Current Search: Agent (x)
Pages
-
-
Title
-
TEACHING AS A MORAL ACT: SIMONE WEIL'S LIMINALITY AS AN ADDITION TO THE MORAL CONVERSATION IN EDUCATION.
-
Creator
-
Bowden, MaryZoe, Kaplan, Jeffrey, University of Central Florida
-
Abstract / Description
-
We are facing a crisis in education: there is a vacuum where there once was an exhortation in terms of how teachers serve as moral models for their students. This reality becomes even more complex when the particular educator facing the dilemma has a specific religious perspective herself. The problem confronted in this philosophical study is how does today's educator, working in the public sector and having a particular religious background, best serve her students in her role as a moral...
Show moreWe are facing a crisis in education: there is a vacuum where there once was an exhortation in terms of how teachers serve as moral models for their students. This reality becomes even more complex when the particular educator facing the dilemma has a specific religious perspective herself. The problem confronted in this philosophical study is how does today's educator, working in the public sector and having a particular religious background, best serve her students in her role as a moral agent, given an environment that is either vacuous of or even hostile toward the moral vector implicit in education. The following questions are considered: 1) Does education today have a moral end? 2) What should that moral end be? 3) What should the educator's role be in said education? 4) Has education historically served as a moral endeavor? 5) And finally, how much should a teacher with a specific religious basis for her morals allow that to affect her role as moral agent in a secular setting? In order to respond to these questions, an historical review of how teachers were traditionally expected to serve as moral agents was undertaken, as were a review of contemporary research on moral education and a consideration of numerous philosophers' perspectives. Simone Weil, a French philosopher and teacher, is looked to as an example of a woman who lived her life with a core set of beliefs that led her to both push boundaries and yet remain in a liminal space that allowed her to remain open to others' values and needs. Weil's liminal approach to life is explored in combination with MacIntyre's call to found a morality on virtues based on a teleological view of man. Ultimately it is suggested that the educator with a deep sense of faith must both strive to function in the liminality Weil represented, and to root herself deeply in her own faith, from which she will gain the strength to live within the necessary tension evoked by teaching in a secular institution.
Show less
-
Date Issued
-
2009
-
Identifier
-
CFE0002898, ucf:48044
-
Format
-
Document (PDF)
-
PURL
-
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002898
-
-
Title
-
A THEORY OF COMPLEX ADAPTIVE INQUIRING ORGANIZATIONS: APPLICATION TO CONTINUOUS ASSURANCE OF CORPORATE FINANCIAL INFORMATION.
-
Creator
-
Kuhn, John, Cheney, Paul, University of Central Florida
-
Abstract / Description
-
Drawing upon the theories of complexity and complex adaptive systems and the Singerian Inquiring System from C. West Churchman's seminal work The Design of Inquiring Systems the dissertation herein develops a systems design theory for continuous auditing systems. The dissertation consists of discussion of the two foundational theories, development of the Theory of Complex Adaptive Inquiring Organizations (CAIO) and associated design principles for a continuous auditing system supporting a...
Show moreDrawing upon the theories of complexity and complex adaptive systems and the Singerian Inquiring System from C. West Churchman's seminal work The Design of Inquiring Systems the dissertation herein develops a systems design theory for continuous auditing systems. The dissertation consists of discussion of the two foundational theories, development of the Theory of Complex Adaptive Inquiring Organizations (CAIO) and associated design principles for a continuous auditing system supporting a CAIO, and instantiation of the CAIO theory. The instantiation consists of an agent-based model depicting the marketplace for Frontier Airlines that generates an anticipated market share used as an integral component in a mock auditor going concern opinion for the airline. As a whole, the dissertation addresses the lack of an underlying system design theory and comprehensive view needed to build upon and advance the continuous assurance movement and addresses the question of how continuous auditing systems should be designed to produce knowledge knowledge that benefits auditors, clients, and society as a whole.
Show less
-
Date Issued
-
2009
-
Identifier
-
CFE0002848, ucf:48052
-
Format
-
Document (PDF)
-
PURL
-
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002848
-
-
Title
-
Exploring Natural User Abstractions For Shared Perceptual Manipulator Task Modeling (&) Recovery.
-
Creator
-
Koh, Senglee, Laviola II, Joseph, Foroosh, Hassan, Zhang, Shaojie, Kim, Si Jung, University of Central Florida
-
Abstract / Description
-
State-of-the-art domestic robot assistants are essentially autonomous mobile manipulators capable of exerting human-scale precision grasps. To maximize utility and economy, non-technical end-users would need to be nearly as efficient as trained roboticists in control and collaboration of manipulation task behaviors. However, it remains a significant challenge given that many WIMP-style tools require superficial proficiency in robotics, 3D graphics, and computer science for rapid task modeling...
Show moreState-of-the-art domestic robot assistants are essentially autonomous mobile manipulators capable of exerting human-scale precision grasps. To maximize utility and economy, non-technical end-users would need to be nearly as efficient as trained roboticists in control and collaboration of manipulation task behaviors. However, it remains a significant challenge given that many WIMP-style tools require superficial proficiency in robotics, 3D graphics, and computer science for rapid task modeling and recovery. But research on robot-centric collaboration has garnered momentum in recent years; robots are now planning in partially observable environments that maintain geometries and semantic maps, presenting opportunities for non-experts to cooperatively control task behavior with autonomous-planning agents exploiting the knowledge. However, as autonomous systems are not immune to errors under perceptual difficulty, a human-in-the-loop is needed to bias autonomous-planning towards recovery conditions that resume the task and avoid similar errors.In this work, we explore interactive techniques allowing non-technical users to model task behaviors and perceive cooperatively with a service robot under robot-centric collaboration. We evaluate stylus and touch modalities that users can intuitively and effectively convey natural abstractions of high-level tasks, semantic revisions, and geometries about the world. Experiments are conducted with `pick-and-place' tasks in an ideal `Blocks World' environment using a Kinova JACO six degree-of-freedom manipulator. Possibilities for the architecture and interface are demonstrated with the following features; (1) Semantic `Object' and `Location' grounding that describe function and ambiguous geometries (2) Task specification with an unordered list of goal predicates, and (3) Guiding task recovery with implied scene geometries and trajectory via symmetry cues and configuration space abstraction. Empirical results from four user studies show our interface was much preferred than the control condition, demonstrating high learnability and ease-of-use that enable our non-technical participants to model complex tasks, provide effective recovery assistance, and teleoperative control.
