BBC News - Google previews Chrome open source operating system

This is an interesting development in bringing Web 2.0 web browser software on a stage -

"Internet search giant Google has lifted the lid on its operating system, known as Chrome OS.

The free and open source system is initially aimed at low-cost netbooks and does away with many of the features of a traditional programme.

All programmes are designed to run in a web browser and all the user's data is stored on Google's servers.

Engineers from the firm said the first computers running the system would be available before the end of 2010."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8369611.stm.

Researcher Collaboration - Web 2.0 - Strength in science collaboration - BBC Article

This looks like a useful Web 2.0 collaboration tool for researchers -

The BBC article is at - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8342851.stm

"Victor Henning is the co-founder of Mendeley, an online collaboration tool which was created specifically for scientists.
The free software allows scientists and researchers to upload papers which are then trawled for bibliographic data - author, title, issue and so on - and paired up with similar papers already in the database."

"Mendeley is supposed to take the work out of managing these [research] papers.," explains Mr Henning.
"You can just drag and drop your collection of PDFs into the software and it'll automatically extract all the bibliographic data - all of the stuff that you'd usually have to type in manually." - Victor Henning.

Engineering modelling an iterative approach

This post discusses how links between engineers and modellers/modelling tools can be improved, using an approach of visualising a modelling structure that mirrors the structure of the engineering product design. The main method for this is diagrammatic modelling.

Making the structure of a model be the same as the structure of the engineering component modelled turns 2 problems into one. This speeds up co-operation in prototyping of both the software model and the component. Both rapid prototyping and rapid application design/development involve iterative fast development with prototypes communicated. Requirements emerge gradually as part of this process, so early stage design can begin, in co-operation with life-cycle management, marketing accounts etc. To get full benefit from this all staff who are part of this design process, manufacturing, management, and life-cycle management need to be able to access the models. The longer term aim is to enable direct modelling/prototyping of this by customers of the modelling tool e.g. engineers/end-user programmers. Such a system documents itself as the structure of the engineering product and software model are displayed/visualised.

Integration of information representation UML/Doors (http://www-01.ibm.com/software/awdtools/doors/productline/) is progress towards this. Also a user interface is required that makes it easier for engineers to model using such a combined UML/Doors solution

Despite object-oriented programming techniques being heavily influenced by the approach used by engineers for Bill of Materials/Product Data Structure modelling this link has become difficult. Much of object-oriented programming was developed before graphical user interfaces became practical and common. So objects/classes are often represented mainly by text with visualisation/representation being added as an afterthought. This is not useful for engineers who are used to objects being physical things, or at least diagrams. A further problem has been an over-emphasis on encapsulation (hiding an objects' details, while creating an interface for its use), and re-use. This can lead to errors due to re-use of objects that are not fully understood. So the classes/objects need to be visualised, even if the user does not intend to change their contents, so the user of objects has sufficient understanding of how to use them.

The above steps would improve the link and co-operation between engineers and modellers/models.

PhD Thesis Submitted

I've submitted my PhD in User Driven Programming, and continued this while my work environment changed. Previously I retrained from clerical work to engineering and computing, and developed advanced skills and experience in this through vocational and higher education. I worked for 10 years as a researcher at University of the West of England. I researched difficult problems, and helped gain funding for such research, and have written funding proposals. I'm very thorough and consistent, resolute, determined, am diplomatic, and have relevant skills for analysing research questions, and presenting findings. My home page is http://sites.google.com/site/userdrivenmodellingprogramming/Home. I devise ways for users to create software, to achieve this I apply Semantic Web techniques. I enable non-programmers to create software from a user interface that allows them to model a particular problem or scenario. I develop ways of translating this information into program code. This is useful for employees that have insufficient time to learn programming languages. This makes it easier for software systems to manage and enable sharing of information and programs people create.

Bristol Knowledge Unconference 2009

The Bristol Knowledge Unconference in 2009 - http://www.craftivism.net/wiki/UnCraftivism/Bristol_Knowledge_Unconference_2009 - will be an UnCraftivism event, in association with the Craftivism Exhibition at the Arnolfini in Bristol.

Basic Info
Date: 12th - 13th December 2009
Time: TBC
Location: Arnolfini, Bristol
Organiser: Daniel Lewis
Email: danieljohnlewis [at] gmail [dot] com
UK Tel: 07834355516
Instigator: Rui Guerra
Helpers: ...
In collaboration with:

What is Bristol Knowledge Unconference?

