Go back to Table of Contents.
In the meantime, I have been busy setting up a World-Wide-Web page for SIGMAN. This will make time sensitive information more readily available. The page can be accessed from the URL http://www.aaai.org/ by following the pointer to the Special Interest Group on Manufacturing. My objective is to update the page at least once a month, or more often, as new information becomes available.
You can contribute to the newsletter by sending a short article about your projects and experiences in applying AI techniques to manufacturing. Information on conferences or workshops of interest to the SIGMAN members, announcements of books or journals, call for papers, are welcome. Pointers to other World Wide Web pages are specially welcome.
We will still print the Newsletter three times a year for the members who do not have access to the World Wide Web or who prefer hard copies. For inclusion in the next printed newsletter please send your material by September 30, 1995, to Maria Gini, EE/CSci 4-192, 200 Union St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA or e-mail to gini@cs.umn.edu .
Maria Gini
Anyone disagreeing with this stance is kindly invited to run for Sigman office themselves. A bit more controversy and activity would probably be a good thing for the organization.
The current SIGMAN officers are:
The Planning & Scheduling Benchmarks home page can be accessed with your favorite Web browser (Mosaic, Netscape, etc.) at the following address:
http://www.neosoft.com/~benchmrx
If you prefer to acquire the benchmark problems and data via anonymous FTP simply connect to "ftp.neosoft.com" and access the directory "/pub/users/b/benchmrx" If you don't have ready access to a Web browser or FTP, send an e-mail request to "benchmrx@neosoft.com" containing the message "get benchmarks info" If you have trouble making a connection, try again during off peak hours or submit an e-mail request for the data. Although access to this data is expected to be light,this server is heavily loaded with other users including dial-up slip and ppp. Although several university colleagues have volunteered to host the Planning & Scheduling Benchmarks site, we felt that use of a commercial Internet provider would eliminate any appearance of conflict of interest. We will consider use of one or more mirror sites if access to Neosoft is not satisfactory. Please address all questions and comments about the problems and access to them to "benchmrx@neosoft.com"
In the future we hope to provide a variety of problems, all based upon real applications. Because of our limited access to industrial problems the selection of problems that we provide will be limited, but we will do our best to guarantee that the problems are relevant to a broad range of industries. We will likely call upon many of our colleagues to help create new problems and to perform initial tests of the data sets to be published. We hope that others will follow our lead and provide access to problems in other domains.
We will do our best to provide a variety of both planning and scheduling problems. By doing so we hope to illustrate the need for well integrated planning and scheduling systems that support the entire life-cycle of product design, process design, manufacturing, and distribution. There is no expectation that all participants will attempt to solve all of the published problems. Instead, it is likely that each participant will focus in the area of their greatest expertise and interest.
This is clearly an experiment. We have no way to predict what kind of participation will result from the publication of these problems nor to predict any downstream effects on the course of research and development. We will make every attempt to be responsive to comments and suggestions submitted by participants and we will change the content and format if necessary. Continuation and expansion are entirely dependent upon the interest shown by participants and the time required to maintain this home page, data sets, and submitted results. To the best of our ability, we will keep this forum open until December 31, 1995.
Good Luck!
Barry R. Fox and Mark Ringer
benchmrx@neosoft.com
The Workshop will include a number of Panels and Posters.
Panel 1: Enabling Technologies for Agile/Virtual Manufacturing (I)
Panel 2: AI Manufacturing Architectures
Panel 3: Enabling Technologies for Agile/Virtual Manufacturing (II)
Panel 4: The Role of AI in Mfg Where are We and Where Do We Go From Here ?
For information contact:
Dr. Norman Sadeh (chair), Intelligent Coordination and Logistics Lab., CIMDS - The Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3891 - U.S.A. Phone: (412)268-8827; Fax: (412)268-5569; E-mail: sadeh@cs.cmu.edu
The book shows how to apply the mathematical tools of game theory in a formal analysis of the rules that control the high-level behavior of interacting computer systems. Game theoretic ideas are used to address the question of how to design rules of interaction for automated agents, including those whose goals are in conflict.