Show less
-
Date Issued
-
2018
-
Identifier
-
CFE0007209, ucf:52292
-
Format
-
Document (PDF)
-
PURL
-
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007209
-
-
Title
-
MULTIAGENT LEARNING THROUGH INDIRECT ENCODING.
-
Creator
-
D'Ambrosio, David, Stanley, Kenneth, University of Central Florida
-
Abstract / Description
-
Designing a system of multiple, heterogeneous agents that cooperate to achieve a common goal is a difficult task, but it is also a common real-world problem. Multiagent learning addresses this problem by training the team to cooperate through a learning algorithm. However, most traditional approaches treat multiagent learning as a combination of multiple single-agent learning problems. This perspective leads to many inefficiencies in learning such as the problem of reinvention, whereby...
Show moreDesigning a system of multiple, heterogeneous agents that cooperate to achieve a common goal is a difficult task, but it is also a common real-world problem. Multiagent learning addresses this problem by training the team to cooperate through a learning algorithm. However, most traditional approaches treat multiagent learning as a combination of multiple single-agent learning problems. This perspective leads to many inefficiencies in learning such as the problem of reinvention, whereby fundamental skills and policies that all agents should possess must be rediscovered independently for each team member. For example, in soccer, all the players know how to pass and kick the ball, but a traditional algorithm has no way to share such vital information because it has no way to relate the policies of agents to each other.In this dissertation a new approach to multiagent learning that seeks to address these issues is presented. This approach, called multiagent HyperNEAT, represents teams as a pattern of policies rather than individual agents. The main idea is that an agent's location within a canonical team layout (such as a soccer team at the start of a game) tends to dictate its role within that team, called the policy geometry. For example, as soccer positions move from goal to center they become more offensive and less defensive, a concept that is compactly represented as a pattern. The first major contribution of this dissertation is a new method for evolving neural network controllers called HyperNEAT, which forms the foundation of the second contribution and primary focus of this work, multiagent HyperNEAT. Multiagent learning in this dissertation is investigated in predator-prey, room-clearing, and patrol domains, providing a real-world context for the approach. Interestingly, because the teams in multiagent HyperNEAT are represented as patterns they can scale up to an infinite number of multiagent policies that can be sampled from the policy geometry as needed. Thus the third contribution is a method for teams trained with multiagent HyperNEAT to dynamically scale their size without further learning. Fourth, the capabilities to both learn and scale in multiagent HyperNEAT are compared to the traditional multiagent SARSA(lamba) approach in a comprehensive study. The fifth contribution is a method for efficiently learning and encoding multiple policies for each agent on a team to facilitate learning in multi-task domains. Finally, because there is significant interest in practical applications of multiagent learning, multiagent HyperNEAT is tested in a real-world military patrolling application with actual Khepera III robots. The ultimate goal is to provide a new perspective on multiagent learning and to demonstrate the practical benefits of training heterogeneous, scalable multiagent teams through generative encoding.
Show less
-
Date Issued
-
2011
-
Identifier
-
CFE0003661, ucf:48812
-
Format
-
Document (PDF)
-
PURL
-
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003661
-
-
Title
-
A Generic Framework For Multi-Method Modeling and Simulation of Complex Systems Using Discrete Event, System Dynamics and Agent Based Approaches.
-
Creator
-
Mykoniatis, Konstantinos, Karwowski, Waldemar, Kincaid, John, Xanthopoulos, Petros, Akbas, Ilhan, University of Central Florida
-
Abstract / Description
-
Decisions about Modeling and Simulation (M(&)S) of Complex Systems (CS) need to be evaluated prior to implementation. Discrete Event (DE), System Dynamics (SD), and Agent Based (AB) are three different M(&)S approaches widely applied to enhance decision-making of complex systems. However, single type M(&)S approaches can face serious challenges in representing the overall multidimensional nature of CS and may result in the design of oversimplified models excluding important factors....
Show moreDecisions about Modeling and Simulation (M(&)S) of Complex Systems (CS) need to be evaluated prior to implementation. Discrete Event (DE), System Dynamics (SD), and Agent Based (AB) are three different M(&)S approaches widely applied to enhance decision-making of complex systems. However, single type M(&)S approaches can face serious challenges in representing the overall multidimensional nature of CS and may result in the design of oversimplified models excluding important factors. Conceptual frameworks are necessary to offer useful guidance for combining and/or integrating different M(&)S approaches. Although several hybrid M(&)S frameworks have been described and are currently deployed, there is limited guidance on when, why and how to combine, and/or integrate DE, SD, and AB approaches. The existing hybrid frameworks focus more on how to deal with specific problems rather than to provide a generic way of applicability to various problem situations.The main aim of this research is to develop a generic framework for Multi-Method Modeling and Simulation of CS, which provides a practical guideline to integrated deployment or combination of DE, SD, and AB M(&)S methods. The key contributions of this dissertation include: (1) a meta-analysis literature review that identifies criteria and generic types of interaction relationships that are served as a basis for the development of a multi-method modeling and simulation framework; (2) a methodology and a framework that guide the user through the development of multi-method simulation models to solve CS problems; (3) an algorithm that recommends appropriate M(&)S method(s) based on the user selected criteria for user defined objective(s); (4) the implementation and evaluation of multi method simulation models based on the framework's recommendation in diverse domains; and (5) the comparison of multi-method simulation models created by following the multi-method modeling and simulation framework.It is anticipated that this research will inspire and motivate students, researchers, practitioners and decision makers engaged in M(&)S to become aware of the benefits of the cross-fertilization of the three key M(&)S methods.
Show less
-
Date Issued
-
2015
-
Identifier
-
CFE0005980, ucf:50762
-
Format
-
Document (PDF)
-
PURL
-
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005980
-
-
Title
-
Agent-Based and System Dynamics Hybrid Modeling and Simulation Approach Using Systems Modeling Language.