Bristol Knowledge Unconference is an "Unconference" specifically about Knowledge. The first Bristol Knowledge Unconference was in September 2008, and involved about 50 people who talked about Knowledge from scientific and new-media perspectives.

The knowledge unconferences are "themed" around the general subject of Knowledge, which includes:

The Semantic Web / Linked Data / Hyperdata / Data Web
Web Science
Topic Maps
Information Architecture and Design
Knowledge Acquisition and Knowledge Management
Knowledge-Based Systems, Knowledge Engineering and Rule-Based Systems (etc)
Knowledge/Information Visualisation and Graphical User Interfaces
Knowledge-orientated Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
and maybe even, Object Oriented Databases

What will Bristol Knowledge Unconference 2009 be about?

This will be our second Bristol Knowledge Unconference. Our first one was very fun, and we hope to multiply that amount of fun - particularly as we'll be running alongside other groups involved in UnCraftivism.
As we will be in the Arnolfini, it has been decided to label this years Knowledge Unconference: The Art of Knowledge
Knowledge is both art and science. Everything we do with knowledge can be both beautiful and methodical. We will discuss these things, and talks will be established in order to think about these ideas. Other more general talks/demos are very much welcomed, no matter how arty or scientific they are. The idea of an Unconference is completely free-flowing, it is developed with minimal structure/organisation and also attempts to maximise the equality of the attendees.

We will be running simultaneously with other events happening during the unCraftivism weekend, see the Main Exhibition Page - http://www.craftivism.net/wiki/Main_Page - for more details.

I am definitely coming...
Feel free to put your name here if you know you will be attending:

User Driven Modelling Explanation - Cube

This example was provided to illustrate the structure and process for creating the ontology, model, and visualisation/representation used for translation process from step 1 to step 3, for the User Driven Modelling approach. This also helps to demonstrate how the research provides a solution for generic and reusable engineering modelling, by providing a real but simple demonstration of this modelling approach being used for an engineering model.

The cube model, as for all the engineering/process models is made up of the definition, in this case of the cube, and a colour coded representation of all the processes, materials, tooling, consumables, resources, and rates used for the manufacture of the cube; these are read in from the ontology in response to user choices. This makes it possible to investigate scenarios such as in this case whether to manufacture using welding, or riveting, and different options for use of tooling, consumables, resources, and rates. From investigating different options, different trees are created to represent different paths/options, and from this the production cost tree is created with results and feedback on exactly what made up the process/cost. Figure 1 illustrates how the different sub ontologies/taxonomies are colour coded in order to ensure it is easier to read the meaning of the tree and the interrelationships between the different aspects of the model.



Figure 1 Cube model example - illustrates choice of process etc.

In this example, aluminium was chosen as the material, and riveting was chosen as the process. This example also illustrates how the Vanguard System modelling tool automatically combines units appropriately.

Figure 2 shows the cube translated and visualised using SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics).

Figure 2. Translation to SVG Visualisation
This shows the interactive version of the diagram that works in Internet Explorer using the Adobe SVG viewer 3 http://www.cems.uwe.ac.uk/~phale/SVGCubeExample/CubePartDefinitionwithCosts.htm - SVG Viewer download - http://www.adobe.com/svg/viewer/install/.

Next the implementation of this research was illustrated with the more complex example of an aircraft wingbox, using the same approach.

Collaboration and Process Modelling in Engineering and Business using Visualisation and Semantic Web techniques - Conclusion and Further Research

Conclusion

Test implementations assisted with :-

Providing clarity for process modelling and management, by creating a structured open standard visual modelling environment that is usable by non-programmers.

* Collaboration, dissemination, reuse and sharing of models using web applications and services.

* Enabling people to model at a high level of abstract conceptual modelling, thereby producing better process models using tools that model at domain level, rather than at code level.

* Development of Semantic Web based process modelling to provide the means for visualisation and calculation/sequencing, together with a decision support engine for model creation and retrieval.

* Increased user involvement for model development allows savings in cost and time taken for process modelling.

* Enhanced availability of process models and interactive visualisation of model results using web browser based software, this will also be an important teaching resource.
Identification of improvements to process efficiency and effectiveness.

