Home environments are changing as more technological devices are used to improve daily life. The growing demand for high technology in our homes means that robot integration will soon arrive. Home devices are evolving in a connected paradigm in which data flows to perform efficient home task management. Heterogeneous home robots connected in a network can establish a workflow that complements their capabilities and so increases performance within a mission execution. This work addresses the definition and requirements of a robot-group mission in the home context. The proposed solution relies on a network of smart resources, which are defined as cyber-physical systems that provide high-level service execution. Firstly, control middleware architecture is introduced as the execution base for the Smart resources. Next, the Smart resource topology and its integration within a robotic platform are addressed. Services supplied by Smart resources manage their execution through a robot behavior architecture. Robot behavior execution is hierarchically organized through a mission definition that can be established as an individual or collective approach. Environment model and interaction tasks characterize the operation capabilities of each robot within a mission. Mission goal achievement in a heterogeneous group is enhanced through the complement of the interaction capabilities of each robot. To offer a clearer explanation, a full use case is presented in which two robots cooperate to execute a mission and the previously detailed steps are evaluated. Finally, some of the obtained results are discussed as conclusions and future works is introduced. / Los entornos domésticos se encuentran sometidos a un proceso de cambio gracias al empleo de dispositivos tecnológicos que mejoran la calidad de vida de las personas. La creciente demanda de alta tecnología en los hogares señala una próxima incorporación de la robótica de servicio. Los dispositivos domésticos están evolucionando hacia un paradigma de conexión en el cual la información fluye para ofrecer una gestión más eficiente. En este entorno, robots heterogéneos conectados a la red pueden establecer un flujo de trabajo que ofreciendo nuevas soluciones y incrementando la eficiencia en la ejecución de tareas. Este trabajo aborda la definición y los requisitos necesarios para la ejecución de misiones en grupos de robots heterogéneos en entornos domésticos. La solución propuesta se apoya en una red de Smart resources, que son definidos como sistemas ciber-físicos que proporcionan servicios de alto nivel. En primer lugar, se presenta la arquitectura del middleware de control en la cual se basa la ejecución de los Smart resources. A continuación se detalla la topología de los Smart resources, así como su integración en plataformas robóticas. Los servicios proporcionados por los Smart resources gestionan su ejecución mediante una arquitectura de comportamientos para robots. La ejecución de estos comportamientos se organiza de forma jerárquica mediante la definición de una misión con un objetivo establecido de forma individual o colectiva a un grupo de robots. Dentro de una misión, las tareas de modelado e interacción con el entorno define las capacidades de operación de los robots dentro de una misión. Mediante la integración de un grupo heterogéneo de robots sus diversas capacidades son complementadas para el logro un objetivo común. A fin de caracterizar esta propuesta, los mecanismos presentados en este documento se evaluarán en detalle a lo largo de una serie experimentos en los cuales un grupo de robots heterogéneos ejecutan una misión colaborativa para alcanzar un objetivo común. Finalmente, los resultados serán discutidos a modo de conclusiones dando lugar el establecimiento de un trabajo futuro. / Els entorns domèstics es troben sotmesos a un procés de canvi gràcies a l'ocupació de dispositius tecnològics que milloren la qualitat de vida de les persones. La creixent demanda d'alta tecnologia a les llars assenyala una propera incorporació de la robòtica de servei. Els dispositius domèstics estan evolucionant cap a un paradigma de connexió en el qual la informació flueix per oferir una gestió més eficient. En aquest entorn, robots heterogenis connectats a la xarxa poden establir un flux de treball