The book explores three different types of domains: task-oriented domains, state-oriented domains, and worth-oriented domains. In task-oriented domains agents have nonconflicting jobs to do, and these jobs or tasks can be redistributed among the agents to everyone's mutual benefit. In state-oriented domains goals specify acceptable final states, and possibly conflicting goals exist. The purpose of negotiation is to create plans that deconflict actions and perhaps assist other agents. Finally, in worth-oriented domains goals specify acceptable final states but agents possess functions that rate the acceptability of non-final states. Negotiation often results in partial rather than ultimate success.
The book provides tools for the analysis of the domains. They go from a precise definition of the domain, agent goals, and agent operations, to the design of a negotiation protocol, and to the design of negotiation strategies.
The bottom line is that by adjusting the rules of behavior of multiple, interacting software agents, it is possible to influence the set of rules (the protocol) that system designers put into their agents. The purpose of this influencing is to ensure desirable attributes for the systems, such as efficiency and stability.
Three-Dimensional Computer Vision. A geometric viewpoint.. O. Faugeras. The MIT Press. 1993. 695 pages. $67.50 hardcover. ISBN 0-262-06158-9.
The book provides a mathematically rigorous coverage of computer vision, with special emphasis on techniques for three-dimensional vision. The book presents mainly the work of Faugeras and his collaborators at INRIA (France), but it provides an in depth treatment of essential topics in computer vision that are rarely covered in one book at this level of detail and with this rigor. Among the subjects covered is projective geometry, calibration and modeling of cameras, edge detection, stereo vision, and interpolation of three-dimensional data. Tracking objects over time, recognizing, and localizing objects are presented with numerous examples from recognition of objects and robot navigation. Multiple problems are presented through the book and solutions are provided to them.
Go back to Table of Contents.
Concurrent Engineering (CE) is concerned with making better products in less time. A basic tenet of the approach is that all aspects of the product's life-cycle should be considered as early as possible in the design-to-manufacturing process. For example, this allows Recycling to be considered at product design time.
Early consideration of later phases of the life-cycle brings to light problems that will occur downstream and, therefore, supports intelligent and informed decision-making throughout the process. Thus, considering packaging and distribution during product design would allow package design to proceed more-or-less concurrently.
A key idea for implementing CE is the use of teams in which each member (either human or computational) is an expert on some aspect of the product in a phase of its life-cycle. The diversity of team members produces significant challenges in maintaining effective communication and providing appropriate computational support. Members may be geographically distributed, have different terminology, perspectives and goals, and may interact through a heterogeneous mix of computer platforms.
Software agents may be primary members of a team, in which case the agents do product and process design. Alternatively, software agents may act in a support role, for example as communication specialists, mediators, translators, managers, tool specialists, schedulers, coordinators, and retrievers of information.
We will consider papers that discuss infrastructure issues (for example, architectures for supporting virtual teams, decision-support tools, and design rationale) as well as those that concentrate on more theoretical issues (for example, specifications of shared languages, constraint-based problem solving, and negotiation).
Papers are requested on topics concerned with multi-agent systems that support and enhance the CE process. In particular, we are soliciting papers concerned with the role of multi-agent systems in the early consideration of all aspects of a product's life-cycle, and the role of multi-agent systems in support of concurrent decision-making. All papers should comment on their contribution to these issues.
Manuscripts should be no more than 25 double-spaced pages in length including all figures and references. Papers must not have been previously published or be currently submitted for publication elsewhere. Initial abstracts and manuscripts should have a title page including the authors' full names, affiliations, physical and email addresses. Papers must be double spaced, single-sided, on 8.5" x 11" paper, with 1" margins all around, in a 12 point font.
Papers will be reviewed by at least 3 reviewers. Papers that cannot be accomodated in this special issue, or that do not match the topics relevant for this special issue, will be considered for the Proceedings of the Third International Concurrent Engineering Research & Applications Conference scheduled for August 1996.
For additional info see the web page http://cs.wpi.edu/~dcb/CERA/CFP.html
Deadlines. 1 to 2 page abstract: July 15, 1995. Five copies of full manuscript: 15, 1995. Notification of acceptance: September 15, 1995. Final version of manuscript: November 15, 1995. Special Issue: March 1996
Submit your abstract via email to all three guest editors: David Brown ( dcb@cs.wpi.edu ), Susan Lander ( lander@cs.umass.edu), Charles Petrie ( ac123@eng.cam.ac.uk or lsb@eng.cam.ac.uk .
