austausch von Informationen und zur weltweiten Kommunikation eines sehr starken Zuspruchs erfreut, liegt es nicht nur im Sinne von Rechenzentren und Dienstanbietern, eine Möglichkeit zur Abrechnung der in Anspruch genommenen Ressourcen in die Hand zu bekommen. Die Erschließung neuer Regionen, sowie der Ausbau vorhandener Netze in Richtung einer Bereitstellung höherer Bandbreiten zur Verbesserung der Übertragungsgeschwindigkeiten ist mit immensen Kosten verbunden. Es ist nicht Aufgabe dieser Arbeit zu entscheiden, auf welche Art und Weise die Kosten auf die Benutzer umgelegt oder verteilt werden sollen. Wir wollen hier auch keine Vorschläge zu solchen Überlegungen einbringen, da dergleichen die Domäne anderer Disziplinen, wie beispielsweise der Betriebs- und Volkswirtschaftslehre und der Politik, darstellt. Unsere Aufgabe ist es aber, die informatikspezifischen Probleme der rechnerinternen Erfassung von Accountinginformationen zu beleuchten und so gesammelte Werte den Spezialisten anderer Fachgebiete zur weiteren Verarbeitung zu überlassen. So befasst sich diese Arbeit zunächst mit den grundlegenden Eigenschaften und Modellen des zu betrachtenden Datenverkehrs, um im folgenden Voraussetzungen und Möglichkeiten zur Realisierung einer benutzerorientierten Erfassung und Abrechung der genutzten Netzwerkressourcen aufzuzeigen und herauszuarbeiten.
In this chapter, the quantitative numerical simulation of the behavior of deformable linear objects, such as hoses, wires and leaf springs is studied. We first give a short review of the physical approach and the basic solution principle. Then, we give a more detailed description of some key aspects: We introduce a novel approach concerning dynamics based on an algorithm very similar to the one used for (quasi-) static computation. Then, we look at the plastic workpiece deformation, involving a modified computation algorithm and a special representation of the workpiece shape. Then, we give alternative solutions for two key aspects of the algorithm, and investigate the problem of performing the workpiece simulation efficiently, i.e., with desired precision in a short time. In the end, we introduce the inverse modeling problem which must be solved when the gripper trajectory for a given task shall be generated.
A new and systematic basic approach to force- and vision-based robot manipulation of deformable (non-rigid) linear objects is introduced. This approach reduces the computational needs by using a simple state-oriented model of the objects. These states describe the relation between the deformable and rigid obstacles, and are derived from the object image and its features. We give an enumeration of possible contact states and discuss the main characteristics of each state. We investigate the performance of robust transitions between the contact states and derive criteria and conditions for each of the states and for two sensor systems, i.e. a vision sensor and a force/torque sensor. This results in a new and task-independent approach in regarding the handling of deformable objects and in a sensor-based implementation of manipulation primitives for industrial robots. Thus, the usage of sensor processing is an appropriate solution for our problem. Finally, we apply the concept of contact states and state transitions to the description of a typical assembly task. Experimental results show the feasibility of our approach: A robot performs several contact state transitions which can be combined for solving a more complex task.
Besides the work in the field of manipulating rigid objects, currently, there are several research and development activities going on in the field of manipulating non-rigid or deformable objects. Several papers have been published on international conferences in this field from various projects and countries. But there has been no comprehensive work which provides both a representative overview of the state of the art and identifies the important aspects in this field. Thus, we collected these activities and invited the corresponding working groups to present an overview of their research. Altogether, nineteen authors coming from Japan, Germany, Italy, Greece, United Kingdom, and Australia contributed to this book. Their research work covers all the different aspects that occur when manipulating deformable objects. The contributions can be characterized and grouped by the following four aspects: * object modeling and simulation, * planning and control strategies, * collaborative systems, and * applications and industrial experiences. In the following, we give a short motivation and overview of the single chapters of the book. The simulation of deformable objects is one way to approach the problem of manipulating these objects by robots. Based on a physical model of the object and the occurring constraints, the resulting object shape is calculated. In Chapter 2, Hirai presents an energy-based approach, where the internal energy under the geometric constraints is minimized. Frugoli et al. introduce a force-based approach, where the forces between discrete particles are minimized meeting given constraints. Finally, Remde and Henrich extend the energy-based approach to plastic deformation and give a solution of the inverse simulation problem. Even if the object behavior is predicted by simulation, there is still the question of how to control the robot during a single manipulation operation. An additional question is how to retrieve an overall plan for the concatenated manipulation operations. In Chapter 3, Wada investigates the control problems when positioning multiple points of a planar deformable object. McCarrager proposes a control scheme exploiting the flexibility, rather than minimizing it. Abegg et al. use a simple contact state model to describe typical assembly tasks and to derive robust manipulation primitives. Finally, Ono presents an automatic sewing system and suggests a strategy for unfolding fabric. In several manipulation tasks, it is reasonable to apply more than one robot. Especially in cases, where the deformable object has to take a specific shape. Since the robots working at the same object are influencing each other, different control algorithms have to be introduced. In Chapter 4, Yoshida and Kosuge investigates this problem for the task of bending a sheet of metal and exploits the relation ship between the static object deformation and the bending moments. Tanner and Kyriakopoulos regard the deformable object as underactuated mechanical system and make use of the existence of non-holonomic constraints. Both approaches model the deformable object as finite elements. All of the above aspects have their counterpart in different applications and industrial experiences. In Chapter 5, Rizzi et al. present test cases and applications of their approach to simulate the manipulation of fabric, wires, cables, and soft bags. Buckingham and Graham give an overview of two European projects processing white fish including locating, gripping, and deheading the fish. Maruyama outlines the three development phases of a robot system for performing outage-free maintenance of live-line power supply in Japan. Finally, Kämper presents the development of a flexible automatic cabling unit for the wiring of long-tube lighting with plug components.