-
Creator
-
Soyler Akbas, Asli, Karwowski, Waldemar, Geiger, Christopher, Kincaid, John, Mikusinski, Piotr, University of Central Florida
-
Abstract / Description
-
Agent-based (AB) and system dynamics (SD) modeling and simulation techniques have been studied and used by various research fields. After the new hybrid modeling field emerged, the combination of these techniques started getting attention in the late 1990's. Applications of using agent-based (AB) and system dynamics (SD) hybrid models for simulating systems have been demonstrated in the literature. However, majority of the work on the domain includes system specific approaches where the...
Show moreAgent-based (AB) and system dynamics (SD) modeling and simulation techniques have been studied and used by various research fields. After the new hybrid modeling field emerged, the combination of these techniques started getting attention in the late 1990's. Applications of using agent-based (AB) and system dynamics (SD) hybrid models for simulating systems have been demonstrated in the literature. However, majority of the work on the domain includes system specific approaches where the models from two techniques are integrated after being independently developed. Existing work on creating an implicit and universal approach is limited to conceptual modeling and structure design. This dissertation proposes an approach for generating AB-SD hybrid models of systems by using Systems Modeling Language (SysML) which can be simulated without exporting to another software platform. Although the approach is demonstrated using IBM's Rational Rhapsody(&)#174; it is applicable to all other SysML platforms. Furthermore, it does not require prior knowledge on agent-based or system dynamics modeling and simulation techniques and limits the use of any programming languages through the use of SysML diagram tools. The iterative modeling approach allows two-step validations, allows establishing a two-way dynamic communication between AB and SD variables and develops independent behavior models that can be reused in representing different systems. The proposed approach is demonstrated using a hypothetical population, movie theater and a real(-)world training management scenarios. In this setting, the work provides methods for independent behavior and system structure modeling. Finally, provides behavior models for probabilistic behavior modeling and time synchronization.
Show less
-
Date Issued
-
2015
-
Identifier
-
CFE0006399, ucf:51517
-
Format
-
Document (PDF)
-
PURL
-
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006399
-
-
Title
-
Internet of Things Business Modeling and Analysis using Agent-Based Simulation.
-
Creator
-
Basingab, Mohammed, Rabelo, Luis, Elshennawy, Ahmad, Lee, Gene, Rahal, Ahmad, University of Central Florida
-
Abstract / Description
-
Internet of Things (IoT) is a new vision of an integrated network covering physical objects that are able to collect and exchange data. It enables previously unconnected devices and objects to become connected using equipping devices with communication technology such as sensors and radio frequency identification tags (RFID). As technology progresses towards new paradigm such as IoT, there is a need for an approach to identify the significance of these projects. Conventional simulation...
Show moreInternet of Things (IoT) is a new vision of an integrated network covering physical objects that are able to collect and exchange data. It enables previously unconnected devices and objects to become connected using equipping devices with communication technology such as sensors and radio frequency identification tags (RFID). As technology progresses towards new paradigm such as IoT, there is a need for an approach to identify the significance of these projects. Conventional simulation modeling and data analysis approaches are not able to capture the system complexity or suffer from a lack of data needed that can help to build a prediction. Agent-based Simulation (ABM) proposes an efficient simulation scheme to capture the structure of this dimension and offer a potential solution.Two case studies were proposed in this research. The first one introduces a conceptual case study addressing the use of agent-based simulations to verify the effectiveness of the business model of IoT. The objective of the study is to assess the feasibility of such application, of the market in the city of Orlando (Florida, United States). The second case study seeks to use ABM to simulate the operational behavior of refrigeration units (7,420) in one of largest retail organizations in Saudi Arabia and assess the economic feasibility of IoT implementation by estimating the return on investment (ROI).
Show less
-
Date Issued
-
2017
-
Identifier
-
CFE0006855, ucf:51756
-
Format
-
Document (PDF)
-
PURL
-
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006855
-
-
Title
-
Network Partitioning in Distributed Agent-Based Models.
-
Creator
-
Petkova, Antoniya, Deo, Narsingh, Hughes, Charles, Bassiouni, Mostafa, Shaykhian, Gholam, University of Central Florida
-
Abstract / Description
-
Agent-Based Models (ABMs) are an emerging simulation paradigm for modeling complex systems, comprised of autonomous, possibly heterogeneous, interacting agents. The utility of ABMs lies in their ability to represent such complex systems as self-organizing networks of agents. Modeling and understanding the behavior of complex systems usually occurs at large and representative scales, and often obtaining and visualizing of simulation results in real-time is critical.The real-time requirement...
Show moreAgent-Based Models (ABMs) are an emerging simulation paradigm for modeling complex systems, comprised of autonomous, possibly heterogeneous, interacting agents. The utility of ABMs lies in their ability to represent such complex systems as self-organizing networks of agents. Modeling and understanding the behavior of complex systems usually occurs at large and representative scales, and often obtaining and visualizing of simulation results in real-time is critical.The real-time requirement necessitates the use of in-memory computing, as it is dif?cult and challenging to handle the latency and unpredictability of disk accesses. Combining this observation with the scale requirement emphasizes the need to use parallel and distributed computing platforms, such as MPI-enabled CPU clusters. Consequently, the agent population must be "partitioned" across different CPUs in a cluster. Further, the typically high volume of interactions among agents can quickly become a signi?cant bottleneck for real-time or large-scale simulations. The problem is exacerbated if the underlying ABM network is dynamic and the inter-process communication evolves over the course of the simulation. Therefore, it is critical to develop topology-aware partitioning mechanisms to support such large simulations.In this dissertation, we demonstrate that distributed agent-based model simulations bene?t from the use of graph partitioning algorithms that involve a local, neighborhood-based perspective. Such methods do not rely on global accesses to the network and thus are more scalable. In addition, we propose two partitioning schemes that consider the bottom-up individual-centric nature of agent-based modeling. The ?rst technique utilizes label-propagation community detection to partition the dynamic agent network of an ABM. We propose a latency-hiding, seamless integration of community detection in the dynamics of a distributed ABM. To achieve this integration, we exploit the similarity in the process flow patterns of a label-propagation community-detection algorithm and self-organizing ABMs.In the second partitioning scheme, we apply a combination of the Guided Local Search (GLS) and Fast Local Search (FLS) metaheuristics in the context of graph partitioning. The main driving principle of GLS is the dynamic modi?cation of the objective function to escape local optima. The algorithm augments the objective of a local search, thereby transforming the landscape structure and escaping a local optimum. FLS is a local search heuristic algorithm that is aimed at reducing the search space of the main search algorithm. It breaks down the space into sub-neighborhoods such that inactive sub-neighborhoods are removed from the search process. The combination of GLS and FLS allowed us to design a graph partitioning algorithm that is both scalable and sensitive to the inherent modularity of real-world networks.
