Volume 16, 1997, No. 5


On the Automatic Synthesis of Social Laws for Mobile Robots. A Study in Artificial Social Systems.
Part 2: Analysis and Discussion

O. Ben-Yitzhak, M. Tennenholtz

Abstract. We introduce an algorithm for the automatic synthesis of social laws for mobile robots. Our algorithm generates useful social laws for any 2/connected grid-like environment with arbitrary obstacles. We prove that the social laws generated by our algorithm enable the agents to achieve their goals while preventing collisions. Moreover, computer simulations show that the social laws generated by the algorithm lead to efficient behaviour in a large set of environments. Our work bridges the gap between the work on the automatic synthesis of social laws in abstract models, and work on hand-crafting social laws for a particular domain.

 

A Z Specification Approach to Multimedia Modeling

T.K. Shih

Abstract. An interactive multimedia presentation system is introduced. We first define a model for interactive presentations in the Z notation. The model looks at the presentation from two views: the navigation view and the representation view. The presentation navigation is based on message passing among presentation frames of a presentation, while common information is inherited and shared by frames. The system allows a presenter to plan the audience's reaction in advance. When the audience is watching a presentation, the underlying inference system is learning from his/her responses. This mechanism makes a presentation to be proceeded again act according to the audience's background and knowledge. Thus, the resulting presentation is more diversified. We also propose a multimedia resource database and a number of important resource attributes that we used in the classification of resources. A resource browser is implemented to allow users to preview resources and maintain the database. The prototype system is implemented under MS Windows. This system can be used for general purpose presentations or demonstrations in different fields such as education, training, product demonstration, and others.

 

Theory of Local Register Allocation for Prolog Clauses

M. Fico

Abstract. An optimized register allocator for individual Prolog clauses containing temporary variables is described. It is based on a determination of a relative order of compilation of individual argument registers of a clause head, and of a first non-built goal. A precise description of the clause structure, its convenient representation, classification of temporary variables and clauses, and a new approach to the solving of register conflicts enable optimal compilation of all clauses of the given class, whose number of temporary variables is from a predetermined interval. In some cases this interval may be expanded to a subset of finite clauses that may be well translated into an optimal abstract code during real time of compilation.


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