Reiko Hishiyama

Scenario description for multi-agent simulation

Making it easier to design interactions between agents and humans is essential for realizing multi-agent simulations of social phenomena such as group dynamics. To realize large-scale social simulations, we have developed the scenario description languages Q and IPC (Interaction Pattern Card); they enable experts in the application domain (often not computing professionals) to easily create complex scenarios. We have also established a four-step process for creating scenarios: 1) defining a vocabulary, 2) describing scenarios, 3) extracting interaction patterns, and 4) integrating real and virtual experiments. In order to validate the scenario description languages and the four-step process, we ran a series of evacuation simulations based on the proposed languages and process. We successfully double-check the result of the previous controlled experiment done in a real environment.

Modeling e-procurement as co-adaptive matchmaking with mutual relevance feedback

This paper proposes a new e-procurement model for a large number of buyers and sellers interacting via the Internet. The goal of e-procurement is to create a satisfactory match between buyers’ demand and sellers’ supply. From our real-world experience, we view e-procurement as a process of negotiation to increase the matching quality of two corresponding specifications: one for buyers’ demand and another for sellers’ supply. To model scalable e-procurement, we propose a co-adaptive matchmaking mechanism using mutual relevance feedback. In order to understand the nature of the mechanism, we have developed two types of software agents, called e-buyers and e-sellers, to simulate human buyers and sellers. Multiagent simulation results show that the matching quality is incrementally improved if agents adaptively change their specifications. A realistic example is also provided to discuss how to extend our simulation to real-world e-procurement infrastructure.

An e-procurement model with specification description improvement

Some procurement negotiations are difficult to conclude smoothly using existing information processing systems because they need to first develop fuller buying/supplying specifications through bilateral negotiations between the buyer and supplier. In this paper, we propose an e-procurement model that provides a specification improvement mechanism, whereby a buyer can improve his/her procurement specifications using the suppliers knowledge. We conducted a simulation based on a real procurement case study to establish the effectiveness of our e-procurement model. Simultaneous procurements using multi-agent based technology can help buyers improve their own specifications. In addition, the e-procurement model helps suppliers to enhance the order-acceptance potential.

Multilingual Case Method System for Cross-Cultural Analysis

The case method is an effective teaching technique for business management education. The main objective with this method is to spark discussion and share ideas. However, discussions are generally conducted in a single-language environment, which is difficult for non-native speakers. We therefore developed a multilingual case method system for global classroom environments to benefit students of different cultures and who speak various languages. The system provides a learning environment in which students can communicate in their native language through the Language-Grid service. We evaluated our system by conducting experiments using a short case of an unresolved cultural conflict. Japanese and Korean students participated in the experiments. The system enabled sufficiently effective communication in their native languages. We were also able to address cultural differences, for example, Japanese students tend to think of cultural conflicts more negatively than Korean students.

Analysis of self-tagging during conversational chat in multilingual gaming simulation

A multilingual gaming simulation is suggested as the basis of an experiment by which we discuss complex problems such as global civics or environmental problems. Assigning tags is a very important way to analyze this experiment. However, assigning tags has a cost that is too large for analysts. In this study, we suggest and introduce a method for participants to voluntarily self-tag, focusing on gamification and crowdsourcing. As a result, we verified that it is possible for analysts to reduce the tagging cost when analyzing and to analyze results more accurately.

Multiagent Gaming System for Multilingual Communication

The internationalization of economic and social activities is forcing people who use different languages and belong to different cultures to collaborate far more often. An analysis of the status of multilingual communications among such people is required. We apply gaming simulation methods to analyze this topic. In this study, we design an environment that can game multilingual communication online by describing just simple game scripts. This advance is significant as people with domain knowledge of the applied problem are not always computer experts.

An analysis of expert knowledge transmission using machine translation services

Due to globalization, there is an increase in not only the use of machine translation services but also in the risk of failure to transfer. This risk becomes particularly significant if users are transmitting their countrys specific knowledge and know-how to exchange cultural information with users in other countries. To mitigate this risk, it is necessary for users to adapt to the translation services in order to improve the translations accuracy. Thus, in this study we focused on the transmission effect of sharing technical knowledge with a user having a different mother tongue (Chinese) by using a machine translation service. We performed experiments simulating expert knowledge transmission classes and tasks with a system consisting of multilingual chats and a corpus of terminologies. Our evaluation of the transmission reveals how the Chinese knowledge receiver could have learned depending on the pattern of organizational structure and the level of detail of the information. We also found that the use of symbols and numbers was effective. After these simulations and evaluation, we were able to propose how to more effectively use machine translation in the transmission of technical knowledge.

Attempt to mitigate congestion by providing latent information with walk-rally application

At events and sightseeing spots, congestion can be a factor that lowers customer satisfaction, so there is need for methods that mitigate congestion. Currently, there are methods for mitigating congestion such as changing the layout of an event and restricting customer behavior. However, there are problems in that it is difficult to reduce congestion at events in which the layout cannot be changed, and there is a risk the satisfaction level will be reduced due to restricting customer behavior. Therefore, we propose a method aimed at reducing congestion by allowing users to voluntarily select a detour to avoid congestion by providing users with not only obvious information but latent information with a walk-rally application. In demonstration experiments at real events and sightseeing spots, we confirmed that the proposed method is effective at reducing congestion and clarified how to use latent information effectively for mitigating congestion.

Gaming for Language Services

Service-oriented computing environments (SoCEs) such as the Language Grid can be regarded as the synthesis of their individual services. However, to make sustainable SoCEs, the user will want assurance that the billing structure is valid of and apportionment of cost burden among users is fair. To analyze the factors involved, we conduct donation and investment games for a machine translation service, where the service users participate in gaming. The results confirm the existence of users that actively try to make donations and social investments, users that remain passive to this kind of service, as well as users who tend to free ride on other users. Furthermore, we find that setting bonuses based on the total amount of donation and investment is effective in incentivizing some players to donate and invest. We also show how to reduce the cost of developing and executing gaming exercises for domain practitioners or experts. We define a game as a workflow of collaborative tasks executed by players. We develop game definition criteria to simplify game descriptions. We develop a gaming environment that enables web-based games to be implemented by using the game definitions.

An Analysis of Multi-language Simultaneous Display in the Translation System

It is assumed that Japanese can analogize the meaning of original text if they read the original text according to the commonality of written expressions, such as the commonality of Kanji and Chinese characters in case of Chinese-Japanese translations. In this study, participants rewrote translated sentences while viewing simultaneously the original sentences written in Chinese and the translated sentences into Japanese by Language Grid as a machine translation service. We analyzed how chat between a Japanese rewrite worker and Chinese participant was affected when the original sentences and machine-translated text were simultaneously displayed during the rewriting work. Additionally, we analyzed and evaluated the effect of the simultaneous display on the rewritten translated text. We found that the simultaneous display affects the rewriting work such that it is possible to analogize the meaning of the original text. Furthermore, the simultaneous display improved the translation quality of the rewritten translated text.