Show less
-
Date Issued
-
2017
-
Identifier
-
CFE0006903, ucf:51706
-
Format
-
Document (PDF)
-
PURL
-
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006903
-
-
Title
-
Mediated Physicality: Inducing Illusory Physicality of Virtual Humans via Their Interactions with Physical Objects.
-
Creator
-
Lee, Myungho, Welch, Gregory, Wisniewski, Pamela, Hughes, Charles, Bruder, Gerd, Wiegand, Rudolf, University of Central Florida
-
Abstract / Description
-
The term virtual human (VH) generally refers to a human-like entity comprised of computer graphics and/or physical body. In the associated research literature, a VH can be further classified as an avatar(-)a human-controlled VH, or an agent(-)a computer-controlled VH. Because of the resemblance with humans, people naturally distinguish them from non-human objects, and often treat them in ways similar to real humans. Sometimes people develop a sense of co-presence or social presence with the...
Show moreThe term virtual human (VH) generally refers to a human-like entity comprised of computer graphics and/or physical body. In the associated research literature, a VH can be further classified as an avatar(-)a human-controlled VH, or an agent(-)a computer-controlled VH. Because of the resemblance with humans, people naturally distinguish them from non-human objects, and often treat them in ways similar to real humans. Sometimes people develop a sense of co-presence or social presence with the VH(-)a phenomenon that is often exploited for training simulations where the VH assumes the role of a human. Prior research associated with VHs has primarily focused on the realism of various visual traits, e.g., appearance, shape, and gestures. However, our sense of the presence of other humans is also affected by other physical sensations conveyed through nearby space or physical objects. For example, we humans can perceive the presence of other individuals via the sound or tactile sensation of approaching footsteps, or by the presence of complementary or opposing forces when carrying a physical box with another person. In my research, I exploit the fact that these sensations, when correlated with events in the shared space, affect one's feeling of social/co-presence with another person. In this dissertation, I introduce novel methods for utilizing direct and indirect physical-virtual interactions with VHs to increase the sense of social/co-presence with the VHs(-)an approach I refer to as mediated physicality. I present results from controlled user studies, in various virtual environment settings, that support the idea that mediated physicality can increase a user's sense of social/co-presence with the VH, and/or induced realistic social behavior. I discuss relationships to prior research, possible explanations for my findings, and areas for future research.
Show less
-
Date Issued
-
2019
-
Identifier
-
CFE0007485, ucf:52687
-
Format
-
Document (PDF)
-
PURL
-
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007485
-
-
Title
-
An Agent Based Model to assess crew temporal variability during U.S. Navy shipboard operations.
-
Creator
-
Muhs, Kevin, Karwowski, Waldemar, Elshennawy, Ahmad, Hancock, Peter, Sjoden, Glenn, University of Central Florida
-
Abstract / Description
-
Understanding the factors that affect human performance variability as well as their temporal impacts is an essential element in fully integrating and designing complex, adaptive environments. This understanding is particularly necessary for high stakes, time-critical routines such as those performed during nuclear reactor, air traffic control, and military operations. Over the last three decades significant efforts have emerged to demonstrate and apply a host of techniques to include...
Show moreUnderstanding the factors that affect human performance variability as well as their temporal impacts is an essential element in fully integrating and designing complex, adaptive environments. This understanding is particularly necessary for high stakes, time-critical routines such as those performed during nuclear reactor, air traffic control, and military operations. Over the last three decades significant efforts have emerged to demonstrate and apply a host of techniques to include Discrete Event Simulation, Bayesian Belief Networks, Neural Networks, and a multitude of existing software applications to provide relevant assessments of human task performance and temporal variability. The objective of this research was to design and develop a novel Agent Based Modeling and Simulation (ABMS) methodology to generate a timeline of work and assess impacts of crew temporal variability during U.S. Navy Small Boat Defense operations in littoral waters.The developed ABMS methodology included human performance models for six crew members (agents) as well as a threat craft, and incorporated varying levels of crew capability and task support. AnyLogic ABMS software was used to simultaneously provide detailed measures of individual sailor performance and of system-level emergent behavior. This methodology and these models were adapted and built to assure extensibility across a broad range of U.S. Navy shipboard operations.Application of the developed ABMS methodology effectively demonstrated a way to visualize and quantify impacts/uncertainties of human temporal variability on both workload and crew effectiveness during U.S. Navy shipboard operations.
Show less
-
Date Issued
-
2018
-
Identifier
-
CFE0007592, ucf:52549
-
Format
-
Document (PDF)
-
PURL
-
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007592
-
-
Title
-
EXPLOITING OPPONENT MODELING FOR LEARNING IN MULTI-AGENT ADVERSARIAL GAMES.
-
Creator
-
Laviers, Kennard, Sukthankar, Gita, University of Central Florida
-
Abstract / Description
-
An issue with learning effective policies in multi-agent adversarial games is that the size of the search space can be prohibitively large when the actions of both teammates and opponents are considered simultaneously. Opponent modeling, predicting an opponent's actions in advance of execution, is one approach for selecting actions in adversarial settings, but it is often performed in an ad hoc way. In this dissertation, we introduce several methods for using opponent modeling, in the form of...
