Piper J. Jackson

Modeling Criminal Activity in Urban Landscapes

Computational and mathematical methods arguably have an enormous potential for serving practical needs in crime analysis and prevention by offering novel tools for crime investigations and experimental platforms for evidence-based policy making. We present a comprehensive formal framework and tool support for mathematical and computational modeling of criminal behavior to facilitate systematic experimental studies of a wide range of criminal activities in urban environments. The focus is on spatial and temporal aspects of different forms of crime, including opportunistic and serial violent crimes. However, the proposed framework also provides a basis to push beyond conventional empirical research and engage the use of computational thinking and social simulations in the analysis of terrorism and counter-terrorism.

Ambient Assisted Living Technologies for Aging Well: A Scoping Review

Abstract Ambient assisted living (AAL) technology is of considerable interest in supporting the independence and quality of life of older adults. As such, it is a core focus of the emerging field of gerontechnology, which considers how technological innovation can aid health and well-being in older age. For this scoping review, a comprehensive search of databases and key journals was conducted from January to April of 2013 in order to identify AAL technologies that have the potential to help deal with some of the challenges associated with aging. In particular, we focused on technologies that could potentially be used by people living with some degree of cognitive impairment, ranging from normal cognitive aging to mild cognitive impairment up to earlier stages of dementia. Options currently available and those still under development were both included in our search. Fifty-nine technologies were identified and are outlined here, along with a discussion of history of AAL from a gerontological perspective and related theoretical considerations.

A cellular automata model on residential migration in response to neighborhood social dynamics

Residential migration patterns result from complex processes involving households and their neighborhoods. Simulation models assist in understanding this relationship by contextualizing residential mobility within a theoretical framework. The objective of this study is to model these migration patterns created by the interaction between changes in the social structure of households and the positive or negative social attractors in the neighborhood. Specifically, this study links residential mobility to the dynamic interplay between the micro-environment existing within a household and the meso-environment that structures a neighborhood. The cellular automata model developed in this study incorporates transition rules which govern households in their decision to move. The results represented by a cellular grid demonstrate that residential mobility is significantly influenced by density rates, individual household factors and neighborhood attractors. Three contrasting scenarios are presented in this paper to illustrate the impact of occupancy, density, neighborhood social influence, and the effect of a conglomeration of negative social attractors in a neighborhood. Future iterations of this model will incorporate census and crime data in order to test whether the rules governing this model are an accurate reflection of residential mobility in a mid-sized Canadian city.

Rebel with many causes: A computational model of insurgency

Attempts to model insurgency have suffered from several obstacles. Qualitative research may be vague and conflicting, while quantitative research is limited due to the difficulties of collecting sufficient data in war and inferring complex relationships. We propose an innovative combination of Fuzzy Cognitive Maps and Cellular Automata to capture this complexity. Our approach is computational, thus it can be used to develop a simulation platform in which military and political analysts can test scenarios. We take a step-by-step approach to illustrate the potential of our approach in a population-centric war, similar to the on-going campaign in Afghanistan. While the project still requires validation and improvement of the knowledge base by domain experts as well as construction of accurate simulation scenarios, this example fully specifies the general problem definition and the technical structure of the model.

Intelligent decision support for Marine safety and Security Operations

The architecture and core mechanisms of a decision support system for a Marine Security Operations Centre (MSOC) are presented. The goal of this system is to improve coordination in emergency response services during critical situations, including detection and prevention of illegal activities. The system design emphasizes robustness and scalability through its decentralized control structure, automated planning and replanning, dynamic resource configuration management and task execution management under uncertainty. An example scenario from the marine operations domain is described.

A Collaborative Decision Support Model for Marine Safety and Security Operations

Collaboration and self-organization are hallmarks of many biological systems. We present the design for an intelligent decision support system that employs these characteristics: it works through a collaborative, self-organizing network of intelligent agents. Developed for the realm of Marine Safety and Security, the goal of the system is to assist in the management of a complex array of resources in both a routine and emergency role. Notably, this system must be able to handle a dynamic environment and the existence of uncertainty. The decentralized control structure of a collaborative self-organizing system reinforces its adaptiveness, robustness and scalability in critical situations.

Modelling the Joint Effect of Social Determinants and Peers on Obesity Among Canadian Adults

A novel framework for modelling trends in obesity is presented. The framework, integrating both Fuzzy Cognitive Maps (FCMs) and social networks, is applied to the problem of obesity prevention using knowledge shared through social connections. The capability of FCMs to handle a large number of relevant factors is used here to preserve domain expertise in the model. Model details and design decisions are presented along with results that suggest that the type of social network structure impacts the effectiveness of knowledge transfer.

Using Visual Analytics to Support the Integration of Expert Knowledge in the Design of Medical Models and Simulations

Visual analytics (VA) provides an interactive way to explore vast amounts of data and find interesting patterns. This has already benefited the development of computational models, as the patterns found using VA can then become essential elements of the model. Similarly, recent advances in the use of VA for the data cleaning stage are relevant to computational modelling given the importance of having reliable data to populate and check models. In this paper, we demonstrate via case studies of medical models that VA can be very valuable at the conceptual stage, to both examine the fit of a conceptual model with the underlying data and assess possible gaps in the model. The case studies were realized using different modelling tools (e.g., system dynamics or network modelling), which emphasizes that the relevance of VA to medical modelling cuts across techniques. Finally, we discuss how the interdisciplinary nature of modelling for medical applications requires an increased support for collaboration, and we suggest several areas of research to improve the intake and experience of VA for collaborative modelling in medicine.

Principles for fostering the transdisciplinary development of assistive technologies

Abstract Developing useful and usable assistive technologies often presents complex (or “wicked”) challenges that require input from multiple disciplines and sectors. Transdisciplinary collaboration can enable holistic understanding of challenges that may lead to innovative, impactful and transformative solutions. This paper presents generalised principles that are intended to foster transdisciplinary assistive technology development. The paper introduces the area of assistive technology design before discussing general aspects of transdisciplinary collaboration followed by an overview of relevant concepts, including approaches, methodologies and frameworks for conducting and evaluating transdisciplinary working and assistive technology design. The principles for transdisciplinary development of assistive technologies are presented and applied post hoc to the COACH project, an ambient-assisted living technology for guiding completion of activities of daily living by older adults with dementia as an illustrative example. Future work includes the refinement and validation of these principles through their application to real-world transdisciplinary assistive technology projects. Implications for rehabilitation Transdisciplinarity encourages a focus on real world ‘wicked’ problems. A transdisciplinary approach involves transcending disciplinary boundaries and collaborating with interprofessional and community partners (including the technologys intended users) on a shared problem. Transdisciplinarity fosters new ways of thinking about and doing research, development, and implementation, expanding the scope, applicability, and commercial viability of assistive technologies.

High Level Analysis, Design and Validation of Distributed Mobile Systems with CoreASM

System design is a creative activity calling for abstract models that facilitate reasoning about the key system attributes (desired requirements and resulting properties) so as to ensure these attributes are properly established prior to actually building a system. We explore here the practical side of using the abstract state machine (ASM) formalism in combination with the CoreASM open source tool environment for high-level design and experimental validation of complex distributed systems. Emphasizing the early phases of the design process, a guiding principle is to support freedom of experimentation by minimizing the need for encoding. CoreASM has been developed and tested building on a broad scope of applications, spanning computational criminology, maritime surveillance and situation analysis. We critically reexamine here the CoreASM project in light of three different application scenarios.