Lothar Hotz

Hamburg University | UHH · HITeC e.V.

Interest in producing goods locally again has risen. This leads to new challenges for companies producing locally, especially since they are mostly small enterprises and do not always have resources to adapt Industry 4.0 technologies. Therefore, collaborating in networks can strengthen local production. We propose an online system with an underlyin...

Individualization and sustainability are current trends that lead to new challenges for the production of goods, such as producing efficiently, on-demand and in small batches. One result of this are efforts towards more local production in micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSME) in order to make value creation cycles smaller. This enables...

Demand-based, local production will gain relevance in the context of sustainability and circular economy. One way to implement local value creation is through establishing highly dynamic networks that consolidate the competencies of regional manufacturers. Consequently, the structure of the value chains then needs to be determined ad hoc dependent...

One of the challenges in mechanical and plant engineering is to adapt a plant to changing requirements or operating conditions at the plant operator’s premises. Changes to the plants and their configuration require a well-coordinated cooperation with the machine manufacturer (or plant manufacturer in case of several machines) and, if necessary, wit...

Automation systems in industry are often software-intensive systems consisting of software and hardware components. During their development several engineers of different disciplines are involved, such as mechanical, electrical and software engineering. Each engineer focuses on specific system aspects to be developed. To enable an efficient develo...

For the different readers interested in this book, we provide a short introductory overview of the book. This overview helps to select appropriate chapters and to assure an efficient start.

This paper reports on the aims, the approach, and the results of the European project RACE. The project aim was to enhance the behavior of an autonomous robot by having the robot learn from conceptualized experiences of previous performance, based on initial models of the domain and its own actions in it. This paper introduces the general system ar...

In this contribution, we consider learning tasks of a robot simulating a waiter in a restaurant. The robot records experiences and creates or adapts concepts represented in the web ontology language OWL 2, extended by quantitative spatial and temporal information. As a typical task, the robot is instructed to perform a specific activity in a few co...

Knowledge-based Configuration incorporates knowledge representation formalisms to capture complex product models and reasoning methods to provide intelligent interactive behavior with the user. This book represents the first time that corporate and academic worlds collaborate integrating research and commercial benefits of knowledge-based configura...

Welcome to this book on configuration systems! The purpose of this book is to expose the reader to a field of Artificial Intelligence that has been successfully integrated and used in the industry for more than 30 years. This book provides configuration-related material for interested readers from the fields of industry, education, and research.

Nearly 40-years of configuration technologies motivated us to give this brief overview of the main configuration technological streams. We outline the technological developments in the field starting from the first expert systems of the late 1970s down to today’s configuration solutions. The vastness and intricacies of the configuration field makes...

Configuration has a number of related topics such as mass customization, software product lines, design, planning, recommender systems, software configuration, and product data management. For a discussion of mass customization, refer to Chapter 9; a discussion of software product lines can be found in Chapter 6. The other topics are discussed in t...

In this chapter, we summarize challenges related to the implementation of mass customization. In this context, we discuss benefits that result from a successful deployment and application of configuration technologies.

For the different readers interested in this book, we provide a short introductory overview of the book. This overview helps to select appropriate chapters and to assure an efficient start.

In this part on advanced topics in configuration, we took a look at the issues of configuration knowledge engineering (testing and debugging and redundancy detection) and intelligent configurator user interfaces (personalized configuration and consumer decision-making). To stimulate further configuration-related research, we conclude this part with...

Configuration models specify the set of possible configurations (solutions). A configuration model together with a defined set of (customer) requirements are the major elements of a configuration task (problem). In this chapter, we discuss different knowledge representations that can be used for the definition of a configuration model. We provide e...

This chapter presents the domain-independent configuration tool KONWERK. KONWERK provides hybrid configuration representation facilities implemented in so-called basic modules. Enhancement modules provide aspects such as modeling of complex requirements or creating spatial configurations. These modules can be used for developing diverse application...

Welcome to this book on configuration systems! The purpose of this book is to expose the reader to a field of Artificial Intelligence that has been successfully integrated and used in the industry for more than 30. years. This book provides configuration-related material for interested readers from the fields of industry, education, and research.