Show moreAn issue with learning effective policies in multi-agent adversarial games is that the size of the search space can be prohibitively large when the actions of both teammates and opponents are considered simultaneously. Opponent modeling, predicting an opponent's actions in advance of execution, is one approach for selecting actions in adversarial settings, but it is often performed in an ad hoc way. In this dissertation, we introduce several methods for using opponent modeling, in the form of predictions about the players' physical movements, to learn team policies. To explore the problem of decision-making in multi-agent adversarial scenarios, we use our approach for both offline play generation and real-time team response in the Rush 2008 American football simulator. Simultaneously predicting the movement trajectories, future reward, and play strategies of multiple players in real-time is a daunting task but we illustrate how it is possible to divide and conquer this problem with an assortment of data-driven models. By leveraging spatio-temporal traces of player movements, we learn discriminative models of defensive play for opponent modeling. With the reward information from previous play matchups, we use a modified version of UCT (Upper Conference Bounds applied to Trees) to create new offensive plays and to learn play repairs to counter predicted opponent actions. In team games, players must coordinate effectively to accomplish tasks while foiling their opponents either in a preplanned or emergent manner. An effective team policy must generate the necessary coordination, yet considering all possibilities for creating coordinating subgroups is computationally infeasible. Automatically identifying and preserving the coordination between key subgroups of teammates can make search more productive by pruning policies that disrupt these relationships. We demonstrate that combining opponent modeling with automatic subgroup identification can be used to create team policies with a higher average yardage than either the baseline game or domain-specific heuristics.
Show less
-
Date Issued
-
2011
-
Identifier
-
CFE0003914, ucf:48720
-
Format
-
Document (PDF)
-
PURL
-
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003914
-
-
Title
-
Synthesis and Characterization of New Probes for use in Fluorescence and X-ray CT Bioimaging.
-
Creator
-
Tang, Simon, Belfield, Kevin, Miles, Delbert, Campiglia, Andres, Zou, Shengli, Cheng, Zixi, University of Central Florida
-
Abstract / Description
-
The pursuit of more suitable drugs intended for possible biological applications are a continuously growing topic of research within the scientific community. One of these suitable qualities includes the need for hydrophilicity and or some appropriate delivery system for the drug to enter into biological systems. A system of analyzing and following these compounds would then, however, be necessary to conduct any kind of mechanistic or interaction studies for he said drug within the biological...
Show moreThe pursuit of more suitable drugs intended for possible biological applications are a continuously growing topic of research within the scientific community. One of these suitable qualities includes the need for hydrophilicity and or some appropriate delivery system for the drug to enter into biological systems. A system of analyzing and following these compounds would then, however, be necessary to conduct any kind of mechanistic or interaction studies for he said drug within the biological system. Just to name a few, fluorescence and X-ray computed tomography (CT) methods allow for imaging of biological systems but require the need of compounds with specific qualities. Finally, even with a means of entering and following a oaded drug, it would not be complete without a way of targeting its intended location. Herein, the first chapter reports the synthesis and characterization of a fluorene-based pyridil bis-?-diketone compound with suitable one- and two-photon fluorescent properties and its encapsulation into Pluronic F127 micelles for the possible application of tracking lysosomes. Next the synthesis and characterization of a BODIPY-based fluorophore with excellent fluorescence ability is reported. This compound was conjugated to two triphenylphosphine (TPP) groups and is shown as a potential mitochondria probe within HCT-116 cells. Finally, the synthesis and characterization of diatrizoic acid (DA) based derivatives conjugated to silica nanoparticles, as well as unconjugated, are reported as potential CT contrast agents. The derivatives were also functionalized with maleimide moieties facilitating subsequent potential bioconjugation of a targeting protein via a thiol group.
Show less
-
Date Issued
-
2015
-
Identifier
-
CFE0006056, ucf:50961
-
Format
-
Document (PDF)
-
PURL
-
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006056
-
-
Title
-
A Simulation-Based Task Analysis using Agent-Based, Discrete Event and System Dynamics simulation.
-
Creator
-
Angelopoulou, Anastasia, Karwowski, Waldemar, Kincaid, John, Xanthopoulos, Petros, Hancock, Peter, University of Central Florida
-
Abstract / Description
-
Recent advances in technology have increased the need for using simulation models to analyze tasks and obtain human performance data. A variety of task analysis approaches and tools have been proposed and developed over the years. Over 100 task analysis methods have been reported in the literature. However, most of the developed methods and tools allow for representation of the static aspects of the tasks performed by expert system-driven human operators, neglecting aspects of the work...
Show moreRecent advances in technology have increased the need for using simulation models to analyze tasks and obtain human performance data. A variety of task analysis approaches and tools have been proposed and developed over the years. Over 100 task analysis methods have been reported in the literature. However, most of the developed methods and tools allow for representation of the static aspects of the tasks performed by expert system-driven human operators, neglecting aspects of the work environment, i.e. physical layout, and dynamic aspects of the task. The use of simulation can help face the new challenges in the field of task analysis as it allows for simulation of the dynamic aspects of the tasks, the humans performing them, and their locations in the environment. Modeling and/or simulation task analysis tools and techniques have been proven to be effective in task analysis, workload, and human reliability assessment. However, most of the existing task analysis simulation models and tools lack features that allow for consideration of errors, workload, level of operator's expertise and skills, among others. In addition, the current task analysis simulation tools require basic training on the tool to allow for modeling the flow of task analysis process and/or error and workload assessment. The modeling process is usually achieved using drag and drop functionality and, in some cases, programming skills.This research focuses on automating the modeling process and simulating individuals (or groups of individuals) performing tasks in a dynamic work environment in any domain. The main objective of this research is to develop a universal tool that allows for modeling and simulation of task analysis models in a short amount of time with limited need for training or knowledge of modeling and simulation theory. A Universal Task Analysis Simulation Modeling (UTASiMo) tool can be used for automatically generating simulation models that analyze the tasks performed by human operators. UTASiMo is a multi-method modeling and simulation tool developed as a combination of agent-based, discrete event, and system dynamics simulation models. A generic multi-method modeling and simulation framework, named 3M(&)S Framework, as well as the Unified Modeling Language have been used for the design of the conceptual model and the implementation of the simulation tool. UTASiMo-generated models are dynamically created during run-time based on user inputs. The simulation results include estimations of operator workload, task completion time, and probability of human errors based on human operator variability and task structure.