The paper shows that characterizing the causal relationship between significant events is an important but non-trivial aspect for understanding the behavior of distributed programs. An introduction to the notion of causality and its relation to logical time is given; some fundamental results concerning the characterization of causality are pre- sented. Recent work on the detection of causal relationships in distributed computations is surveyed. The relative merits and limitations of the different approaches are discussed, and their general feasibility is analyzed.
Mechanised reasoning systems and computer algebra systems have apparentlydifferent objectives. Their integration is, however, highly desirable, since in manyformal proofs both of the two different tasks, proving and calculating, have to beperformed. Even more importantly, proof and computation are often interwoven andnot easily separable. In the context of producing reliable proofs, the question howto ensure correctness when integrating a computer algebra system into a mechanisedreasoning system is crucial. In this contribution, we discuss the correctness prob-lems that arise from such an integration and advocate an approach in which thecalculations of the computer algebra system are checked at the calculus level of themechanised reasoning system. This can be achieved by adding a verbose mode to thecomputer algebra system which produces high-level protocol information that can beprocessed by an interface to derive proof plans. Such a proof plan in turn can beexpanded to proofs at different levels of abstraction, so the approach is well-suited forproducing a high-level verbalised explication as well as for a low-level machine check-able calculus-level proof. We present an implementation of our ideas and exemplifythem using an automatically solved extended example.
We present first steps towards fully automated deduction that merely requiresthe user to submit proof problems and pick up results. Essentially, this necessi-tates the automation of the crucial step in the use of a deduction system, namelychoosing and configuring an appropriate search-guiding heuristic. Furthermore,we motivate why learning capabilities are pivotal for satisfactory performance.The infrastructure for automating both the selection of a heuristic and integra-tion of learning are provided in form of an environment embedding the "core"deduction system.We have conducted a case study in connection with a deduction system basedon condensed detachment. Our experiments with a fully automated deductionsystem 'AutoCoDe' have produced remarkable results. We substantiate Au-toCoDe's encouraging achievements with a comparison with the renowned the-orem prover Otter. AutoCoDe outperforms Otter even when assuming veryfavorable conditions for Otter.
Evolving Combinators
(1996)
One of the many abilities that distinguish a mathematician from an auto-mated deduction system is to be able to offer appropriate expressions based onintuition and experience that are substituted for existentially quantified variablesso as to simplify the problem at hand substantially. We propose to simulate thisability with a technique called genetic programming for use in automated deduc-tion. We apply this approach to problems of combinatory logic. Our experimen-tal results show that the approach is viable and actually produces very promisingresults. A comparison with the renowned theorem prover Otter underlines theachievements.This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG).
We present a concept for an automated theorem prover that employs a searchcontrol based on ideas from several areas of artificial intelligence (AI). The combi-nation of case-based reasoning, several similarity concepts, a cooperation conceptof distributed AI and reactive planning enables a system using our concept tolearn form previous successful proof attempts. In a kind of bootstrapping processeasy problems are used to solve more and more complicated ones.We provide case studies from two domains of interest in pure equationaltheorem proving taken from the TPTP library. These case studies show thatan instantiation of our architecture achieves a high grade of automation andoutperforms state-of-the-art conventional theorem provers.
We propose a specification language for the formalization of data types with par-tial or non-terminating operations as part of a rewrite-based logical frameworkfor inductive theorem proving. The language requires constructors for designat-ing data items and admits positive/negative conditional equations as axioms inspecifications. The (total algebra) semantics for such specifications is based onso-called data models. We present admissibility conditions that guarantee theunique existence of a distinguished data model with properties similar to thoseof the initial model of a usual equational specification. Since admissibility of aspecification requires confluence of the induced rewrite relation, we provide aneffectively testable confluence criterion which does not presuppose termination.
To prove difficult theorems in a mathematical field requires substantial know-ledge of that field. In this paper a frame-based knowledge representation formalismis presented, which supports a conceptual representation and to a large extent guar-antees the consistency of the built-up knowledge bases. We define a semantics ofthe representation by giving a translation into the underlaying logic.
We investigate the usage of so-called inference rights. We point out the prob-lems arising from the inflexibility of existing approaches to heuristically controlthe search of automated deduction systems, and we propose the application ofinference rights that are well-suited for controlling the search more flexibly. More-over, inference rights allow for a mechanism of "partial forgetting" of facts thatis not realizable in the most controlling aproaches. We study theoretical founda-tions of inference rights as well as the integration of inference rights into alreadyexisting inference systems. Furthermore, we present possibilities to control suchmodified inference systems in order to gain efficiency. Finally, we report onexperimental results obtained in the area of condensed detachment.The author was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG).
The amount of user interaction is the prime cause of costs in interactiveprogram verification. This paper describes an internal analogy techniquethat reuses subproofs in the verification of state-based specifications. Itidentifies common patterns of subproofs and their justifications in orderto reuse these subproofs; thus significant savings on the number of userinteractions in a verification proof are achievable.
We present an empirical study of mathematical proofs by diagonalization, the aim istheir mechanization based on proof planning techniques. We show that these proofs canbe constructed according to a strategy that (i) finds an indexing relation, (ii) constructsa diagonal element, and (iii) makes the implicit contradiction of the diagonal elementexplicit. Moreover we suggest how diagonal elements can be represented.
We present a method for making use of past proof experience called flexiblere-enactment (FR). FR is actually a search-guiding heuristic that uses past proofexperience to create a search bias. Given a proof P of a problem solved previouslythat is assumed to be similar to the current problem A, FR searches for P andin the "neighborhood" of P in order to find a proof of A.This heuristic use of past experience has certain advantages that make FRquite profitable and give it a wide range of applicability. Experimental studiessubstantiate and illustrate this claim.This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG).