que ofereix noves solucions i incrementant l'eficiència en l'execució de tasques. Aquest treball aborda la definició i els requisits necessaris per a l'execució de missions en grups de robots heterogenis en entorns domèstics. La solució proposada es recolza en una xarxa de Smart resources, que són definits com a sistemes ciber-físics que proporcionen serveis d'alt nivell. En primer lloc, es presenta l'arquitectura del middleware de control en la qual es basa l'execució dels Smart resources. A continuació es detalla la tipologia dels Smart resources, així com la seva integració en plataformes robòtiques. Els serveis proporcionats pels Smart resources gestionen la seva execució mitjançant una arquitectura de comportaments per a robots. L'execució d'aquests comportaments s'organitza de forma jeràrquica mitjançant la definició d'una missió amb un objectiu establert de forma individual o col·lectiva a un grup de robots. Dins d'una missió, les tasques de modelatge i interacció amb l'entorn defineix les capacitats d'operació dels robots dins d'una missió. Mitjançant la integració d'un grup heterogeni de robots seves diverses capacitats són complementades per a l'assoliment un objectiu comú. Per tal de caracteritzar aquesta proposta, els mecanismes presentats en aquest document s'avaluaran en detall mitjançant d'una sèrie experiments en els quals un grup de robots heterogenis executen una missió col·laborativa per aconseguir un objectiu comú. Finalment, els resultats seran discutits a manera de conclusions donant lloc a l'establiment d'un treball futur. / Munera Sánchez, E. (2017). MISSION-ORIENTED HETEROGENEOUS ROBOT COOPERATION BASED ON SMART RESOURCES EXECUTION [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/88404

[pt] O apoio diagnóstico de exames médicos por imagem utilizando técnicas de Inteligência Artificial tem sido amplamente discutido e pesquisado academicamente. Diversas técnicas computacionais para segmentação e classificação de tais imagens são continuamente criadas, testadas e aperfeiçoadas. Destes estudos emergem sistemas com alto grau de especialização que se utilizam de técnicas de visão computacional e aprendizagem de máquina para segmentar e classificar imagens de exames utilizando conhecimento adquirido através de grandes coleções de exames devidamente laudados. No domínio médico há ainda a dificuldade de se conseguir bases de dados qualificada para realização da extração de conhecimento pelos sistemas de aprendizagem de máquina. Neste trabalho propomos a construção de uma arquitetura de software que suporte o desenvolvimento de sistemas de apoio diagnóstico que possibilite: (i) a utilização em múltiplos tipos exames, (ii) que consiga segmentar e classificar, (iii) utilizando não só de estratégias padrão de aprendizado de máquina como, (iv) o conhecimento do domínio médico disponível. A motivação é facilitar a tarefa de geração de classificadores que possibilite, além de buscar marcadores patológicos específicos, ser aplicado em objetivos diversos da atividade médica, como o diagnóstico pontual, triagem e priorização do atendimento. / [en] The image medical exam diagnostic support using Artificial Intelligence techniques has been extensively discussed and academically researched. Several computational techniques for segmentation and classification of such images are continuously created, tested and improved. From these studies, highly specialized systems that use computational vision and machine learning techniques to segment and classify exam images using knowledge acquired through large collections of lauded exams. In the medical domain, there is still the difficulty of obtaining qualified databases to support the extraction of knowledge by machine learning systems. In this work we propose a software architecture construction that supports diagnostic support systems development that allows: (i) use of multiple exam types, (ii) supporting segmentation and classification, (iii) using not only machine learning techniques as, (iv) knowledge of the available medical domain. The motivation is to facilitate the generation of classifiers task that, besides searching for specific pathological markers, can be applied to different medical activity objectives, such as punctual diagnosis, triage and prioritization of care.