Show less
-
Date Issued
-
2015
-
Identifier
-
CFE0006252, ucf:51040
-
Format
-
Document (PDF)
-
PURL
-
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006252
-
-
Title
-
A Hybrid Simulation Framework of Consumer-to-Consumer Ecommerce Space.
-
Creator
-
Joledo, Oloruntomi, Rabelo, Luis, Lee, Gene, Elshennawy, Ahmad, Ajayi, Richard, University of Central Florida
-
Abstract / Description
-
In the past decade, ecommerce transformed the business models of many organizations. Information Technology leveled the playing field for new participants, who were capable of causing disruptive changes in every industry. (")Web 2.0(") or (")Social Web(") further redefined ways users enlist for services. It is now easy to be influenced to make choices of services based on recommendations of friends and popularity amongst peers. This research proposes a simulation framework to investigate how...
Show moreIn the past decade, ecommerce transformed the business models of many organizations. Information Technology leveled the playing field for new participants, who were capable of causing disruptive changes in every industry. (")Web 2.0(") or (")Social Web(") further redefined ways users enlist for services. It is now easy to be influenced to make choices of services based on recommendations of friends and popularity amongst peers. This research proposes a simulation framework to investigate how actions of stakeholders at this level of complexity affect system performance as well as the dynamics that exist between different models using concepts from the fields of operations engineering, engineering management, and multi-model simulation. Viewing this complex model from a systems perspective calls for the integration of different levels of behaviors. Complex interactions exist among stakeholders, the environment and available technology. The presence of continuous and discrete behaviors coupled with stochastic and deterministic behaviors present challenges for using standalone simulation tools to simulate the business model.We propose a framework that takes into account dynamic system complexity and risk from a hybrid paradigm. The SCOR model is employed to map the business processes and it is implemented using agent based simulation and system dynamics. By combining system dynamics at the strategy level with agent based models of consumer behaviors, an accurate yet efficient representation of the business model that makes for sound basis of decision making can be achieved to maximize stakeholders' utility.
Show less
-
Date Issued
-
2016
-
Identifier
-
CFE0006122, ucf:51171
-
Format
-
Document (PDF)
-
PURL
-
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006122
-
-
Title
-
Information Propagation Algorithms for Consensus Formation in Decentralized Multi-Agent Systems.
-
Creator
-
Hollander, Christopher, Wu, Annie, Shumaker, Randall, Wiegand, Rudolf, Turgut, Damla, Song, Zixia, University of Central Florida
-
Abstract / Description
-
Consensus occurs within a multi-agent system when every agent is in agreement about the value of some particular state. For example, the color of an LED, the position or magnitude of a vector, a rendezvous location, the most recent state of data within a database, or the identity of a leader are all states that agents might need to agree on in order to execute their tasking.The task of the decentralized consensus problem for multi-agent systems is to design an algorithm that enables agents to...
Show moreConsensus occurs within a multi-agent system when every agent is in agreement about the value of some particular state. For example, the color of an LED, the position or magnitude of a vector, a rendezvous location, the most recent state of data within a database, or the identity of a leader are all states that agents might need to agree on in order to execute their tasking.The task of the decentralized consensus problem for multi-agent systems is to design an algorithm that enables agents to communicate and exchange information such that, in finite time, agents are able to form a consensus without the use of a centralized control mechanism. The primary goal of this research is to introduce and provide supporting evidence for Stochastic Local Observation/Gossip (SLOG) algorithms as a new class of solutions to the decentralized consensus problem for multi-agent systems that lack a centralized controller, with the additional constraints that agents act asynchronously, information is discrete, and all consensus options are equally preferable to all agents. Examples of where these constraints might apply include the spread of social norms and conventions in artificial populations, rendezvous among a set of specific locations, and task assignment.This goal is achieved through a combination of theory and experimentation. Information propagation process and an information propagation algorithm are derived by unifying the general structure of multiple existing solutions to the decentralized consensus problem. They are then used to define two classes of algorithms that spread information across a network and solve the decentralized consensus problem: buffered gossip algorithms and local observation algorithms. Buffered gossip algorithms generalize the behavior of many push-based solutions to the decentralized consensus problem. Local observation algorithms generalize the behavior of many pull-based solutions to the decentralized consensus problem. In the language of object oriented design, buffered gossip algorithms and local observation algorithms are abstract classes; information propagation processes are interfaces. SLOG algorithms combine the transmission mechanisms of buffered gossip algorithms and local observation algorithms into a single "hybrid" algorithm that is able to push and pull information within the local neighborhood. A common mathematical framework is constructed and used to determine the conditions under which each of these algorithms are guaranteed to produce a consensus, and thus solve the decentralized consensus problem. Finally, a series of simulation experiments are conducted to study the performance of SLOG algorithms. These experiments compare the average speed of consensus formation between buffered gossip algorithms, local observation algorithms, and SLOG algorithms over four distinct network topologies.Beyond the introduction of the SLOG algorithm, this research also contributes to the existing literature on the decentralized consensus problem by: specifying a theoretical framework that can be used to explore the consensus behavior of push-based and pull-based information propagation algorithms; using this framework to define buffered gossip algorithms and local observation algorithms as generalizations for existing solutions to the decentralized consensus problem; highlighting the similarities between consensus algorithms within control theory and opinion dynamics within computational sociology, and showing how these research areas can be successfully combined to create new and powerful algorithms; and providing an empirical comparison between multiple information propagation algorithms.
Show less
-
Date Issued
-
2015
-
Identifier
-
CFE0005629, ucf:50229
-
Format
-
Document (PDF)
-
PURL
-
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005629
-
-
Title
-
Examining Emotional Responses to Effective Versus Ineffective Virtual Buddies.
-
Creator
-
Ingraham, Kathleen, Gunter, Glenda, Boote, David, Taylor, Rosemarye, Hughes, Charles, Proctor, Michael, University of Central Florida
-
Abstract / Description
-
The purpose of this research study was to explore the impact of virtual character design on user emotional experience and user behavior in a simulated environment. With simulation training increasing in popularity as a tool for teaching social skills, it is essential that social interactions in virtual environments provide authentic opportunities for practice (Swartout et al., 2006). This study used Interactive Performance Theory (Wirth, 2012) to examine the effect of designing a virtual...
