Thierry Gidel

The TATIN-PIC project: A multi-modal collaborative work environment for preliminary design

The recently launched TATIN-PIC Project at the University of Technology of Compiègne is a multi-modal collaborative work environment for teams performing preliminary design. In this paper, we present the design and reasoning for the plans of our groupware system. Effective preliminary design teamwork requires alternating stages of discussion, exploration, and diverging ideas, coupled with stages of focus, decision-making, and convergence. We believe providing a design team with an interactive tabletop can fulfill the first role and an interactive whiteboard can satisfy the second. Users will be able to switch seamlessly between the two, shifting content from one to the other when necessary. In this paper, we begin with a discussion of the advantages and characteristics of preliminary design. We continue with a review of the state-of-the-art in interactive, board-sized surfaces. We discuss experiments and results from TATIN, the precursory project to TATIN-PIC. Finally, we introduce our plans for an innovative work environment. Its multi-agent software architecture will be capable of supporting voice commands, tablets, smartphones, and personalized assistants capable of ontological reasoning about the project work.

Personal assistant agents and multi-agent middleware for CSCW

In recent years, there has been an increased interest for research on computer-supported cooperative work performed in collaborative interactive spaces. The TATIN-PIC project envisions a true multi-surface collaborative work environment with an interactive tabletop, an interactive board display, tablet PCs, and smartphones. In this paper, we first present the middleware based on a multi-agent architecture which use in our implementation, and then we detail how voice-controlled personal assistant agents can be implemented to provide unique interactions within a multi-surface environment.

Innovative PLM-based approach for collaborative design between OEM and suppliers: Case study of aeronautic industry

To achieve different assembly operations on the aircraft structure, the aeronautic OEM needs to create and manage various fixture tools. To cope with these needs, the OEM begun to adopt the supplier integration into the tooling development process. This paper presents a conceptual PLM-based approach to support new business partnership of different suppliers. The new business partnership aims to improve the role of supplier in the different tasks of design, configuration and fabrication of the tooling. The use of the PLM concepts is proposed to enhance the collaboration between OEM and the equipments suppliers. UML models are proposed to specify the structure of the PLM solution. These models describe the relation between the aircraft assembly project, and the tooling design process.

Synchronization of Innovation and Vehicle Projects: Proposal of a Management Tool at Renault SAS

The success of a vehicle on the market depends on its price, reliability, and attractiveness; for the latter, innovations are the key elements in the differentiation from competitors. Managing the processes of selecting and integrating innovation projects into vehicle projects is therefore crucial. This article presents a management tool that aims at managing the interplay between innovation projects and vehicle projects. The objectives are to increase and optimize the amount and value of innovation projects integrated into vehicle projects. The tool, called “Profilor,” is based on the concept of intrusiveness, which is presented from a theoretical and empirical point of view.

Assisting project risk management method selection

Projects have spread into companies and are more than ever exposed to risk, because of tight constraints, uncertainty, complexity and change. Risk management thus plays an important role in project management. Since there are more and more available methods in the literature, it has become increasingly difficult to choose the right one. Our objective in this paper is to introduce and analyse the main existing project risk management (PRM) methods and to provide decision-makers with a model to assist them to select one of these methods for their projects. To do this, we first investigate the existing methods in the PRM field and the criteria that should be considered for the selection. Secondly, we propose a simple multi criteria decision making (MCDM) model which screens out inadequate methods and ranks remaining alternatives. An application for one example is presented and some conclusions and perspectives are drawn.

A multi-criteria decision-making process for project risk management method selection

With projects facing tight constraints, uncertainty and change, they are more than ever exposed to risk. It has thus become increasingly important to effectively and efficiently manage project risks. Project risk management thus plays an important role in the quality and reliability of decisions made during a project. Our objective in this paper is to provide a project office manager or a project manager with one or more adequate project risk management (PRM) methods. To do this, we propose a structured approach based on a multi-criteria decision analysis model to select these methods. Firstly, we propose a list of alternative PRM methods and a list of selection criteria. Secondly, we capture, by interviewing decision-makers, data about their organisation and their preferences. Fuzzy numbers are used to express the relative importance of the criteria. Thirdly, the selection process is run by screening out inadequate methods and by ranking remaining alternatives. An application for one example is presented.

How functional economy would be an environmental economy? Mode of endogenization of environmental issues in functional economy

How functional economy would be an environmental economy? And more particularly: What is the mode of endogenization of environmental issues in Functional Economy? This paper reveals the ambiguity of environmental issues integration in Functional Economy through discussion of three proposals: environment is consecutive to Functional Economy; environment is necessary to Functional Economy, and Functional Economy is not correlated to environment. Our research methodology uses business models to evaluate if Functional Economy leads to environmental performances improvements. Business models typology reveals different levels of Functional Economy implementation. Then a correlation between those levels of Functional Economy integration and environmental issues is discussed. High-level Functional Economy has indeed a positive impact on environmental performances (for example companies with an “activist approach”) and low-level Functional Economy (still targeted on the good production) does not lead to environmental improvements. This research also reveals that economical issues drive Functional Economy implementation rather than environmental ones.

Vocal interaction in collocated cooperative design

Using vocal interfaces in complex applications leads to more intuitive interactions. At the University of Technology of Compiègne, we have built a collaborative environment from a large graphics table, interactive board and peripheral devices for supporting preliminary cooperative design. The environment support unique multimodal interaction through intelligent personal assistant agents and this paper details the architecture and implementation of their vocal interfaces, as well as the multi-agent middleware, using two different multi-agent platforms.

Verbal and nonverbal communication for evaluating interactive spaces.

There exists a lack of comparative evaluations between interactive tabletops and their traditional counterparts due to the radically different nature of the two environments and the overly complex dynamics of collocated collaboration. We seek to address this gap in the literature with a preliminary comparative evaluation of the two paradigms. The most significant contribution of this work-in-progress is the application of an experimental coding scheme for categorizing both verbal and nonverbal communication, which allows for an effective comparison of group dynamics across the two conditions.

Ambiguity in Multimodal Interaction with Multi-touch Multi-user Graphics Tables

Graphics surfaces have a great potential for supporting cooperative work provided they can accommodate a large enough team. However, using large multi-user multi-touch tables leads to a problem of ambiguity as to know who is actually interacting with the table, since gestures are anonymous. This problem is even more severe when one introduces multimodal interaction for example through vocal channels. At UTC we have built a system including a large graphics table and peripheral devices for supporting preliminary cooperative design using multimodal interaction. The paper relates the ambiguity problems that we encountered and how we are trying to solve them.