Top-down and bottom-up theorem proving approaches have each specific ad-vantages and disadvantages. Bottom-up provers profit from strong redundancycontrol and suffer from the lack of goal-orientation, whereas top-down provers aregoal-oriented but have weak calculi when their proof lengths are considered. Inorder to integrate both approaches our method is to achieve cooperation betweena top-down and a bottom-up prover: The top-down prover generates subgoalclauses, then they are processed by a bottom-up prover. We discuss theoreticaspects of this methodology and we introduce techniques for a relevancy-basedfiltering of generated subgoal clauses. Experiments with a model eliminationand a superposition-based prover reveal the high potential of our cooperation approach.The author was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG).
We examine an approach for demand-driven cooperative theorem proving.We briefly point out the problems arising from the use of common success-driven cooperation methods, and we propose the application of our approachof requirement-based cooperative theorem proving. This approach allows for abetter orientation on current needs of provers in comparison with conventional co-operation concepts. We introduce an abstract framework for requirement-basedcooperation and describe two instantiations of it: Requirement-based exchangeof facts and sub-problem division and transfer via requests. Finally, we reporton experimental studies conducted in the areas superposition and unfailing com-pletion.The author was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG).
This report contains a collection of abstracts for talks given at the "Deduktionstreffen" held at Kaiserslautern, October 6 to 8, 1993. The topics of the talks range from theoretical aspects of term rewriting systems and higher order resolution to descriptions of practical proof systems in various applications. They are grouped together according the following classification: Distribution and Combination of Theorem Provers, Termination, Completion, Functional Programs, Inductive Theorem Proving, Automatic Theorem Proving, Proof Presentation. The Deduktionstreffen is the annual meeting of the Fachgruppe Deduktionssysteme in the Gesellschaft für Informatik (GI), the German association for computer science.
Planning for realistic problems in a static and deterministic environment with complete information faces exponential search spaces and, more often than not, should produce plans comprehensible for the user. This article introduces new planning strategies inspired by proof planning examples in order to tackle the search-space-problem and the structured-plan-problem. Island planning and refinement as well as subproblem refinement are integrated into a general planning framework and some exemplary control knowledge suitable for proof planning is given.
In this paper we provide a semantical meta-theory that will support the development of higher-order calculi for automated theorem proving like the corresponding methodology has in first-order logic. To reach this goal, we establish classes of models that adequately characterize the existing theorem-proving calculi, that is, so that they are sound and complete to these calculi, and a standard methodology of abstract consistency methods (by providing the necessary model existence theorems) needed to analyze completeness of machine-oriented calculi.
HOT is an automated higher-order theorem prover based on HTE, an extensional higher-order tableaux calculus (Kohlhase 95). The first part of the paper introduces a variant of the calculus which closely corresponds to the proof procedure implemented in HOT. The second part discusses HOT's design that can be characterized as a concurrent Blackboard architecture. We show the usefulness of the implementation by including benchmark results for over one hundred solved problems from logic and set theory.
Orderings on polynomial interpretations of operators represent a powerful technique for proving thetermination of rewriting systems. One of the main problems of polynomial orderings concerns thechoice of the right interpretation for a given rewriting system. It is very difficult to develop techniquesfor solving this problem. Here, we present three new heuristic approaches: (i) guidelines for dealingwith special classes of rewriting systems, (ii) an algorithm for choosing appropriate special polynomialsas well as (iii) an extension of the original polynomial ordering which supports the generation ofsuitable interpretations. All these heuristics will be applied to examples in order to illustrate theirpractical relevance.
This paper describes a tableau-based higher-order theorem prover HOT and an application to natural language semantics. In this application, HOT is used to prove equivalences using world knowledge during higher-order unification (HOU). This extended form of HOU is used to compute the licensing conditions for corrections.
Simultaneous quantifier elimination in sequent calculus is an improvement over the well-known skolemization. It allows a lazy handling of instantiations as well as of the order of certain reductions. We prove the soundness of a sequent calculus which incorporates a rule for simultaneous quantifier elimination. The proof is performed by semantical arguments and provides some insights into the dependencies between various formulas in a sequent.
A large set of criteria to evaluate formal methods for reactive systems is presented. To make this set more comprehensible, it is structured according to a Concept-Model of formal methods. It is made clear that it is necessary to make the catalogue more specific before applying it. Some of the steps needed to do so are explained. As an example the catalogue is applied within the context of the application domain building automation systems to three different formal methods: SDL, statecharts, and a temporallogic.
The notion of formal description techniques for timed systems (T-FDTs) has been introduced in [EDK98a] to provide a unifying framework for description techniques that are formal and that allow to describe the ongoing behavior of systems. In this paper we show that three well known temporal logics, MTL, MTL-R , and CTL*, can be embedded in this framework. Moreover, we provide evidence that a large number of dioeerent kinds of temporal logics can be considered as T-FDTs.
The paper addresses two problems of comprehensible proof presentation, the hierarchically structured presentation at the level of proof methods and different presentation styles of construction proofs. It provides solutions for these problems that can make use of proof plans generated by an automated proof planner.
Im Bereich der Expertensysteme ist das Problemlösen auf der Basis von bekannten Fallbeispielen ein derzeit sehr aktuelles Thema. Auch für Diagnoseaufgaben gewinnt der fallbasierte Ansatz immer mehr an Bedeutung. In diesem Papier soll der im Rahmen des Moltke -Projektes1 an der Universität Kaiserslautern entwickelte fallbasierte Problemlöser Patdex/22 vorgestellt werden. Ein erster Prototyp, Patdex/1, wurde bereits 1988 entwickelt.