Show moreThe purpose of this research study was to explore the impact of virtual character design on user emotional experience and user behavior in a simulated environment. With simulation training increasing in popularity as a tool for teaching social skills, it is essential that social interactions in virtual environments provide authentic opportunities for practice (Swartout et al., 2006). This study used Interactive Performance Theory (Wirth, 2012) to examine the effect of designing a virtual buddy character with ineffective traits instead of effective or expert traits. The sample population for this study (n = 145) consisted of first year university students enrolled in courses in the fall of 2013 at the University of Central Florida. Data on participant emotional experience and behavior were collected through questionnaires, researcher observations, and physiological signal recording that included participant heart rate and galvanic skin response. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variances (MANOVA), Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance, and qualitative thematic coding of participant verbal behavior and written responses. Results of the analysis revealed that participants who interacted with an ineffective virtual buddy character had statistically significant higher averages of verbal statements to the antagonist in the simulated environment and statistically significant lower perceptions of antagonist amiability than participants who interacted with an effective virtual buddy. Additionally, participants who interacted with a virtual buddy of the opposite gender gave statistically significant higher ecological validity scores to the simulated environment than participants who interacted with a virtual buddy of the same gender. Qualitative analysis also revealed that participants tended to describe the female buddy character with more ineffective traits than the male buddy character even though effective and ineffective design conditions were equally divided for both groups. Further research should be conducted on the effect of virtual buddy character design in different types of simulation environments and with different target audiences.
Show less
-
Date Issued
-
2014
-
Identifier
-
CFE0005633, ucf:50220
-
Format
-
Document (PDF)
-
PURL
-
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005633
-
-
Title
-
On RADAR DECEPTION, AS MOTIVATION FOR CONTROL OF CONSTRAINED SYSTEMS.
-
Creator
-
Hajieghrary, Hadi, Jayasuriya, Suhada, Xu, Yunjun, Das, Tuhin, University of Central Florida
-
Abstract / Description
-
This thesis studies the control algorithms used by a team of ECAVs (Electronic Combat Air Vehicle) to deceive a network of radars to detect a phantom track. Each ECAV has the electronic capability of intercepting the radar waves, and introducing an appropriate time delay before transmitting it back, and deceiving the radar into seeing a spurious target beyond its actual position. On the other hand, to avoid the errors and increase the reliability, have a complete coverage in various...
Show moreThis thesis studies the control algorithms used by a team of ECAVs (Electronic Combat Air Vehicle) to deceive a network of radars to detect a phantom track. Each ECAV has the electronic capability of intercepting the radar waves, and introducing an appropriate time delay before transmitting it back, and deceiving the radar into seeing a spurious target beyond its actual position. On the other hand, to avoid the errors and increase the reliability, have a complete coverage in various atmosphere conditions, and confronting the effort of the belligerent intruders to delude the sentinel and enter the area usually a network of radars are deployed to guard the region. However, a team of cooperating ECAVs could exploit this arrangement and plans their trajectories in a way all the radars in the network vouch for seeing a single and coherent spurious track of a phantom. Since each station in the network confirms the other, the phantom track is considered valid. This problem serves as a motivating example in trajectory planning for the multi-agent system in highly constrained operation conditions. The given control command to each agent should be a viable one in the agent limited capabilities, and also drives it in a cumulative action to keep the formation.In this thesis, three different approaches to devise a trajectory for each agent is studied, and the difficulties for deploying each one are addressed. In the first one, a command center has all information about the state of the agents, and in every step decides about the control each agent should apply. This method is very effective and robust, but needs a reliable communication. In the second method, each agent decides on its own control, and the members of the group just communicate and agree on the range of control they like to apply on the phantom. Although in this method much less data needs to communicate between the agents, it is very sensitive to the disturbances and miscalculations, and could be easily fell apart or come to a state with no feasible solution to continue. In the third method a differential geometric approach to the problem is studied. This method has a very strong backbone, and minimizes the communication needed to a binary one. However, less data provided to the agents about the system, more sensitive and infirm the system is when it faced with imperfectionalities. In this thesis, an object oriented program is developed in the Matlab software area to simulate all these three control strategies in a scalable fashion. Object oriented programming is a naturally suitable method to simulate a multi-agent system. It gives the flexibility to make the code more close to a real scenario with defining each agent as a separated and independent identity. The main objective is to understand the nature of the constrained dynamic problems, and examine various solutions in different situations. Using the flexibility of this code, we could simulate several scenarios, and incorporate various conditions on the system. Also, we could have a close look at each agent to observe its behavior in these situations. In this way we will gain a good insight of the system which could be used in designing of the agents for specific missions.
Show less
-
Date Issued
-
2013
-
Identifier
-
CFE0004857, ucf:49683
-
Format
-
Document (PDF)
-
PURL
-
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004857
-
-
Title
-
Virtual Interactions with Real-Agents for Sustainable Natural Resource Management.
-
Creator
-
Pierce, Tyler, Madani Larijani, Kaveh, Wang, Dingbao, Jacques, Peter, University of Central Florida
-
Abstract / Description
-
Common pool resource management systems are complex to manage due to the absence of a clear understanding of the effects of users' behavioral characteristics. Non-cooperative decision making based on individual rationality (as opposed to group rationality) and a tendency to free ride due to lack of trust and information about other users' behavior creates externalities and can lead to tragedy of the commons without intervention by a regulator. Nevertheless, even regulatory institutions often...