Enterprise Architecture endeavours to resolve the complexity of increasingly distributed systems by aligning business vision with IT strategy, which in turn should reduce the overall costs of IT in the business and provide simpler, better and faster solutions to business problems. There are many Enterprise Architecture frameworks. The main purpose of most of these frameworks is to assist with the challenges of managing the increased complexity of distributed systems, aligning business vision with IT strategy and reducing IT costs. Many of the studies which produced the results stating Enterprise Architecture aligns business vision and reduces IT costs, were based on Zachman’s work, and most of the published Enterprise Architecture success stories focus on the benefits provided to the company with regards to IT. In contrast very little documentation could be found that addresses the impact of Enterprise Architecture implementations on the individuals and systems within a company. If the individuals as the main implementers of any strategy are impacted negatively by Enterprise Architecture management decisions, there would be a negative impact on the return on investment of the company. Enterprise Architecture allows the use of overlapping departments’ processes and data, which translates into less development time as system components would already exist. Changes that are made to the Enterprise Architecture result in several additional changes that had to be implemented by the software developers. These changes influenced the workload, roles and responsibilities of the developers in such a way that the development team became negative about the additional work. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of Enterprise Architecture management decisions on the responsibilities, work experience and attitude towards Enterprise Architecture of the software developers in a company that develops software by exploring and describing the nature of software development. Based on the findings of this study, a list of impact of Enterprise Architecture decisions on the responsibilities of software developers in companies that develop software were identified. In this respect, the study identified impacts of Enterprise Architecture management decisions as well as possible solutions to these impacts. / Computing / M. Sc. (Information Systems)

Distributed systems are everywhere. From large datacenters to mobile devices, an ever richer assortment of applications and services relies on distributed systems, infrastructure, and protocols. Despite their ubiquity, testing and debugging distributed systems remains notoriously hard. Moreover, aside from inherent design challenges posed by partial failure, concurrency, or asynchrony, there remain significant challenges in the implementation of distributed systems. These programming challenges stem from the increasing complexity of the concurrent activities and reactive behaviors in a distributed system on the one hand, and the need to effectively leverage the parallelism offered by modern multi-core hardware, on the other hand. This thesis contributes Kompics, a programming model designed to alleviate some of these challenges. Kompics is a component model and programming framework for building distributed systems by composing message-passing concurrent components. Systems built with Kompics leverage multi-core machines out of the box, and they can be dynamically reconfigured to support hot software upgrades. A simulation framework enables deterministic execution replay for debugging, testing, and reproducible behavior evaluation for large-scale Kompics distributed systems. The same system code is used for both simulation and production deployment, greatly simplifying the system development, testing, and debugging cycle. We highlight the architectural patterns and abstractions facilitated by Kompics through a case study of a non-trivial distributed key-value storage system. CATS is a scalable, fault-tolerant, elastic, and self-managing key-value store which trades off service availability for guarantees of atomic data consistency and tolerance to network partitions. We present the composition architecture for the numerous protocols employed by the CATS system, as well as our methodology for testing the correctness of key CATS algorithms using the Kompics simulation framework. Results from a comprehensive performance evaluation attest that CATS achieves its claimed properties and delivers a level of performance competitive with similar systems which provide only weaker consistency guarantees. More importantly, this testifies that Kompics admits efficient system implementations. Its use as a teaching framework as well as its use for rapid prototyping, development, and evaluation of a myriad of scalable distributed systems, both within and outside our research group, confirm the practicality of Kompics. / Kompics / CATS / REST