We present a mathematical knowledge base containing the factual know-ledge of the first of three parts of a textbook on semi-groups and automata,namely "P. Deussen: Halbgruppen und Automaten". Like almost all math-ematical textbooks this textbook is not self-contained, but there are somealgebraic and set-theoretical concepts not being explained. These concepts areadded to the knowledge base. Furthermore there is knowledge about the nat-ural numbers, which is formalized following the first paragraph of "E. Landau:Grundlagen der Analysis".The data base is written in a sorted higher-order logic, a variant of POST ,the working language of the proof development environment OmegaGamma mkrp. We dis-tinguish three different types of knowledge: axioms, definitions, and theorems.Up to now, there are only 2 axioms (natural numbers and cardinality), 149definitions (like that for a semi-group), and 165 theorems. The consistency ofsuch knowledge bases cannot be proved in general, but inconsistencies may beimported only by the axioms. Definitions and theorems should not lead to anyinconsistency since definitions form conservative extensions and theorems areproved to be consequences.
Das System ART (ASF RRL Translation) stellt im wesentlichen eine Umgebung dar,in welcher die Modularisierbarkeit von Beweisen (Induktionsbeweisen über Gleichungs-spezifikationen) untersucht werden kann. Es wurde die bereits bestehende Spezifikati-onsprache ASF (siehe [BeHeKl89]), in welcher modularisierte Spezifikationen möglichsind, so erweitert, daß zusätzlich auch Beweisaufgaben spezifiziert werden können. Imfolgenden wird diese erweiterte Spezifikationsprache auch ASF genannt. Als Bewei-ser für die Beweisaufgaben einer Spezifikation wurde RRL (siehe [KaZh89]) gewählt.RRL kann sowohl Kommandos aus einem File abarbeiten, wie auch Sitzungsprotokolleanfertigen, mit deren Hilfe sich die Beweisverläufe und Benutzereingaben der entspre-chenden RRL-Sitzung rekonstruieren lassen. In ART kann nun eine ASF-Spezifikation,die Beweisaufgaben umfassen kann, in ein File übersetzt werden, welches von RRLabgearbeitet werden kann. Dies wird im folgenden kurz mit 'Übersetzung von ASF nach RRL' bezeichnet. Bei der Abarbeitung eines solchen Files wird von RRL ein Sit-zungsprotokoll angelegt. ART kann dieses Sitzungsprotokoll dazu heranziehen, neueErgebnisse, wie etwa den erfolgreichen Beweis einer Beweisaufgabe, zu ermitteln, umdiese Ergebnisse der ursprüngliche Spezifikation hinzuzufügen. Dies wird im folgendenkurz mit 'Rückübersetzung von RRL nach ASF' bezeichnet. Im Kern besteht ART alsoaus einer Komponente zur Übersetzung von ASF nach RRL und aus einer Komponentezur Rückübersetzung von RRL nach ASF.
We present a convenient notation for positive/negativeADconditional equations. Theidea is to merge rules specifying the same function by using caseAD, ifAD, matchAD, and letADexpressions.Based on the presented macroADruleADconstruct, positive/negativeADconditional equational specifiADcations can be written on a higher level. A rewrite system translates the macroADruleADconstructsinto positive/negativeADconditional equations.
Ohne auf wesentliche Aspekte der in [Bergstra&al.89] vorgestellten alge-braischen Spezifikationssprache ASF zu verzichten, haben wir ASF um die folgenden Konzepteerweitert: Während in ASF einmal exportierte Namen bis zur Spitze der Modulhierarchie sichtbarbleiben müssen, ermöglicht ASF + ein differenziertes Verdecken von Signaturnamen. Das fehlerhafteVermischen unterschiedlicher Strukturen, welches in ASF beim Import verschiedener Aktualisie-rungen desselben parametrisierten Moduls auftritt, wird in ASF + durch eine adäquatere Form derParameterbindung vermieden. Das neue Namensraum_Konzept von ASF + erlaubt es dem Spe-zifizierer, einerseits die Herkunft verdeckter Namen direkt zu identifizieren und anderseits beimImport eines Moduls auszudrücken, ob dieses Modul nur benutzt oder in seinen wesentlichen Ei-genschaften verändert werden soll. Im ersten Fall kann er auf eine einzige global zur Verfügungstehende Version zugreifen; im zweiten Fall muß er eine Kopie des Moduls importieren. Schließlicherlaubt ASF + semantische Bedingungen an Parameter und die Angabe von Beweiszielen.
Representations of activities dealing with the development or maintenance of software are called software process models. Process models allow for communication, reasoning, guidance, improvement, and automation. Two approaches for building, instantiating, and managing processes, namely CoMo-Kit and MVP-E, are combined to build a more powerful one. CoMo-Kit is based on AI/KE technology; it was developed for supporting complex design processes and is not specialized to software development processes. MVP-E is a process-sensitive software engineering environment for modeling and analyzing software development processes, and guides software developers. Additionally, it provides services to establish and run measurement programmes in software organizations. Because both approaches were developed completely independently major integration efforts are to be made to combine their both advantages. This paper concentrates on the resulting language concepts and their operationalization necessary for building automated process support.
Die systematische Verbesserung von Techniken zur Entwicklung und Betreuung von Software setzt eine explizite Darstellung der in einem Projekt ablaufenden Vorgnge (Prozesse) voraus. Diese Darstellungen (Prozemodelle) werden durch Software- Prozemodellierung gewonnen. Eine Sprache zur Beschreibung solcher Modelle ist MVP-L. Verschiedene Standard-Prozemodelle existieren bereits. Bisher gibt es jedoch kaum dokumentierte Software-Entwicklungsprozesse, die speziell fr die Entwicklung reaktiver Systeme entworfen worden sind, d. h. auf die besonderen Anfordernisse bei der Entwicklung reaktiver Systeme zugeschnitten sind. Auch ist bisher nur wenig Erfahrung dokumentiert, fr welche Art von Projektkontexten diese Prozesse gltig sind. Eine Software- Entwicklungsmethode, die - mit Einschrnkungen - zur Entwicklung reaktiver Systeme geeignet ist, ist SOMT (SDL-oriented Object Modeling Technique). Dieser Bericht beschreibt die erfahrungsbasierte Modellierung der Software-Entwicklungsprozesse von SOMT mit MVP-L. Zunchst werden inhaltliche Grundlagen der Software-Entwicklungsmethode SOMT beschrieben. Insbesondere wird auf die eingesetzten Techniken und deren Kombination eingegangen. Anschlieend werden mgliche Projektkontexte charakterisiert, in denen das SOMT-Modell im Sinne eines Erfahrungselements Gltigkeit hat. Darauf werden der Modellierungsvorgang sowie hierbei gemachte Erfahrungen dokumentiert. Eine vollstndige Darstellung des Modells in grafischer MVP-L-Notation befindet sich im Anhang. Die Darstellung des Modells in textueller Notation kann der SFB-Erfahrungsdatenbank entnommen werden.