Show moreCommon pool resource management systems are complex to manage due to the absence of a clear understanding of the effects of users' behavioral characteristics. Non-cooperative decision making based on individual rationality (as opposed to group rationality) and a tendency to free ride due to lack of trust and information about other users' behavior creates externalities and can lead to tragedy of the commons without intervention by a regulator. Nevertheless, even regulatory institutions often fail to sustain natural common pool resources in the absence of clear understanding of the responses of multiple heterogeneous decision makers to different regulation schemes. While modeling can help with our understanding of complex coupled human-natural systems, past research has not been able to realistically simulate these systems for two major limitations: 1) lack of computational capacity and proper mathematical models for solving distributed systems with self-optimizing agents; and 2) lack of enough information about users' characteristics in common pool resource systems due to absence of reliable monitoring information. Recently, different studies have tried to address the first limitation by developing agent-based models, which can be appropriately handled with today's computational capacity. While these models are more realistic than the social planner's models which have been traditionally used in the field, they normally rely on different heuristics for characterizing users' behavior and incorporating heterogeneity. This work is a step-forward in addressing the second limitation, suggesting an efficient method for collecting information on diverse behavioral characteristics of real agents for incorporation in distributed agent-based models. Gaming in interactive virtual environments is suggested as a reliable method for understanding different variables that promote sustainable resource use through observation of decision making and behavior of the resource system beneficiaries under various institutional frameworks and policies. A review of educational or "serious" games for environmental management was undertaken to determine an appropriate game for collecting information on real-agents and also to investigate the state of environmental management games and their potential as an educational tool. A web-based groundwater sharing simulation game(-)Irrigania(-)was selected to analyze the behavior of real agents under different common pool resource management institutions. Participants included graduate and undergraduate students from the University of Central Florida and Lund University. Information was collected on participants' resource use, behavior and mindset under different institutional settings through observation and discussion with participants. Preliminary use of water resources gaming suggests communication, cooperation, information disclosure, trust, credibility and social learning between beneficiaries as factors promoting a shift towards sustainable resource use. Additionally, Irrigania was determined to be an effective tool for complementing traditional lecture-based teaching of complex concepts related to sustainable natural resource management. The different behavioral groups identified in the study can be used for improved simulation of multi-agent groundwater management systems.
Show less
-
Date Issued
-
2013
-
Identifier
-
CFE0005045, ucf:49953
-
Format
-
Document (PDF)
-
PURL
-
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005045
-
-
Title
-
AN INTERACTIVE DISTRIBUTED SIMULATION FRAMEWORK WITH APPLICATION TO WIRELESS NETWORKS AND INTRUSION DETECTION.
-
Creator
-
Kachirski, Oleg, Guha, Ratan, University of Central Florida
-
Abstract / Description
-
In this dissertation, we describe the portable, open-source distributed simulation framework (WINDS) targeting simulations of wireless network infrastructures that we have developed. We present the simulation framework which uses modular architecture and apply the framework to studies of mobility pattern effects, routing and intrusion detection mechanisms in simulations of large-scale wireless ad hoc, infrastructure, and totally mobile networks. The distributed simulations within the...
Show moreIn this dissertation, we describe the portable, open-source distributed simulation framework (WINDS) targeting simulations of wireless network infrastructures that we have developed. We present the simulation framework which uses modular architecture and apply the framework to studies of mobility pattern effects, routing and intrusion detection mechanisms in simulations of large-scale wireless ad hoc, infrastructure, and totally mobile networks. The distributed simulations within the framework execute seamlessly and transparently to the user on a symmetric multiprocessor cluster computer or a network of computers with no modifications to the code or user objects. A visual graphical interface precisely depicts simulation object states and interactions throughout the simulation execution, giving the user full control over the simulation in real time. The network configuration is detected by the framework, and communication latency is taken into consideration when dynamically adjusting the simulation clock, allowing the simulation to run on a heterogeneous computing system. The simulation framework is easily extensible to multi-cluster systems and computing grids. An entire simulation system can be constructed in a short time, utilizing user-created and supplied simulation components, including mobile nodes, base stations, routing algorithms, traffic patterns and other objects. These objects are automatically compiled and loaded by the simulation system, and are available for dynamic simulation injection at runtime. Using our distributed simulation framework, we have studied modern intrusion detection systems (IDS) and assessed applicability of existing intrusion detection techniques to wireless networks. We have developed a mobile agent-based IDS targeting mobile wireless networks, and introduced load-balancing optimizations aimed at limited-resource systems to improve intrusion detection performance. Packet-based monitoring agents of our IDS employ a CASE-based reasoner engine that performs fast lookups of network packets in the existing SNORT-based intrusion rule-set. Experiments were performed using the intrusion data from MIT Lincoln Laboratories studies, and executed on a cluster computer utilizing our distributed simulation system.
Show less
-
Date Issued
-
2005
-
Identifier
-
CFE0000642, ucf:46545
-
Format
-
Document (PDF)
-
PURL
-
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000642
-
-
Title
-
EPISODIC MEMORY MODEL FOR EMBODIED CONVERSATIONAL AGENTS.
-
Creator
-
Elvir, Miguel, Gonzalez, Avelino, University of Central Florida
-
Abstract / Description
-
Embodied Conversational Agents (ECA) form part of a range of virtual characters whose intended purpose include engaging in natural conversations with human users. While works in literature are ripe with descriptions of attempts at producing viable ECA architectures, few authors have addressed the role of episodic memory models in conversational agents. This form of memory, which provides a sense of autobiographic record-keeping in humans, has only recently been peripherally integrated into...
Show moreEmbodied Conversational Agents (ECA) form part of a range of virtual characters whose intended purpose include engaging in natural conversations with human users. While works in literature are ripe with descriptions of attempts at producing viable ECA architectures, few authors have addressed the role of episodic memory models in conversational agents. This form of memory, which provides a sense of autobiographic record-keeping in humans, has only recently been peripherally integrated into dialog management tools for ECAs. In our work, we propose to take a closer look at the shared characteristics of episodic memory models in recent examples from the field. Additionally, we propose several enhancements to these existing models through a unified episodic memory model for ECAÃÂ's. As part of our research into episodic memory models, we present a process for determining the prevalent contexts in the conversations obtained from the aforementioned interactions. The process presented demonstrates the use of statistical and machine learning services, as well as Natural Language Processing techniques to extract relevant snippets from conversations. Finally, mechanisms to store, retrieve, and recall episodes from previous conversations are discussed. A primary contribution of this research is in the context of contemporary memory models for conversational agents and cognitive architectures. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt at providing a comparative summary of existing works. As implementations of ECAs become more complex and encompass more realistic conversation engines, we expect that episodic memory models will continue to evolve and further enhance the naturalness of conversations.
Show less
-
Date Issued
-
2010
-
Identifier
-
CFE0003353, ucf:48443
-
Format
-
Document (PDF)
-
PURL
-
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003353
Pages