Distributed systems are everywhere. From large datacenters to mobile devices, an ever richer assortment of applications and services relies on distributed systems, infrastructure, and protocols. Despite their ubiquity, testing and debugging distributed systems remains notoriously hard. Moreover, aside from inherent design challenges posed by partial failure, concurrency, or asynchrony, there remain significant challenges in the implementation of distributed systems. These programming challenges stem from the increasing complexity of the concurrent activities and reactive behaviors in a distributed system on the one hand, and the need to effectively leverage the parallelism offered by modern multi-core hardware, on the other hand. This thesis contributes Kompics, a programming model designed to alleviate some of these challenges. Kompics is a component model and programming framework for building distributed systems by composing message-passing concurrent components. Systems built with Kompics leverage multi-core machines out of the box, and they can be dynamically reconfigured to support hot software upgrades. A simulation framework enables deterministic execution replay for debugging, testing, and reproducible behavior evaluation for largescale Kompics distributed systems. The same system code is used for both simulation and production deployment, greatly simplifying the system development, testing, and debugging cycle. We highlight the architectural patterns and abstractions facilitated by Kompics through a case study of a non-trivial distributed key-value storage system. CATS is a scalable, fault-tolerant, elastic, and self-managing key-value store which trades off service availability for guarantees of atomic data consistency and tolerance to network partitions. We present the composition architecture for the numerous protocols employed by the CATS system, as well as our methodology for testing the correctness of key CATS algorithms using the Kompics simulation framework. Results from a comprehensive performance evaluation attest that CATS achieves its claimed properties and delivers a level of performance competitive with similar systems which provide only weaker consistency guarantees. More importantly, this testifies that Kompics admits efficient system implementations. Its use as a teaching framework as well as its use for rapid prototyping, development, and evaluation of a myriad of scalable distributed systems, both within and outside our research group, confirm the practicality of Kompics. / <p>QC 20130520</p>

Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Technology: Information Technology in the Faculty of Informatics and Design at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology 2013 / The alignment between business and information technology (IT) strategies has been a challenge for many years. Strategic alignment models and enterprise architecture methodologies and frameworks have been developed to assist business and IT managers with improving alignment between business and IT strategies. The business analyst, systems analyst and project manager are key role players in delivering the information systems (IS) needs of business and therefore key in aligning business and IT strategies. Despite literature and research suggesting a positive influence of emotional intelligence on occupational performance in various industries, the development of emotional intelligence of the business analyst, systems analyst and project manager is neglected by software development organisations. Emotional intelligence is neglected in industry IS competency models as well as documented standards for the business analysis and project management profession (BABOK and PMBOK). Emotional intelligence is not addressed in strategic alignment models and enterprise architecture methodologies and frameworks. Emotional intelligence is equally neglected in IS literature. Systematic research investigating the impact of emotional intelligence on occupational performance of IT professionals remains sparse. The purpose of this study was to determine which emotional intelligence competencies are needed to improve the occupational performance of business analysts, systems analysts and project managers in delivering business information system needs. The study took the form of a multiple interpretive case study. Qualitative data was collected using semi-structured interviews with stakeholders from 20 software development organisations utilising the roles of the business analyst, systems analyst and project manager. Quantitative data was collected using the Genos Emotional Intelligence Inventory with the aim of identifying the patterns of emotional intelligence visible in the sample of business analysts, systems analysts and project managers assessed. The study suggests emotional intelligence has a role to play in alignment between business and IT strategies. It is proposed that industry IS competency models as well as the standards for the business analysis and project management profession as documented in BABOK and PMBOK include specific emotional intelligence competencies. The study also proposes that higher education institutions in IT/IS such as universities of technology, as well as training providers focusing on business analysis, systems analysis and project management, should focus not only on technical skills but emotional intelligence skills as well when developing the supply pipeline of business analysts, systems analysts and project managers. Keywords: Emotional intelligence, business – IT alignment, information technology, enterprise architecture, business analyst, systems analyst, project manager, competencies, non-technical skills.

