PhD Viva Presentation

I've put online the presentation I gave at my Viva recently. I'm also putting it on my blog one or 2 slides at a time with an explanation of the research in each area, so will keep doing this roughly once a week, with some posts in between about workshops and events that are happening early this year that look interesting.


This is my PhD Viva presentaion and it's a PowerPoint 2007 file - https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0Bx_KguSfl6vSYTY4NDhiN2YtNDc3Yy00MmJkLTlkOTUtNjQ0ZGI5ZGZkNDQ1&hl=en- PowerPoint 2003 version - https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0Bx_KguSfl6vSMTdiYjdiMWItMmRmNC00YTJkLThkYmYtYmIwM2VkM2IzZjRm&hl=en.

User Driven Modelling: Visualisation and Systematic Interaction for End-User Programming

Peter Hale

Director of Studies – Tony Solomonides

Supervisor – Ian Beeson

Open Standard Layered Architecture Tools

This diagram examines my thinking for 2009-10. This reflects the need to build up from layers of simpler generic information representation and tools that are generic. For representation of information this is more high level and more customised, less generic from right to left. For modelling this is more high level and less generic from bottom to top. Greater use of computer to human translation increases the modelling capabilities. Good interoperability improves the ease of translation, and the layering of simpler information formats with more complex and less generic layers built on top.

Thus it is possible to build on layers of generic solutions from bottom right, and get as far as possible towards the top left, building re-usable solutions before at some point building a final layer of a more customised less generic solution.

This approach maximises re-use and improves maintenance.

Automated Production of Engineering Models

This example demonstrates the research I have undertaken into automating the model creation process for engineering process models.

This example is of manufacturing a cube, where the cost of manufacture depends mainly on the size of the cube, its wall thickness, what material is used, and what process is used. This is a simple example, a real world example involving hand layup of a spar (wing component) proved to be too complicated for ease of demonstration explanation, especially over the web.

An ontology (held in Protege http://protege.stanford.edu/) is used to represent the common information needed for all cube models, (and other models) produced. The ontology is broken down into sub ontologies for parts, materials, processes, consumables, resources, and tooling. These are colour coded in the visualisation/interactive model to ease understanding.

Code written for this research is used to recursively read the Protege tree (via nested SQL calls), and reproduce the tree in the modelling system (Vanguard System http://www.vanguardsw.com/products/vanguard-system/). The modelling system enables calculations, and extra code written for this research also allows choices to be made by the user/modeller.

This simple example enables the user/modeller to make choices of the material, process, consumables, resources, and tooling to be used, for the manufacture of this cube. In this example choices were made for material - Aluminium, and process - Rivetting.

Cube Model

This model is then output to an online representation (this works in Internet Explorer only, a version for Mozilla Firefox is also in progress). The IE version requires the Adobe SVG player, currently downloadable, and free).

The online SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) representation provides an interactive CAD type representation of the component, that can be manipulated, to change size and wall thickness. The wall thickness is indicated by the inner dotted cube. As the size or wall thickness of the cube is altered, immediate feedback is provided. Alterations can be made with the up/down buttons. Also if these values, or the Aluminium cost per metre cubed are changed, the calculated parameter and cost values change automatically, in response.

The SVG representation shown below can be found at http://www.cems.uwe.ac.uk/~phale/SVGCubeExample/CubePartDefinitionwithCosts.htm.

Cube Model - Translated to SVG

http://www.cems.uwe.ac.uk/~phale/SVGCubeExample/CubePartDefinitionwithCosts.htm.

It is also possible to zoom in and out of the diagram, and move it around the screen.

As well as engineering models, I have experimented with economics models, and with translating either type of model to Java, and Java applets. Below is a screenshot of a simple economic model translated and visualised as an interactive Java applet.

Consumption Function translation from modelling system into Java

The models created as part of this research are available at - http://www.cems.uwe.ac.uk/~phale/EconomicModels/ModelsVisualised.htm.

User Driven Modelling - Applications

This visual modelling is similar to collaborative spreadsheet modelling, but for these research models the visualisation and the code structure are exactly the same. This means users effectively can see an audit trail at all times in the modelling, and that the gap between those that program/model, and users is reduced. This makes both computing automated translation, and human collaboration/domain translation easier. This research is mainly aimed at users whose models/programs are too complex for spreadsheets. This means that themselves and other modellers/users lose track of information. These modellers/users often do not have the time and/or facilities for the programming tasks they need.

Automated translation and visualisation of models is essential as if they are manually copied by humans, there are almost certain to be errors in the copying of any large model to a different system. For such models an error anywhere in the model makes the result wrong. Visualising over collaborative networks, and of the whole structure also allows those responsible for checking and maintenance of each individual part of it to spot any mistakes, so this again acts as an effective audit trail.

Demonstration interactive models are shown at - http://www.cems.uwe.ac.uk/~phale/EconomicModels/ModelsVisualised.htm.

Economic Models 2

These economic models are constructed and translated in a different way from object oriented programming. There is no clear distinction between classes and objects, as a class only becomes an instance gradually as translations are made, and the models are visualised and represented to users.

At present the main focus is on extending the translation to interactive representations in Java and JavaScript. These will allow users to amend the parameter values of models and to see the result recalculated.

Once all or most of the translations are fully working, I'll concentrate on adding multiple models. Each model could then be translated automatically to many different visualisations/representations. I'll concentrate mainly on economic models, but might also eventually include other kinds of equation based models.

Economic Models - previous post - http://userdrivenmodelling.blogspot.com/2008/11/economic-models.html.

Economic Models Example -
http://www.cems.uwe.ac.uk/~phale/EconomicModels/ModelsVisualised.htm.

Java Applet Example - http://www.cems.uwe.ac.uk/~phale/EconomicModels/Bized/ConsumptionFunctionVanguardOutput/ConsumptionFunctionVanguardOutputInteractive/build/ConsumptionFunctionModelJavaAppletVanguardInteractive.html.

Visual Diagrammatic Programming

With visual diagrammatic modelling it was possible to include one model within another as a software component, and demarcate responsibility for building, maintenance, and updating of each model. This was difficult using spreadsheets, and possible with non-visual programming though the link between individual responsibilities and code produce was not as clearly identified, because non-programmers cannot participate in code production. As an example, for cost modelling of an aircraft wing, different experts might build software models for wing spars, wing skins etc, and another expert might be responsible for the overall wing cost model. The wing spar and skins model would then be inserted into the overall wing cost model.

The techniques demonstrated in this thesis can aid progress towards accessing of data held using Semantic Web standards, and also other information that might be locked into particular systems such as databases, spreadsheets and enterprise systems. The translation and de-abstraction approach assists with enabling high level diagrammatic visualisations to be used and translated to computer queries. Programming using Semantic Web technologies can :-

* Assist with translating non-Semantic Web information into Semantic Web information.
* Assist in production of Semantic Web information by end-users by.
* Assist end-users to query non-Semantic Web information.

Further Visualisation Information is at - http://www.cems.uwe.ac.uk/amrc/seeds/Visualisation.htm

End User Programming Information is at - http://www.cems.uwe.ac.uk/amrc/seeds/EndUserProgramming.htm