This paper concerns the novel concept of an Interactive Dynamic Intelligent Virtual Sensor (IDIVS), which extends virtual/soft sensors towards making use of user input through interactive learning (IML) and transfer learning. In research, many studies can be found on using machine learning in this domain, but not much on using IML. This paper contributes by highlighting how this can be done and the associated positive potential effects and challenges. An IDIVS provides a sensor-like output and achieves the output through the data fusion of sensor values or from the output values of other IDIVSs. We focus on settings where people are present in different roles: from basic service users in the environment being sensed to interactive service users supporting the learning of the IDIVS, as well as configurators of the IDIVS and explicit IDIVS teachers. The IDIVS aims at managing situations where sensors may disappear and reappear and be of heterogeneous types. We refer to and recap the major findings from related experiments and validation in complementing work. Further, we point at several application areas: smart building, smart mobility, smart learning, and smart health. The information properties and capabilities needed in the IDIVS, with extensions towards information security, are introduced and discussed.

Sparrow Search Algorithm (SSA) is a kind of novel swarm intelligence algorithm, which has been applied in-to various domains because of its unique characteristics, such as strong global search capability, few adjustable parameters, and a clear structure. However, the SSA still has some inherent weaknesses that hinder its further development, such as poor population diversity, weak local searchability, and falling into local optima easily. This manuscript proposes an improved chaos sparrow search optimization algorithm (ICSSOA) to overcome the mentioned shortcomings of the standard SSA. Firstly, the Cubic chaos mapping is introduced to increase the population diversity in the initialization stage. Then, an adaptive weight is employed to automatically adjust the search step for balancing the global search performance and the local search capability in different phases. Finally, a hybrid strategy of Levy flight and reverse learning is presented to perturb the position of individuals in the population according to the random strategy, and a greedy strategy is utilized to select individuals with higher fitness values to decrease the possibility of falling into the local optimum. The experiments are divided into two modules. The former investigates the performance of the proposed approach through 20 benchmark functions optimization using the ICSSOA, standard SSA, and other four SSA variants. In the latter experiment, the selected 20 functions are also optimized by the ICSSOA and other classic swarm intelligence algorithms, namely ACO, PSO, GWO, and WOA. Experimental results and corresponding statistical analysis revealed that only one function optimization test using the ICSSOA was slightly lower than the CSSOA and the WOA among the 20-function optimization. In most cases, the values for both accuracy and convergence speed are higher than other algorithms. The results also indicate that the ICSSOA has an outstanding ability to jump out of the local optimum.

A fuzzy Petri net (FPN) is a powerful tool to model and analyze knowledge-based systems containing vague information. This paper systematically reviews recent developments of the FPN model from the following three perspectives: knowledge representation using FPN, reasoning mechanisms using an FPN framework, and the latest industrial applications using FPN. In addition, some specific modeling and reasoning approaches to FPN to solve the 'state-explosion problem' are illustrated. Furthermore, detailed analysis of the discussed aspects are shown to reveal some interesting findings, as well as their developmental history. Finally, we present conclusions and suggestions for future research directions.

Augmented reality (AR) games are a rich environment for researching and testing computational systems that provide subtle user guidance and training. In particular computer systems that aim to augment a user’s situation awareness benefit from the range of sensors and computing power available in AR headsets. The main focus of this work-in-progress paper is the introduction of the concept of the individualized Situation Awareness-based Attention Guidance (SAAG) system used to increase humans’ situating awareness and the augmented reality version of the board game Carcassonne for validation and evaluation of SAAG. Furthermore, we present our initial work in developing the SAAG pipeline, the generation of game state encodings, the development and training of a game AI, and the design of situation modeling and eye-tracking processes.  

This paper addresses the problem of hazard recognition and risk assessment in open and non-predictive environments to support decision making and action selection. Decision making and action selection incorporate decreasing situational risks and maintain safety as operational constraints. Commonly, neither existing application-related safety standards nor the situation modeling or knowledge representation is considered in that context. This contribution introduces a novel approach denoted as a Safety-Driven Behavior Management focusing on situation modeling and the problem of knowledge representation in its sub-functions in the context of situational risks. It combines the safety standards-oriented hazard analysis and the risk assessment approach with the machine learning-based situation recognition. An example illustrating the approach is presented in this paper.

This paper addresses the problem of hazard recognition and risk assessment in open and non-predictive environments to support decision making and action selection for UAS. Decision making and action selection incorporate decreasing situational risks and maintain safety as operational constraints. Commonly, neither existing safety standards nor the situation modeling or knowledge representation is considered in that context. This contribution applies a novel approach denoted as a Safety-Driven Behavior Management for UAS focusing on situation modeling, and the problem of knowledge representation in the context of situational risks. It combines the safety standards-oriented hazards analysis and the risk assessment approach with the machine learning-based situation recognition. The illustrative scenario and first experimental results underline the feasibility of the novel approach.

A dynamic Risk Management (RM) provides monitoring, recognition, assessment, and follow-up action to reduce the risk whenever it rises. The main problem with dynamic RM (when applied to plan for, how the unknown risk in unexpected conditions should be addressed in information systems) is to design an especial control to recover/avoid of risks/attacks that is proposed in this research. The methodology, called Dynamic Intelligent RM (DIRM) is comprised of four phases which are interactively linked; (1) Aggregation of data and information (2) Risk identification (3) RM using an optional control and (4) RM using an especial control. This study, therefore, investigated the use of artificial neural networks to improve risk identification via adaptive neural fuzzy interface systems and control specification using learning vector quantization. Further experimental investigations are needed to estimate the results of DIRM toward unexpected conditions in the real environment.