Avec la construction des robots de plus en plus complexes, la croissance des architectures logicielles robotiques et l’explosion de la diversité toujours plus grande des applications et misions des robots, la conception, le développement et l’intégration des entités logicielles des systèmes robotiques, constituent une problématique majeure de la communauté robotique. En effet, les architectures logicielles robotiques et les plateformes de développement logiciel pour la robotique sont nombreuses, et sont dépendantes du type de robot (robot de service, collaboratif, agricole, médical, etc.) et de son mode d'utilisation (en cage, d’extérieur, en milieu occupé, etc.). L’effort de maintenance de ces plateformes et leur coût de développement sont donc considérables.Les roboticiens se posent donc une question fondamentale : comment réduire les coûts de développement des systèmes logiciels robotiques, tout en augmentant leur qualité et en préservant la spécificité et l’indépendance de chaque système robotique? Cette question induit plusieurs autres : d’une part, comment décrire et encapsuler les diverses fonctions que doit assurer le robot, sous la forme d’un ensemble d’entités logicielles en interaction? Et d’autre part, comment conférer à ces entités logicielles, des propriétés de modularité, portabilité, réutilisabilité, interopérabilité, etc.?A notre avis, l’une des solutions les plus probables et prometteuses à cette question consiste à élever le niveau d’abstraction dans la définition des entités logicielles qui composent les systèmes robotiques. Pour ce faire, nous nous tournons vers l’ingénierie dirigée par les modèles, et plus particulièrement la conception des DSML (Domain Specific Modeling Language).Dans cette thèse, nous réalisons dans un premier temps, une étude comparative des langages de modélisation et de méthodes utilisés dans le développement des systèmes embarqués temps réel en général. L’objectif de ce premier travail étant de voir s’il en existe qui puissent permettre de répondre aux questions susmentionnées des roboticiens. Cette étude, non seulement nous montre que ces approches ne sont pas adaptées à la définition des architectures logicielles robotiques, mais elle aboutit surtout à unFramework, que nous proposons et qui aide à choisir la (les) méthode(s) et/ou le(s) langage(s) de modélisation le(s) plus adapté(s) aux besoins du concepteur. Par la suite, nous proposons un DSML baptisé RsaML (Robotic Software Architecture Modeling Language), pour la définition des architectures logicielles robotiques avec prise en compte de propriétés temps réel. Pour ce faire, un méta-modèle est proposé à partir des concepts que les roboticiens ont l’habitude d’utiliser pour la définition de leurs applications. Il constitue la syntaxe abstraite du langage. Les propriétés temps réel sont identifiées à leur tour et incluses dans les concepts concernés. Des règles sémantiques du domaine de la robotique sont ensuite définies sous forme de contraintes OCL, puis intégrées au méta-modèle, pour permettre que des vérifications de propriétés non fonctionnelles et temps réel soient effectuées sur les modèles construits. Le Framework de modélisation EMF d’Eclipse a été utilisé pour mettre en oeuvre un éditeur qui supporte le langage RsaML.La suite des travaux réalisés dans cette thèse a consisté à définir des transformations de modèles, puis à les utiliser pour implémenter des générateurs. Ces derniers permettent à partir d’un modèle RsaML construit, d’une part, de produire sa documentation et, d’autre part, de produire du code source en langage C. Ces contributions sont validées à travers un cas d’étude décrivant un scénario basé sur le robot Khepera III. / With the construction of increasingly complex robots, the growth of robotic software architectures and the explosion of ever greater diversity of applications and robots missions, the design, development and integration of software entities of robotic systems, constitute a major problem for the robotics community. Indeed, robotic software architectures and software development platforms for robotics are numerous, and are dependent on the type of robot (service robot, collaborative, agricultural, medical, etc.) and its usage mode (In cage, outdoor, environment with obstacles, etc.).The maintenance effort of these platforms and their development cost are therefore considerable.Roboticists are therefore asking themselves a fundamental question: how to reduce the development costs of robotic software systems, while increasing their quality and preserving the specificity and independence of each robotic system? This question induces several others: on the one hand, how to describe and encapsulate the various functions that the robot must provide, in the form of a set of interactive software entities? And on the other hand, how to give these software entities, properties of modularity, portability, reusability, interoperability etc.?In our opinion, one of the most likely and promising solutions to this question, is to raise the level of abstraction in defining the software entities that make up robotic systems. To do this, we turn to model-driven engineering, specifically the design of Domain Specific Modeling Language (DSML).In this thesis, we first realize a comparative study of modeling languages and methods used in the development of embedded real time systems in general. The objective of this first work is to see if there are some that can make it possible to answer the aforementioned questions of the roboticists. This study not only shows that these approaches are not adapted to the definition of robotic software architectures, but mainly results in a framework, which we propose and which helps to choose the method (s) and / or the modeling language (s) best suited to the needs of the designer. Subsequently, we propose a DSML called Robotic Software Architecture Modeling Language (RsaML), for the definition of robotic software architectures with real-time properties. To do this, a meta-model is proposed from the concepts that roboticists are used to in defining their applications. It constitutes the abstract syntax of the language. Real-time properties are identified and included in the relevant concepts. Semantic rules in the field of robotics are then defined as OCL constraints and then integrated into the meta-model, to allow non-functional and realtime property checks to be performed on the constructed models.Eclipse Modeling Framework has been used to implement an editor that supports the RsaML language. The rest of the work done in this thesis involved defining model transformations and then using them to implement generators. These generators make it possible from a RsaML model built, to produce its documentation and source code in C language. These contributions are validated through a case study describing a scenario based on the Khepera III robot.