In order to improve the quality of software systems and to set up a more effective process for their development, many attempts have been made in the field of software engineering. Reuse of existing knowledge is seen as a promising way to solve the outstanding problems in this field. In previous work we have integrated the design pattern concept with the formal design language SDL, resulting in a certain kind of pattern formalization. For the domain of communication systems we have also developed a pool of SDL patterns with an accompanying process model for pattern application. In this paper we present an extension that combines the SDL pattern approach with the experience base concept. This extension supports a systematic method for empirical evaluation and continuous improvement of the SDL pattern approach. Thereby the experience base serves as a repository necessary for effective reuse of the captured knowledge. A comprehensive usage scenario is described which shows the advantages of the combined approach. To demonstrate its feasibility, first results of a research case study are given.
A combination of a state-based formalism and a temporal logic is proposed to get an expressive language for various descriptions of reactive systems. Thereby it is possible to use a model as well as a property oriented specification style in one description. The descriptions considered here are those of the environment, the specification, and the design of a reactive system. It is possible to express e.g. the requirements of a reactive system by states and transitions between them together with further temporal formulas restricting the behaviors of the statecharts. It is shown, how this combined formalism can be used: The specification of a small example is given and a designed controller is proven correct with respect to this specification. The combination of the langugages is based on giving a temporal semantics of a state-based formalism (statecharts) using a temporal logic (TLA).
Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es, eine Methode zur Verfügung zu stellen, mit der ein Simulator für gebäudespezifische Aufgaben modelliert werden kann. Die Modellierung muß dabei so angelegt sein, daß sowohl einfache als auch sehr komplexe Simulatoren für spezielle Gebäude entworfen werden können. Aus dem erstellten Modell ist es anschließend möglich, mit Hilfe von Generatoren automatisch ein Programm zu erzeugen. Dadurch kann ein Entwerfer ohne spezielle Kenntnisse auf dem Gebiet der Simulation einen Gebäude-Simulator entwickeln. Zur Modellierung wurde ein domänenspezifischer Katalog von Entwurfsmustern erstellt. Dabei können die einzelnen Muster direkt zur Modellierung und Codegenerierung eingesetzt werden.
The purpose of this expose is to explain the generic design of a customized communication subsystem. The expose addresses both functional and non-functional aspects. Starting point is a real-time requirement from the application area building automation. We show how this application requirement and some background information about the application area lead to a system architecture, a communication service, a protocol architecture and to the selection, adaptation, and composition of protocol functionalities. The reader will probably be surprised how much effort is necessary in order to implement the innocuous, innocent, inconspicuous looking application requirement. Formal description techniques (FDTs) will be used in all design phases.
Today's communication systems are typically structured into several layers, where each layer realizes a fixed set of protocol functionalities. These functionalities have been carefully chosen such that a wide range of applications can be supported and protocols work in a general environment of networks. However, due to evolving network technologies as well as increased and varying demands of modern applications general-purpose protocol stacks are not always adequate. To improve this situation new flexible communication architectures have been developed which enable the configuration of customized communication subsystems by composing a proper set of reusable building blocks. In particular, several approaches to automatic configuration of communication subsystems have been reported in the literature. This report gives an overview of theses approaches (F-CCS, Da CaPo, x-Kernel, and ADAPTIVE) and, in particular, defines a framework, which identifies common architectural issues and configuration tasks.
A new approach for modelling time that does not rely on the concept of a clock is proposed. In order to establish a notion of time, system behaviour is represented as a joint progression of multiple threads of control, which satisfies a certain set of axioms. We show that the clock-independent time model is related to the well-known concept of a global clock and argue that both approaches establish the same notion of time.
Due to the large variety of modern applications and evolving network technologies, a small number of general-purpose protocol stacks will no longer be sufficient. Rather, customization of communication protocols will play a major role. In this paper, we present an approach that has the potential to substantially reduce the effort for designing customized protocols. Our approach is based on the concept of design patterns, which is well-established in object oriented software development. We specialize this concept to communication protocols, and - in addition - use formal description techniques (FDTs) to specify protocol design patterns as well as rules for their instantiation and composition. The FDTs of our choice are SDL-92 and MSCs, which offer suitable language support. We propose an SDL pattern description template and relate pattern-based configuring of communication protocols to existing SDL methodologies. Particular SDL patterns and the configuring of a customized resource reservation protocol are presented in detail.
A non-trivial real-time requirement obeying a pattern that can be foundin various instantiations in the application domain building automation, and which is therefore called generic, is investigated in detail. Starting point is a description of a real-time problem in natural language augmented by a diagram, in a style often found in requirements documents. Step by step, this description is made more precise and finally transformed into a surprisingly concise formal specification, written in real-time temporal logic with customized operators. Wereason why this formal specification precisely captures the original description- as far as this is feasible due to the lack of precision of natural language.