In this chapter, we present a configuration model taken from a building automation domain. It provides complex aspects of configuration models such as separation of features of a system from realizing system components and domain-dependent workflows for the configuration process.

Being able to predict events and occurrences which may arise from a current situation is a desirable capability of an intelligent agent. In this paper, we show that a high-level scene interpretation system, implemented as part of a comprehensive robotic system in the RACE project, can also be used for prediction. This way, the robot can foresee pos...

One way to improve the robustness and flexibility of robot performance is to let the robot learn from its experiences. In this paper, we describe the architecture and knowledge-representation framework for a service robot being developed in the EU project RACE, and present examples illustrating how learning from experiences will be achieved. As a u...

Configuration technologies are typically applied in domains with physical products. In this article, we determine characteristics of configuration technologies that are used to compose non-pure physical products. Starting from two case studies software-intensive systems and scene interpretation where we successfully applied configuration, we determ...

This paper focuses on configuration as a process that iteratively applies commonly known reasoning techniques and creates an incrementally growing configuration description. This approach emphasizes the synthesis aspect of configuration, which continuously acquires requirements and computes their effects on a configuration in a cyclic way. We provi...

The authors describe a generic framework for model-based behaviour interpretation and its application to monitoring aircraft service activities. Behaviour models are represented in a standardised conceptual knowledge base using OWL-DL for concept definitions and the extension SWRL for constraints. The conceptual knowledge base is automatically conv...

In diesem Beitrag werden anhand von anwendungsorientierten Forschungsprototypen aus den Bereichen Konfigurierung, Diagnose und Szeneninterpretation wesentliche Lisp-Merkmale vorgestellt. Weiterhin wird ausgehend von den gemachten Erfahrungen eine Brücke zu aktuellen Entwicklungen aus dem Bereich der funktionalen Programmiersprachen geschlagen.

In this paper, we present an application of qualitative spatial reasoning technologies for supporting mobile robot tasks. While focusing on detection of interaction ability, we provide a combination of the spatial reason-ing calculi RCC-8 and CDC as well as their integration with OWL-based ontologies. An architecture that uses Prolog and complex-ev...

In this paper, we demonstrate an application of rules in a business process scenario. As business processes, we consider data-intensive applications which need to move huge data files from server to server. By using the Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) in our application, we enable clearly and hierarchically represented business processes...

This paper presents an application of spatial and ontology reasoning technologies for mobile robot tasks. We provide a combination of the spatial reasoning calculi RCC-8 and CDC as well as their integration with OWL-based ontologies. An architecture that combines inference tools like Prolog, description logic reasoners, and complex-event processing...

In this contribution we present a realtime activity monitoring system, called SCENIOR (SCEne Interpretation with Ontology-based Rules) with several innovative features. Activity concepts are defined in an ontology using OWL, extended by SWRL rules for the temporal structure, and are automatically transformed into a high-level scene interpretation s...

In knowledge engineering, ontology creation, and especially in knowledge-based configuration often used relations are: aggregate relations (has-parts, here called structural relations), specialization relation (is-a), and instantiation (instance-of). A combination of the later is called metaization, which denotes the use of multiple instantiation l...

In knowledge engineering, ontology creation, and especially in knowledge-based configuration often used relations are: aggregate relations (has-parts, here called structural relations), specialization relation (is-a), and instantiation (instance-of). A combination of the later is called metaization, which denotes the use of multiple instantiation l...

Scene interpretation is the task of automatically creating descriptions for images. Such descriptions typically contain not only primitive objects but also structures that constitute primitive and structured objects. The learning and recognition of such structures was the objective of the EU project “eTraining for the Interpretation of Man-made Sce...

Recognizing structure is an important aspect of interpreting many computer vision domains. Structure can manifest itself both visually, in terms of repeated low-level phenomena, and conceptually, in terms of a high-level compositional hierarchy. In this paper, we demonstrate an approach for combining a low-level repetitive structure detector with a...

In this paper, we point out the role of sequences of samples for training an incremental learning method. We define characteristics of incremental learning methods to describe the influence of sample ordering on the performance of a learned model. We show the influence of sequence for two different types of incremental learning. One is aimed on le...