Special issue on AI in Design Applications, International Journal Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence
Significant interest has recently been generated in the application of AI techniques in design tasks. This new interest, both in the academic and the industrial communities, has led to many developments over the last decade. A number of interesting projects are currently in progress in a wide variety of domains, ranging from intelligent computer aided control system design, to design of cars, aircraft and submarines.
Following these developments, it is planned to publish a special issue of the international journal Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence, to be dedicated to AI techniques applied to design tasks. The special issue will be published October 1996.
Topics covered in the special issue may include, but are not limited to, the following:
Send five copies of the complete manuscript, before \fI1st November 1995\fP, to: Rob A. Vingerhoeds, Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Technical Mathematics and Informatics, Julianalaan 132, 2628 BL Delft, The Netherlands. Tel: +31-15-78.46.98; Fax: +31-15-78.71.41. rob@kgs.twi.tudelft.nl .
Instructions for authors are available from the above address, or from: Editorial Office, Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence, Institution for Industrial Information Technology Ltd., Innovation Centre, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, United Kingdom. e-mail: http://WWW.CE.UniPR.IT/rti .
Guest editors:
Alberto BROGGI, Dip. di Ingegneria dell'Informazione, Viale delle Scienze, University of Parma, I-43100 Parma, Italy. Phone: +39-521-905707; Fax: +39-521-905723; E-Mail: broggi@CE.UniPR.IT
Francesco GREGORETTI, Dip. di Elettronica, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi, Polytechnic of Turin, I-10129 Turin, Italy. Phone: +39-11-5644081; Fax: +39-11-5644099; E-Mail: gregor@PoliTO.IT .
C. S. George Lee 1285 Electrical Engineering Building School of Electrical Engineering Purdue University West Lafayette, IN 47907-1285, U.S.A. Phone: (317) 494-1384 Fax: (317) 494-6951 E-mail: ra96@ecn.purdue.edu
Papers should be submitted in final format with a 2-column format on 8.5 by 11 inch sheets. Each column is limited to 3 1/4 inch in width and 8 7/8 inch in length with a 3/8 inch gutter between columns. The margins are 13/16 inch on the sides, 1 1/16 inch on the top and bottom. Text is to be typed single spaced in at least 10 point Times Roman (or a font closely resembling this type), with 12 point interline spacing. The first page of the paper, centered on the top below the top margin, should include the paper title, the authors' names, and their affiliations. Six pages are allowed for each paper. Up to two additional pages will be permitted for a charge of $170 for each additional page. Illustrations are included in the page count. A separate sheet of paper should be provided including the following information: (1) The name, fax number and email address of the corresponding author. (2) The abstract of the paper. (3) A brief paragraph summarizing the contributions of the paper and its potential applications. Authors will be notified about the disposition of their papers by January 5, 1996. Final papers, reflecting any minor changes recommended by the reviewers, will be due by January 31, 1996.
For general information about the conference, please contact the General Chair:
Norman Caplan,
National Science Foundation,
BES, Room 565,
4201 Wilson Blvd.,
Arlington, VA 22230, U.S.A.
Telephone: (703) 306-1318
Fax: (703) 306-0312
E-mail:
ncaplan@note.nsf.gov
or look at the Web page
gini@cs.umn.edu
Fourth International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Design (AID'96), 24-27 June 1996, Stanford University, California, USA.
Design is becoming an important research topic in engineering and architecture. This conference series aims to provide an international forum for the presentation and discussion of the state-of-the-art and cutting edge research and developments in artificial intelligence in design.
Paper Submission: Two hard copies of full papers and an electronic submission by \fI1 November 1995\fP. For information and instructions on how to submit: http://www.arch.su.edu.au/kcdc/conferences/aid96/index.html .
Tenth International Workshop on Qualitative Reasoning, May 21-24, 1996, Stanford Sierra Camp, Fallen Leaf Lake, California, USA.