A Tailored Real Time Temporal Logic for Specifying Requirements of Building Automation Systems
(1999)
A tailored real time temporal logic for specifying requirements of building automation systems is introduced and analyzed. The logic features several new real time operators, which are chosen with regard to the application area. The new operators improve the conciseness and readability of requirements as compared to a general-purpose real time temporal logic. In addition, some of the operators also enhance the expressiveness of the logic. A number of properties of the new operators are presented and proven.
A generic approach to the formal specification of system requirements is presented. It is based on a pool of requirement patterns, which are related to design patterns well-known in object-oriented software development. The application of such patterns enhances the reusability and genericity as well as the intelligibility of the formal requirement specification. The approach is instantiated by a tailored real-time temporal logic and by selecting building automation systems as application domain. With respect to this domain, the pattern discovery and reuse tasks are explained and illustrated, and a set of typical requirement patterns is presented. Finally, the results of a case study where the approach has been applied are summarized.
Based on the idea of using topologic feature-mapsinstead of geometric environment maps in practical mobile robot tasks, we show an applicable way tonavigate on such topologic maps. The main features regarding this kind of navigation are: handling of very inaccurate position (and orientation) information as well as implicit modelling of complex kinematics during an adaptation phase. Due to the lack of proper a-priori knowledge, a re-inforcement based model is used for the translation of navigator commands to motor actions. Instead of employing a backpropagation network for the cen-tral associative memory module (attaching actionprobabilities to sensor situations resp. navigatorcommands) a much faster dynamic cell structure system based on dynamic feature maps is shown. Standard graph-search heuristics like A* are applied in the planning phase.
This article will discuss a qualitative, topological and robust world-modelling technique with special regard to navigation-tasks for mobile robots operating in unknownenvironments. As a central aspect, the reliability regarding error-tolerance and stability will be emphasized. Benefits and problems involved in exploration, as well as in navigation tasks, are discussed. The proposed method demands very low constraints for the kind and quality of the employed sensors as well as for the kinematic precision of the utilized mobile platform. Hard real-time constraints can be handled due to the low computational complexity. The principal discussions are supported by real-world experiments with the mobile robot
SPIN-NFDS Learning and Preset Knowledge for Surface Fusion - A Neural Fuzzy Decision System -
(1993)
The problem to be discussed in this paper may be characterized in short by the question: "Are these two surface fragments belonging together (i.e. belonging to the same surface)?" The presented techniques try to benefit from some predefined knowledge as well as from the possibility to refine and adapt this knowledge according to a (changing) real environment, resulting in a combination of fuzzy-decision systems and neural networks. The results are encouraging (fast convergence speed, high accuracy), and the model might be used for a wide range of applications. The general frame surrounding the work in this paper is the SPIN- project, where emphasis is on sub-symbolic abstractions, based on a 3-d scanned environment.
Self-localization in unknown environments respectively correlation of current and former impressions of the world is an essential ability for most mobile robots. The method,proposed in this article is the construction of a qualitative, topological world model as a basis for self-localization. As a central aspect the reliability regarding error-tolerance and stability will be emphasized. The proposed techniques demand very low constraints for the kind and quality of the employed sensors as well as for the kinematic precisionof the utilized mobile platform. Hard real-time constraints can be handled due to the low computational complexity. The principal discussions are supported by real-world experiments with the mobile robot.
The problem to be discussed here, is the usage of neural network clustering techniques on a mobile robot, in order to build qualitative topologic environment maps. This has to be done in realtime, i.e. the internal world model has to be adapted by the flow of sensor- samples without the possibility to stop this data-flow.Our experiments are done in a simulation environment as well as on a robot, called ALICE.
Visual Search has been investigated by many researchers inspired by the biological fact, that the sensory elements on the mammal retina are not equably distributed. Therefore the focus of attention (the area of the retina with the highest density of sensory elements) has to be directed in a way to efficiently gather data according to certain criteria. The work discussed in this article concentrates on applying a laser range finder instead of a silicon retina. The laser range finder is maximal focused at any time, but therefore a low resolution total-scene-image, available with camera-like devices from scratch on, cannot be used here. By adapting a couple of algorithms, the edge-scanning module steering the laser range finder is able to trace a detected edge. Based on the data scanned so far , two questions have to be answered. First: "Should the actual (edge-) scanning be interrupted in order to give another area of interest a chance of being investigated?" and second: "Where to start a new edge-scanning, after being interrupted?". These two decision-problems might be solved by a range of decision systems. The correctness of the decisions depends widely on the actual environment and the underlying rules may not be well initialized with a-priori knowledge. So we will present a version of a reinforcement decision system together with an overall scheme for efficiently controlling highly focused devices.
Based on the experiences from an autonomous mobile robot project called MOBOT-III, we found hard realtime-constraints for the operating- system-design. ALBATROSS is "A flexible multi-tasking and realtime network-operating-system-kernel". The focusin this article is on a communication-scheme fulfilling the previous demanded assurances. The centralchapters discuss the shared buffer management and the way to design the communication architecture.Some further aspects beside the strict realtime-requirements like the possibilities to control and watch a running system, are mentioned. ALBATROSS is actually implemented on a multi-processor VMEbus-system.
This paper refers to the problem of adaptability over an infinite period of time, regarding dynamic networks. A never ending flow of examples have to be clustered, based on a distance measure. The developed model is based on the self-organizing feature maps of Kohonen [6], [7] and some adaptations by Fritzke [3]. The problem of dynamic surface classification is embedded in the SPIN project, where sub-symbolic abstractions, based on a 3-d scanned environment is being done.
The background of this paper is the area of case-based reasoning. This is a reasoning technique where one tries to use the solution of some problem which has been solved earlier in order to obta in a solution of a given problem. As example of types of problems where this kind of reasoning occurs very often is the diagnosis of diseases or faults in technical systems. In abstract terms this reduces to a classification task. A difficulty arises when one has not just one solved problem but when there are very many. These are called "cases" and they are stored in the case-base. Then one has to select an appropriate case which means to find one which is "similar" to the actual problem. The notion of similarity has raised much interest in this context. We will first introduce a mathematical framework and define some basic concepts. Then we will study some abstract phenomena in this area and finally present some methods developed and realized in a system at the University of Kaiserslautern.