To create, update, or deploy a mobile application, a collection of hand-operated works must be satisfied. In this project, regardless of the mobile application's code and its core functionalities, which can be an e-book, an application, or even a mobile game, we will study how to automate, visualize and simplify the following manual procedures: 1.Create a remote Git repository for the mobile application. 2.Constructing or altering the mobile application's configuration or graphical contents. 3.Push all changes to the remote Git repository. 4.Deploy or distribute the mobile application from its Git repository after each push. / För att skapa, uppdatera eller distribuera en mobilapplikation måste en samling handstyrda verk uppfyllas. I detta projekt, oavsett mobilapplikationens kod och dess kärnfunktioner, som kan vara en e-bok, en applikation eller till och med ett mobilspel, kommer vi att studera hur man automatiserar, visualiserar och förenklar följande manuella procedurer: 1. Skapa ett avlägset Git -arkiv för mobilapplikationen. 2.Konstruera eller ändra mobilapplikationens konfiguration eller grafiska innehåll. 3.Push alla ändringar i det externa Git -arkivet. 4. Distribuera mobilappen från sitt Git -arkiv efter varje ändring.

This thesis was selected due to establishing of universal platform for USBTMC remote instrumentation and constructing a laboratory DC power supply for hobby use. This thesis is focused on design and realization of regulated linear DC power supply. At first thesis mentions kinds of DC power supplies and kinds of interfaces used for test and measurement instruments. Thesis continues by describing of blocks of a developed linear DC power supply with an USB interface following the USBTMC specification for remote control. Thesis ends by realization of the regulated linear DC power supply with USBTMC interface. It was achieved acceptable results. Communication between PC and Control module works well as same as communication between Control module and Power supply module. Maximum output ranges of voltage and current are 40V and 3A. Big interference on auxiliary supply rail decreases accuracy.

Enterprise Architecture endeavours to resolve the complexity of increasingly distributed systems by aligning business vision with IT strategy, which in turn should reduce the overall costs of IT in the business and provide simpler, better and faster solutions to business problems. There are many Enterprise Architecture frameworks. The main purpose of most of these frameworks is to assist with the challenges of managing the increased complexity of distributed systems, aligning business vision with IT strategy and reducing IT costs. Many of the studies which produced the results stating Enterprise Architecture aligns business vision and reduces IT costs, were based on Zachman’s work, and most of the published Enterprise Architecture success stories focus on the benefits provided to the company with regards to IT. In contrast very little documentation could be found that addresses the impact of Enterprise Architecture implementations on the individuals and systems within a company. If the individuals as the main implementers of any strategy are impacted negatively by Enterprise Architecture management decisions, there would be a negative impact on the return on investment of the company. Enterprise Architecture allows the use of overlapping departments’ processes and data, which translates into less development time as system components would already exist. Changes that are made to the Enterprise Architecture result in several additional changes that had to be implemented by the software developers. These changes influenced the workload, roles and responsibilities of the developers in such a way that the development team became negative about the additional work. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of Enterprise Architecture management decisions on the responsibilities, work experience and attitude towards Enterprise Architecture of the software developers in a company that develops software by exploring and describing the nature of software development. Based on the findings of this study, a list of impact of Enterprise Architecture decisions on the responsibilities of software developers in companies that develop software were identified. In this respect, the study identified impacts of Enterprise Architecture management decisions as well as possible solutions to these impacts. / Computing / M. Sc. (Information Systems)