Papers are invited on any area with topics relevant to Qualitative Reasoning, including (but not limited to):
Submission deadline for full papers and abstracts is 22 January 1996. Please contact the Workshop Co-Chairs for further information or on the WWW at http://www-ksl.stanford.edu/projects/htw/qr96 . The postcript file of the full announcement is also available for anonymous ftp from ksl.stanford.edu.
Workshop Co-chairs: Adam Farquhar ( axf@ksl.stanford.edu ) and Yumi Iwasaki ( iwasaki@ksl.stanford.edu ) Knowledge Systems Laboratory, Department of Computer Science, Stanford University
For information look at the World Wide Web page of the IEEE Technical Committee on Assembly and Task Planning at http://casper.beckman.uiuc.edu/~r-sharma/tc_atp_home.html .
14th International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence (IJCAI-95),
Seventh Innovative Applications of Artificial Intelligence Conference (IAAI-95),
1st International Conference on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining (KDD-95),
Palais des Congres, Montreal, Canada August 20-25, 1995.
For information contact: AAAI, 445 Burgess Drive, Menlo Park, CA 94025. Phone: (415) 328-3123; Fax: (415) 321-4457; E-mail: ijcai@aaai.org or iaai@aaai.org .
Second International Conference on Concurrent Engineering, Research and Applications: A Global Perspective, August 23-25, 1995, McLean Hilton at Tysons Corner, McLean, VA
For information look at the WWW site http://camnet.ge.com/ce/ or contact: Ms. Annette Krug, Concurrent Technologies Corporation. Phone: 1.814.269.2627; E-mail: krug@ctc.com .
IEEE 10th International Symposium on Intelligenet Control, 27-29 August 1995, Monterey, Ca.
For information contact Ms. Cathy Pomier, Center for Advanced Computer Studies, University of Southwestern Louisiana, 2 Rex Street, P.O. Box 44330, Lafayette, LA 70504-4330. Phone: (318) 482-6147, Fax: (318) 482-5791.
First IEE/IEEE International Conference on Genetic Algorithms in Engineering Systems: Innovations and Applications (GALESIA), 12-14 September 1995, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
For information contact: GALESIA'95 Secretariat, IEE Conference Services, Savoy Place, London WC2R 0BL, UK Fax: ++44(0)71 497 3633, E-mail: conference@iee.org.uk .
International Conference on Case-Based Reasoning 1995 (ICCBR-95), 23-26 October 1995, Sesimbra, Portugal.
A WWW page that has been set up to provide info about ICCBR-95 can be found at the address "http://www.ifi.unit.no/iccbr95/".
AAAI Fall Symposium Series (FSS-95), November 10-12, 1995 at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
For information contact: AAAI, 445 Burgess Drive, Menlo Park, CA 94025. Phone: (415) 328-3123; Fax: (415) 321-4457; Email: fss@aaai.org .
International workshop on Reasoning with Uncertainty in Robotics, 4-6 December 1995, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Michiel van Lambalgen Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Amsterdam Plantage Muidergracht 24, 1018 TV Amsterdam, The Netherlands Tel: +31 20 525 6060, Fax: +31 20 525 5206, E-mail: rur@fwi.uva.nl .
Second International Conference on Adaptive Computing in Engineering Design and Control '96, 26-28 March 1996, Plymouth Engineering Design Centre
For information contact: Ms J Levers (Secretary), Plymouth Engineering Design Centre, University of Plymouth, Charles Cross Centre, Drake Circus, PLYMOUTH Devon, PL4 8DE United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)1752-233508 Fax: +44 (0)1752-233505 E-mail: ian@cis.plym.ac.uk .
AAAI Spring Symposium Series (SSS-96), March 25-27, 1996 at Stanford University, California.
For information contact: AAAI, 445 Burgess Drive, Menlo Park, CA 94025. Phone: (415) 328-3123; Fax: (415) 321-4457; E-mail: sss@aaai.org
AAAI-96/IAAI-96, August 3-9, 1996 in Portland, Oregon.
For information contact: AAAI, 445 Burgess Drive, Menlo Park, CA 94025. Phone: (415) 328-3123; Fax: (415) 321-4457; Email: ncai@aaai.org .