In this paper, we use Description Logic based classification and taxonomical similarity computations for facilitating software reuse. For this purpose we map a metamodelling-based software representation to an ontology. The ontology is classified by a Description Logic reasoner, which makes implicit taxonomical relations explicit. This classificati...

In this paper, we investigate automatic model learning for the interpretation of complex scenes with structured ob-jects. We present a learning, interpretation, and evalua-tion cycle for processing such scenes. By including learn-ing and interpretation in one framework, an evaluation and feedback learning is enabled that takes interpretation chal-l...

In this paper, we combine MOF-based software representations and description logic-based mechanisms for facilitating software reuse. All software representations (requirements Specifications, design models, code) arising from one project are combined in a software case and stored in a repository for later retrieval. For reuse purposes, we use requi...

Scene interpretation systems are often conceived as exten- sions of low-level image analysis with bottom-up processing for high-level interpretations. In this contribution we show how a generic high-level in- terpretation system can generate hypotheses and initiate feedback in terms of top-down controlled low-level image analysis. Experimental re-...

In this paper, we introduce a method to examine and interpret spatio-temporal radio emission datasets. The goal is to find communication patterns in the data in respect to spatial, temporal, and frequency based attributes. The chosen approach is a combination of two different AI-methods. First a clustering algorithm groups spatially close data poin...

Part-whole relations are the backbone of configuration systems. In this paper, part-whole relations are combined with other relations and restrictions leading to here-called restricted aggregates. Depending on what is given, aggregates, parts, or/and relations be- tween parts, different tasks have to be solved. General aggregation reasoning chunks...

Zusammenfassung Systeme für rechnerbasierte Szeneninterpretation werden häufig als Erweiterung von Objekterkennungssystemen konzipiert, bei denen die für niedere Verarbeitungsstufe ubliche bottom-up Verarbeitung auch auf die höhere Bilddeutung ausgedehnt wird. In diesem Bericht stellen wir ein generisches Szeneninterpretationssystem vor, das Hypoth...

Behaviour recognition in a video scene consists of several distinct sub-tasks: objects or object parts must be recognised, classified and tracked, qualitative spatial and temporal properties must be deter- mined, behaviour of individual objects must be identified, and composite behaviours must be determined to obtain an interpretation of the scene...

This paper proposes an ontology-based approach for comparing software products modelled with UML. An ontology is used that defines the structure of all software products developed so far or even all products that can be developed using the specified architecture. Using such an ontology the models of different software products can be compared more...

From past research it is known that both knowledge-based scene interpretation and knowledge-based configuration can be conceived as logical model construction. In this report we show that also from an application- oriented point of view, both tasks are very similar and existing configuration technology can be used to implement a generic scene inter...

Because of the possibly large variability in families of software systems and the complex dependencies between individual software components, product derivation in the context of software-intensive systems is not a trivial task. In this demonstration, we show the domain-independent structure-based configuration tool KONWERK, extended with a knowle...

Product configurators are widely used to generate prod-ucts out of the vast amount of potential variants in product families. This is a complex task that is hampered by the fact that configura-tion models are abstractions of the real world and cannot contain all dependencies between the artifacts and the environment. For embed-ded systems this is c...

Evolution of products is inevitable throughout their life cycle – driven by advancing technology, increasing customer requirements or bug fixes. Therefore, the set of components as well as the dependencies between those components are getting more complex and only few experts are able to configure products. But in mass customization scenarios it is...

In this paper, we give a survey on the AI-field Configuration.

Configuration models describe commonality and variability as well as restrictions within and between components of a product domain. Whenever new versions or variants of products are brought to the market, changes to the configuration model (i.e. evolution) are inevitable. In this paper we discuss what kind of modifications are necessary for evolut...

In this paper, a product derivation process is described, which is based on specifying customer requirements, features and artifacts in a knowledge base. In such a knowledge base a model about all kinds of variability of a software-intensive systems is represented by using a logicbased representation language. Having such a language, a machinery wh...

In this position paper, a product derivation process is described, which is based on specifications of known customer requirements, features, artifacts in a knowledge base. In such a knowledge base a model about all kinds of variability of a combined software/hardware systems are represented by using a logical-based representation language. Having...