The development of software products has become a highly cooperative and distributed activity involving working groups at geographically distinct places. These groups show an increasing mobility and a very flexible organizational structure. Process methodology and technology have to take such evolutions into account. A possible direction for the emergence of new process technology and methodology is to take benefit from recent advances within multiagent systems engineering : innovative methodologies for adaptable and autonomous architectures; they exhibit interesting features to support distributed software processes.
Coordinating distributed software development projectsbecomes more difficult, as software becomes more complex, team sizes and organisational overheads increase,and software components are sourced from disparate places. We describe the development of a range of softwaretools to support coordination of such projects. Techniques we use include asynchronous and semi -synchronousediting, software process modelling and enactment, developer-specified coordination agents, and component-based tool integration.
SmallSync, an internet event synchronizer, is intended to provide a monitoring and visualization methodology for permitting simultaneous analysis and control of multiple remote processes on the web. The current SmallSync includes: (1) a mechanism to multicast web window-based commands, message passing events and process execution events among processes; (2) an event synchronizer to allow concurrent execution of some functions on multiple machines; (3) a means to report when these events cause errors in the processes; and (4) ad hoc visualization of process states using existing visualizers.
Geographically distributed software development holds much promise for increasing market penetration and speeding up development cycles. However, it also comes with a set of new challenges for those developing the software, bought about by the distance among colleagues.This paper outlines a new research project underway to explore those issues and their implications for organizing geographically distributed software development efforts. We also describe the approaches we are taking towards providing solutions - in the form of processes and technology - to address the challenges of working remotely.
We present a new software architecture in which all concepts necessary to achieve fault tolerance can be added to an appli- cation automatically without any source code changes. As a case study, we consider the problem of providing a reliable service despite node failures by executing a group of replicat- ed servers. Replica creation and management as well as fail- ure detection and recovery are performed automatically by a separate fault tolerance layer (ft-layer) which is inserted be- tween the server application and the operating system kernel. The layer is invisible for the application since it provides the same functional interface as the operating system kernel, thus making the fault tolerance property of the service completely transparent for the application. A major advantage of our ar- chitecture is that the layer encapsulates both fault tolerance mechanisms and policies. This allows for maximum flexibility in the choice of appropriate methods for fault tolerance with- out any changes in the application code.
PANDA is a run-time package based on a very small operating system kernel which supports distributed applications written in C++. It provides powerful abstractions such as very efficient user-level threads, a uniform global address space, object and thread mobility, garbage collection, and persistent objects. The paper discusses the design ration- ales underlying the PANDA system. The fundamental features of PANDA are surveyed, and their implementation in the current prototype environment is outlined.
Requirements engineering (RE) is a necessary part of the software development process, as it helps customers and designers identify necessary system requirements. If these stakeholders are separated by distance, we argue that a distributed groupware environment supporting a cooperative requirements engineering process must be supplied that allows them to negotiate software requirements. Such a groupware environment must support aspects of joint work relevant to requirements negotiation: synchronous and asynchronous collaboration, telepresence, and teledata. It should also add explicit support for a structured RE process, which includes the team's ability to discuss multiple perspectives during requirements acquisition and traceability. We chose the TeamWave software platform as an environment that supplied the basic collaboration capabilities, and tailored it to fit the specific needs of RE.
Accelerating the maturation process within the software engineering discipline may result in boosts of development productivity. One way to enable this acceleration is to develop tools and processes to mimic evolution of traditional engineering disciplines. Principles established in traditional engineering disciplines represent high-level guidance to constructing these tools and processes. This paper discusses two principles found in the traditional engineering disciplines and how these principles can apply to mature the software engineering discipline. The discussion is concretized through description of the Collaborative Management Environment, a software system under collaborative development among several national laboratories.
This paper describes an Internet-scalable knowledge base infrastructure for managing the knowledge used by an in-telligent software productivity infrastructure system. The infrastructure provides workable solutions for several significant issues: (1) Internetunique names for pieces of knowledge; (2) multi-platform, multi-language support; (3) distributed knowledge base synchronization mechanisms; (4) support for extensive customized variations in knowledge content, and (5) knowledge caching mechanisms for improved system performance. The infrastructure described here is a workable example of the kind of infrastructure that will be required to manage the evolution and reuse of millions of pieces of knowledge in the future.
Case-based problem solving can be significantly improved by applying domain knowledge (in opposition to problem solving knowledge), which can be acquired with reasonable effort, to derive explanations of the correctness of a case. Such explanations, constructed on several levels of abstraction, can be employed as the basis for similarity assessment as well as for adaptation by solution refinement. The general approach for explanation-based similarity can be applied to different real world problem solving tasks such as diagnosis and planning in technical areas. This paper presents the general idea as well as the two specific, completely implemented realizations for a diagnosis and a planning task.
This paper addresses the role of abstraction in case-based reasoning. We develop a general framework for reusing cases at several levels of abstraction, which is particularly suited for describing and analyzing existing and designing new approaches of this kind. We show that in synthetic tasks (e.g. configuration, design, and planning), abstraction can be successfully used to improve the efficiency of similarity assessment, retrieval, and adaptation. Furthermore, a case-based planning system, called Paris, is described and analyzed in detail using this framework. An empirical study done with Paris demonstrates significant advantages concerning retrieval and adaptation efficiency as well as flexibility of adaptation. Finally, we show how other approaches from the literature can be classified according to the developed framework.
