Giles Tewkesbury

Intelligent browser-based systems to assist Internet users

New client-based systems that filter Web pages, infer user learning styles, and recommend relevant pages are described. The systems provide easy, structured, focused, and controlled access to the Internet. A first system, called iLessons, is embedded within Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 and provides teachers with tools to create lesson Web pages, define zones of the Internet that can be accessed during a lesson, and enforce these settings in a set of computers. A second system enables students to investigate and collaborate using the Internet. The system filters Web pages based on the relevance of their contents and assists students by inferring their learning style (active or reflective) and by recommending pages found by fellow students based on page relevancy, student learning style, and state of mind measured by activity.

An expert system for automatic design-for-assembly

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a multi‐expert system that can provide designers with suggestions for improvement. The multi‐expert system can analyse a design and provide designers with ideas for changes to designs at an early stage in order to improve assembly later in the manufacturing process.Design/methodology/approach – The whole system consists of four expert systems: computer‐aided design (CAD) expert, automated assembly expert, manual assembly expert and design analysis expert. The design analysis expert includes a sub‐system to collate the information from the assembly experts and to provide costs and advice.Findings – The paper finds that the approach and the systems can reduce manufacturing costs and lead times.Research limitations/implications – A knowledge‐based reckoning approach to design‐for‐assembly automation is used. The approach and systems can reduce manufacturing costs and lead times. The system can estimate assembly time and cost for manual or automatic assembly a...

A pointer device for TFT display screens that determines position by detecting colours on the display using a colour sensor and an Artificial Neural Network

Thin Film Transistor (TFT) screens are replacing traditional Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) screens and are becoming more common in the workplace. Traditional light sensing pens do not work effectively on a TFT screen, as the TFT screen does not generate a scan-line. A novel prototype computer system has been created that depicts where a user is pointing. The new sensor may replace the need for a touch-screen, mouse or keyboard. The system flashes a kaleidoscope of colours onto a TFT screen. A tri-colour photodiode detects these colours. A problem with this solution was the limited number of colours that could reliably be detected by the photodiodes and the time that the colours needed to remain on the screen. This paper describes a new system that includes an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) to predict the future position of the colour sensor on a computer screen. This information was used to place the optimum colours closest to the sensor in order to increase the accuracy of the reported position.

The addition of neural networks to the inner feedback path in order to improve on the use of pre-trained feed forward estimators

A learning control architecture which uses a multi-layer feed forward neural network with error back propagation is described. The architecture includes a feed forward estimator which is pre-trained and a feedback controller which continues to learn. The properties of the architectures are investigated through a series of experiments, and the application of the prototype adaptive controllers is described. To examine the performance of this controller, square wave demand signals are applied to the controller and the results are presented.

New Electronic Multi-media Assessment System

Assessment for learning is a new approach to assessment. Assessment for learning is the process of seeking and interpreting evidence for use by learners and their teachers to raise pupils’ achievement. The key principle of Assessment for Learning is that pupils will improve most if they understand the aim of their learning, where they are in relation to this aim and how they can achieve the aim (or close the gap in their knowledge). Studies have shown that student achievement has been raised significantly where this method of assessment has been implemented. This paper examines existing electronic assessment systems and then describes the creation of a new multiuser system that assists teachers in the implementation of assessment for learning in the classroom.

Aspects of an expert design system for the wastewater treatment industry

A new computer aided design program has been created, which uses computer modelling and simulation techniques in order to automatically generate a design solution for a High Recirculation Airlift Reactor (HRAR) wastewater treatment plant. This program replaces a set of programs which could only be used by process design experts, as many decisions had to be made whilst using the design system. A new expert system is being created to automatically integrate expert knowledge into the design process. This expert system will sit above the design program and control the design process. The objective of the new work presented here was to investigate methods for implementing this new expert system onto the new design program. This consisted of creating prototype software in order to demonstrate the advantages of applying expert systems methods to the design of the HRAR treatment process. This paper introduces the approach taken to acquiring and formulating the expert knowledge, and presents simple software to demonstrate the approach.

A new simulation based robot command library applied to three robots

A new type of high-level robot command library is presented and demonstrated. Three robot programming languages have been analyzed and new robot command libraries created for three types of robot. The programming of three robots using the new high-level robot command library demonstrated that it was possible to program robots with different kinematic configurations without the programmer having any knowledge of the physical structure of the robots. The library commands contained simulations of the abilities of the robots as well as having the ability to control the physical robots. This paper shows how simulation can be incorporated into a high-level robot command library and how the command library can be used for the programming of three industrial robots. ©1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

A robotic welding system using image processing techniques and a CAD model to provide information to a multi‐intelligent decision module

Purpose – The paper aims to propose a system that uses a combination of techniques to suggest weld requirements for ships parts. These suggestions are evaluated, decisions are made and then weld parameters are sent to a program generator.Design/methodology/approach – A pattern recognition system recognizes shipbuilding parts using shape contour information. Fourier‐descriptors provide information and neural networks make decisions about shapes.Findings – The system has distinguished between various parts and programs have been generated so that the methods have proved to be valid approaches.Practical implications – The new system used a rudimentary curvature metric that measured Euclidean distance between two points in a window but the improved accuracy and ease of implementation can benefit other applications concerning curve approximation, node tracing, and image processing, but especially in identifying images of manufactured parts with distinct corners.Originality/value – A new proposed system has bee...

Automating the design of high-recirculation airlift reactors using a blackboard framework

This paper describes work completed in creating a new prototype blackboard framework to automate the design process used for the design of high-recirculation airlift reactors. The new expert system framework encompasses the design programs but does not require any further modification. It aims to automate the design process and make the process more efficient. The paper begins by describing high-recirculation airlift reactors and continues by considering the function of the new framework and presenting the new framework. Components of the new system are described in terms of its function and implementation. Initial testing is described and the results are presented.

Simple expert systems to improve an ultrasonic sensor‐system for a tele‐operated mobile‐robot

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate how to make tele‐operated tasks easier using an expert system to interpret joystick and sensor data.Design/methodology/approach – Current tele‐operated systems tend to rely heavily on visual feedback and experienced operators. Simple expert systems improve the interaction between an operator and a tele‐operated mobile‐robot using ultrasonic sensors. Systems identify potentially hazardous situations and recommend safe courses of action. Because pairs of tests and results took place, it was possible to use a paired‐samples statistical test.Findings – Results are presented from a series of timed tasks completed by tele‐operators using a joystick to control a mobile‐robot via an umbilical cable. Tele‐operators completed tests both with and without sensors and with and without the new expert system and using a recently published system to compare results. The t‐test was used to compare the means of the samples in the results.Research limitations/implication...