* Better interoperability of models and ability to identify common problems missed during creation of standalone spreadsheets. Increased model detail and ease of upgrade with layered architecture of open standard languages to eliminate inconsistencies and allow better decision making.

* New ways of enabling end user interaction, with collaborative development of process models that will allow people more scope to solve problems.

*Enabling task based access to Semantic Web information, e.g. by employees and home users who have no knowledge or interest in the Semantic Web, but who will use tools for particular tasks.

This research tested first steps towards helping to solve problems caused by lack of collaborative modelling in process design. This could also bridge the gap between industry and those advocating the use of modelling/programming using Semantic Web techniques, to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

This research has potential benefit for any problem where end user programming using Semantic Web technology is applicable. This is a very broad range, involving most modelling. The particular areas where the research is most transferable are manufacturing and business modelling, e-learning and provision of models for public understanding of science and engineering, and health and science taxonomy/ontology management.

The research in this field has reinforced the view that Semantic Web based process modelling is an appropriate and robust means of achieving end user objectives. If domain experts are not involved in creation of the model, there is no proper way for the knowledge they are encoding to emerge, or for proper collaboration. This is necessary as each expert is best focused on encapsulating the part of the model that they are most expert in. People need to be involved in model creation if they are to understand the model, decision, and how the decision was made. So there is a need for end user modelling/programming to enable this. Full automation hinders user involvement and traceability, so semi-automated systems that interact with end users and assist with all stages of the model decision are better. If a person goes straight to the answer how can it be expected that they fully understood the question?

Breaking complex mathematics into modularised traceable steps eases management of it, and visualisation, and allows modelling of different scenarios, and these scenarios demonstrate the emergent properties of the model, enabling decision support. BiDirectional Traceability is needed, traceability between nodes/sub-models, and between models, and between suppliers and buyers.

The research made some progress towards allowing end users to concentrate on the domain to be modelled rather than on computing technologies. This research can enable collaborative modelling and interaction, via applying end user programming techniques to enable domain experts such as engineers and business people to create and interact with the knowledge representation themselves, and co-operate to ensure the representations are useful for addressing their problems, with less software creation barriers. Software developers need to enable such systems to make this all possible.

Existing ontologies can be extended for modelling of software systems and engineering systems e.g. PSL, STEPML, UML, SysML can be extended/adapted for use in particular problems.

Further Research

An editing facility to model these equations, and constraints, so that errors could be prevented, will improve the usability of visual process modelling systems. This should enable standardisation of the representation of mathematical expressions that relate nodes, and their values and expressions; this requires a user interface that enables complex mathematical structures to be conveyed by language and/or diagrammatic visualisation. The next stage in the research will be provision of constraints to prevent invalid mathematical expressions. Background research has been undertaken into this. Mathematical modelling can help deal with the complex interactions and calculations necessary for process modelling. Miller and Baramidze (2005) examine efforts to develop mathematical semantic representations above the syntactical representations of MathML, and the need for rigorous definitions of mathematical concepts. They also explain ontology languages OWL (Web Ontology Language) and SWRL (Semantic Web Rule Language), which can be used for open standard ontology based process modelling. Miller and Baramidze's DEMO system uses OWL to define a simulation and modelling class hierarchy. Elenius et al. (2005) show how an OWL-S editor can be used for creating process modelling and web service environments.

Further research is needed into modelling based on SWRL, to model conditional statements, and OWL-S Editor (Elenius et al., 2005) with UML style diagrams, together with investigation and use of online search facilities for services and process models. The reusable process architectures and process models held in an ontology, could also be translated as necessary between OWL-S and BPEL (Business Process Execution Language) representations. Also, Meta-Programming and Rule-based languages could be used to develop an interface to an end user programming environment. Models could be encoded and checked via languages such as MathLang (Kamareddine et el., 2005).

References

Elenius D, Denker G, Martin D, Gilham F, Khouri J, Sadaati S, Senanayake R, 2005. The OWL-S Editor - A Development Tool for Semantic Web Services, The Semantic Web: Research and Applications, Springer Berlin / Heidelberg.

Kamareddine F, Maarek M, Wells J B, 2005, Toward an Object-Oriented Structure for Mathematical Text, Mathematical Knowledge Management, 4th Int'l Conf., Proceedings LNCS Springer-Verlag.

Miller J A, Baramidze G, 2005, Simulation and the Semantic Web, 2005 Winter Simulation Conference.