This paper is to present a new algorithm, called KNNcost, for learning feature weights for CBR systems used for classification. Unlike algorithms known so far, KNNcost considers the profits of a correct and the cost of a wrong decision. The need for this algorithm is motivated from two real-world applications, where cost and profits of decisions play a major role. We introduce a representation of accuracy, cost and profits of decisions and define the decision cost of a classification system. To compare accuracy optimization with cost optimization, we tested KNNacc against KNNcost. The first one optimizes classification accuracy with a conjugate gradient algorithm. The second one optimizes the decision cost of the CBR system, respecting cost and profits of the classifications. We present experiments with these two algorithms in a real application to demonstrate the usefulness of our approach.
Collecting Experience on the Systematic Development of CBR Applications using the INRECA Methodology
(1999)
This paper presents an overview of the INRECA methodology for building and maintaining CBR applications. This methodology supports the collection and reuse of experience on the systematic development of CBR applications. It is based on the experience factory and the software process modeling approach from software engineering. CBR development experience is documented using software process models and stored in different levels of generality in a three-layered experience base. Up to now, experience from 9 industrial projects enacted by all INRECA II partners has been collected.
Object-oriented case representations require approaches for similarity assessment that allow to compare two differently structured objects, in particular, objects belonging to different object classes. Currently, such similarity measures are developed more or less in an ad-hoc fashion. It is mostly unclear, how the structure of an object-oriented case model, e.g., the class hierarchy, influences similarity assessment. Intuitively, it is obvious that the class hierarchy contains knowledge about the similarity of the objects. However, how this knowledge relates to the knowledge that could be represented in similarity measures is not obvious at all. This paper analyzes several situations in which class hierarchies are used in different ways for case modeling and proposes a systematic way of specifying similarity measures for comparing arbitrary objects from the hierarchy. The proposed similarity measures have a clear semantics and are computationally inexpensive to compute at run-time.
Automata-Theoretic vs. Property-Oriented Approaches for the Detection of Feature Interactions in IN
(1999)
The feature interaction problem in Intelligent Networks obstructs more and morethe rapid introduction of new features. Detecting such feature interactions turns out to be a big problem. The size of the systems and the sheer computational com-plexity prevents the system developer from checking manually any feature against any other feature. We give an overview on current (verification) approaches and categorize them into property-oriented and automata-theoretic approaches. A comparisonturns out that each approach complements the other in a certain sense. We proposeto apply both approaches together in order to solve the feature interaction problem.
Contrary to symbolic learning approaches, that represent a learned concept explicitly, case-based approaches describe concepts implicitly by a pair (CB; sim), i.e. by a measure of similarity sim and a set CB of cases. This poses the question if there are any differences concerning the learning power of the two approaches. In this article we will study the relationship between the case base, the measure of similarity, and the target concept of the learning process. To do so, we transform a simple symbolic learning algorithm (the version space algorithm) into an equivalent case-based variant. The achieved results strengthen the hypothesis of the equivalence of the learning power of symbolic and casebased methods and show the interdependency between the measure used by a case-based algorithm and the target concept.
When problems are solved through reasoning from cases, the primary kind of knowledge is contained in the specific cases which are stored in the case base. However, in many situations additional background-knowledge is required to cope with the requirements of an application. We describe an approach to integrate such general knowledge into the reasoning process in a way that it complements the knowledge contained in the cases. This general knowledge itself is not sufficient to perform any kind of model-based problem solving, but it is required to interpret the available cases appropriately. Background knowledge is expressed by two different kinds of rules that both must be formalized by the knowledge engineer: Completion rules describe how to infer additional features out of known features of an old case or the current query case. Adaptation rules describe how an old case can be adapted to fit the current query. This paper shows how these kinds of rules can be integrated into an object-oriented case representation.
Planning means constructing a course of actions to achieve a specified set of goals when starting from an initial situation. For example, determining a sequence of actions (a plan) for transporting goods from an initial location to some destination is a typical planning problem in the transportation domain. Many planning problems are of practical interest.
Planabstraktion ist eine Möglichkeit, den Aufwand bei der Suche nach einem Plan zur Lösung eines konkreten Problems zu reduzieren. Hierbei wird eine konkrete Welt mit einer Problemstellung auf eine abstrakte Welt abgebildet. Die abstrakte Problemstellung wird nun in der abstrakten Welt gelöst. Durch die Rückabbildung der abstrakten Lösung auf eine konkrete Lösung erhält man eine Lösung für das konkrete Problem. Da die Anzahl der zur Lösung des abstrakten Problems benötigten Operationen geringer ist und die abstrakten Zustände und Operatoren einer weniger komplexen Beschreibung genügen, wird der Aufwand zur Suche einer konkreten Problemlösung reduziert.
In diesem Beitrag wird ein Ansatz vorgestellt, mit dem Entwurfsprozesse geplant, koordiniert und durchgeführt werden können. In der Projektplanung wird zunächst ein explizites Modell des Entwurfsprozesses erstellt. Dieses wird von einem Workflowmanagementsystem als Basis für die Projektdurchführung benutzt. Projektplanung und -durchführung können miteinander verzahnt werden, d. h. während der Durchführung kann weiter-, um- und feingeplant werden. Während der Projektabwicklung werden kausale Abhängigkeiten zwischen (Teil-) Ergebnissen (wie z. B. Anforderungen, Vorentwürfen und Zeichnungen) fein-granular erfaßt, repräsentiert und verwaltet. Diese Abhängigkeiten werden im wesentlichen automatisch aus dem Prozeßmodell abgeleitet. Durch die Repräsentation der kausalen Abhängigkeiten wird die Verfolgbarkeit des Entwicklungsprozesses erhöht und dessen Ergebnisse dokumentiert. Basierend auf den repräsentierten Abhängigkeiten kann auf Änderungen gezielt reagiert werden, wodurch die Entwicklungskosten sinken. Die entwickelten Techniken werden am Beispiel der Bebauungsplanung erläutert.