During the development of a software system, dierent rep- resentation mechanisms are used. From the initial high-level representa- tion, subsequently development goes to more concrete detailed represen- tations. In this paper we discuss the expressiveness of high-level repre- sentations like customer requirements and features as well as relations a...

In this paper, we present a survey on research topics we consider with in the EU project ConIPF (Configuration of Industrial Product Families). The application domain which is considered in this project contains combined hardware/software systems. Those systems share a lot of commonalities and are configured in a rich variety of outcoming products....

. Computer diagnosis systems grounded on hand-crafted decision trees are wide-spread in industrial practice. Since the complexity of technical system increases and innovation cycles are shortened, the need for systematic decision tree generation and maintenance arises. In this paper, the MAD system is introduced which generates decision trees based...

Computer diagnosis systems grounded on hand-crafted decision trees are wide-spread in industrial practice. Since the complexity of technical systems increases and innovation cycles get shorter, the need for systematic decision tree generation and maintenance arises. In this paper, the MAD system is introduced which generates decision trees based on...

this paper, we argue that the main shortcoming of most traditional approaches is their usage of time points as time primitives while reasoning. We present a graph oriented approach using a representation we call instantiation intervals that accomplishes O(n

ions - Actor and Structure-Oriented Programming on Workstation Clusters with Common Lisp ? Lothar Hotz and Michael Trowe Universitat Hamburg Labor fur Kunstliche Intelligenz Fachbereich Informatik Vogt-Kolln-Str.30, D-22527 Hamburg, Germany hotz@informatik.uni-hamburg.de Abstract. In this paper, we describe an extension of Common Lisp which allows...

In many AI applications, one has incomplete qualitative knowledge about the order of occurring events. A common way to express knowledge about this temporal reasoning problem is Allen’s interval algebra. Unfortunately, its main interesting reasoning tasks, consistency check and minimal labeling, are intractable (assuming P ≠ NP). Mostly, reasoning...

Computer diagnosis systems grounded on hand-crafted decision trees are wide-spread in industrial practice. Since the complexity of technical system increases and innovation cycles are shortened, the need for systematic decision tree generation and maintenance arises. In this paper, the MAD system is intro- duced which generates decision trees based...

. In this paper, we describe an extension of Common Lisp which allows the definition of parallel programs within that functional and object-oriented language. In particular, the extensions are the introducing of active objects, sending synchronous and asynchronous messages between them, automatic and manual distribution of active objects to object...

A common way to express incomplete qualitative knowledge about an order of occurring events is Allen’s interval algebra A [1]. Unfortunately, the main reasoning tasks of A, consistency checking ISAT and strongest implied relation computation ISI, are intractable [10]. To overcome this, some tractable subclasses of A have been identified, e.g., the...

Qualitativereasoning about faulteffectsin electricalcir- cuitshas reached a levelof achievement which allows itto be used forrealworld industrialapplications.Dealing with electricalcircuitsof forklifts, our work focuses on auto- mated diagnosticdecision tree generation grounded on model-based predictionsof correctand faultydevice be- havior.Inthisp...

For diagnostic purposes, analog circuits may be qualitatively modeled as resistive networks. We demonstrate that approaches to this task show certain weaknesses if they are based on sign-based qualitative values. In order to overcome these deficiencies, we first introduce qualitative deviation values with a semantics that enables us to model differ...

In this paper, we describe an approach using object-oriented programming for massively parallel computers. We show how to integrate high level structures and operations to support various applications in the area of Artificial Intelligence.

In this paper, we present main aspects of the ConIPF methodology which can be used to derive customer-specific software products. The methodology is based on software product families and model-based configuration. First results from using the methodology in an industrial context are presented.

RSL is a requirements specification language that was developed in the ReDSeeDS project. The language allows require-ments specifications using a meta model that defines both model-based and descriptive representations. Model-based representations provide activity and sequence diagrams similar to UML while de-scriptive representations offer scenari...

In this paper, we present a reasoning-driven architecture and its real-ization through configurators. By providing metamodels that formally describe a knowledge-representation language, reasoning on domain models is enables, i.e. reasoning on the metalevel. One main realization mean for a reasoning-driven ar-chitecture is the mapping between concep...