Victor M Zamudio | Instituto Tecnologico de Leon (original) (raw)

Papers by Victor M Zamudio

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As the proportion of older adults grows, the number of special care provisions to help individual... more As the proportion of older adults grows, the number of special care provisions to help individuals with declining cognitive abilities needs to also increase. Information Communication Technology (ICT) is beginning to play an increasing role in facilitating the work of specialists to support and monitor individuals with cognitive impairment within their everyday environments. In addition, advances in artificial intelligence and the development of new algorithmic approaches can be used to approximate the computational processes of human behaviour in different circumstances. In this paper, we report on the development of a software system using game based therapies for older adults in Mexico suffering from cognitive impairment, where this system has been deployed in a unique day therapy centre. We further propose an evaluation module based on
using AI approaches and affective sensing to monitor and detect significant changes in performance cognation that might indicate a possible cognitive decline.

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This paper describes a rapid-prototyping system, based around a set of modularised electronics, B... more This paper describes a rapid-prototyping system, based around a set of modularised electronics, Buzz-Boards, which enable developers to quickly create a wide variety of products ranging from intelligent environments, through robots to smart-phones peripherals to be built and deployed. In this paper we introduce readers to Buzz-Board technology, illustrating its use through three examples, a desktop robot (BuzzBot), a desktop intelligent environment (BuzzBox) and an Internet-of-Things application using a Raspberry Pi adaptor (BuzzBerry). As part of this paper we provide a general overview of Computer Science curriculum developments and explain how Buzz-Boards technology can provide a highly motivating and effective focus for computer science practical assignments. This paper adds to earlier BuzzBoard publications by describing support for Raspberry Pis and intelligent environments, together with reviewing the latest developments in computer science curricula in the USA and UK.

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Sociological Inquiry, 1992

... Paris 1). We also acknowledge with thanks the 16 reviewers who commented the former drafts of... more ... Paris 1). We also acknowledge with thanks the 16 reviewers who commented the former drafts of the papers, and Natasha Shields who ... Faciès et transferts sédimentaires associés au tsunami du 26 décembre 2004 sur le littoral au nord-est de Banda Aceh (Sumatra, Indonésie ...

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As the proportion of older adults grows, the number of special care provisions to help individual... more As the proportion of older adults grows, the number of special care provisions to help individuals with declining cognitive abilities needs also to increase. Information Communication Technology (ICT) is beginning to play an increasing role in facilitating the work and research of specialists to support and
monitor individuals with cognitive impairment within their everyday environments. In addition, advances in artificial intelligence and the development of new algorithmic approaches can be used to approximate the computational processes of human behaviour in different circumstances. In this paper, we report on the development of a software system using game based therapies for older adults in Mexico suffering from cognitive impairment, where this system has been deployed in a unique day therapy centre. We further propose an evaluation module based on using an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) approach to monitor the user performance, a Fuzzy Logic based module to detect significant changes in performance that might indicate a possible cognitive decline, and a bio-signals sensor in order to gather information about the emotional state of the patient during the interaction.

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In this paper the problem of cyclic instability in dynamic environments is presented. This cyclic... more In this paper the problem of cyclic instability in dynamic environments is presented. This cyclic instability is generated when binary rule-based nomadic agents (agents entering or leaving the environment) interact in complex ways, generating undesirable outputs for the final user. Our strategy is focused on minimizing this cyclic behaviour, using optimization algorithms, in particular Genetic and Differential Evolution Algorithms. These algorithms are applied to the Average Change Function. Different test instances were used to evaluate the performance of these algorithms. Additionally, statistical tests were applied to measure their performance.

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In this paper we present a comparison between six novel approaches to the fundamental problem of ... more In this paper we present a comparison between six novel approaches to the fundamental problem of cyclic instability in Ambient Intelligence. These approaches are based on different optimization algorithms, Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Bee Swarm Optimization (BSO), micro Particle Swarm Optimization ( -PSO), Artificial Immune System (AIS), Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Mutual Information Maximization for Input Clustering (MIMIC). In order to be able to use these algorithms, we introduced the concept of Average Cumulative Oscillation (ACO), which enabled us to measure the average behavior of the system. This approach has the advantage that it does not need to analyze the topological properties of the system, in particular the loops, which can be computationally expensive. In order to test these algorithms we used the well-known discrete system called the Game of Life for 9, 25, 49 and 289 agents. It was found that PSO and -PSO have the best performance in terms of the number of agents locked. These results were confirmed using the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test. This novel and successful approach is very promising and can be used to remove instabilities in real scenarios with a large number of agents (including nomadic agents) and complex interactions and dependencies among them.

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Cyclic instabilities can impact the performance of a multi agent system, especially in terms of t... more Cyclic instabilities can impact the performance of a multi agent system, especially in terms of the user’s point of view. Different strategies can be use in order to prevent this problem. In this paper we present two strategies, ONL1 and ONL2 that aim at minimizing the collateral consequences of locking. These two strategies focus on minimizing the number of nodes locked, and also the total weight. These strategies performed better than the current strategy, INPRES, especially in very dense systems.

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In this paper we present a comparison between two novel approaches to the fundamental problem of ... more In this paper we present a comparison between two novel approaches to the fundamental problem of cyclic instability in ambient intelligence. These approaches are based on two optimization algorithms, Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and Mutual Information Maximization for Input Clustering (MIMIC). In order to be able to use these algorithms, we introduced the concept of average accumulative oscillation, which enabled us to measure the average oscillatory behaviour of the system. PSO and MIMIC have the advantage that they do not need to analyze the topological properties of the system, in particular the loops. In order to test these algorithms we used the well-known discrete system called the game of life for 9, 25, 49 and 289 agents. It was found that PSO performed better than MIMIC in terms of the number of agents blocked. These results were confirmed using the Wilcoxon test. This novel and successful approach is very promising, and can be used to remove instabilities in real scenarios with a large number of agents (including nomadic agents) and complex interactions and dependencies between them.

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This paper advances the hypothesis that a business can be regarded as a collection of interacting... more This paper advances the hypothesis that a business can be regarded as a collection of interacting rule based processes, that are analogous to a set of rule based coordinating pervasive computing agents that make up intelligent environments. In this paper we explore this hypothesis and, in particular, investigate the application of directed graph theory, normally used in determining the stability of systems of pervasive computing agents, to business systems. In doing this we present an account of interaction networks, business process reengineering, show how they are both based around the use of ‘process’ abstractions and illustrate how they can be integrated using a representative example. This paper represents a first step in our longer-term goals to explore the full potential for AI to create smart business monitoring and management tools.

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Avanti is an international and multidisciplinary project, were undergraduate students, from diffe... more Avanti is an international and multidisciplinary project, were undergraduate students, from different backgrounds, have the challenge to design an intelligent vehicle for the Mexican elderly in 2020. This venture is motivated by the convergence of a set of different initiatives: the creation of a new Technology Park, the desire to create a new technology-based businesses and the to need to attract students, innovators and entrepreneurs to propose new solutions to global needs. In this work we are assisted by a group of experts from different geographical regions (Mexico, Spain, Italy and United Kingdom) who help teams of students address this challenge. This short paper presents our work-in-progress by introducing the concepts, people (some 23 teams of students) and challenges associated with this project.

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Ambient Intelligence, and in general, any autonomous rule based system has been found to suffer f... more Ambient Intelligence, and in general, any autonomous rule based system has been found to suffer from cyclic instability. This behaviour is characterized by unwanted oscillations, due to interacting rules within networks of pervasive computing devices. The binary behaviour of each agent is defined via a set of boolean rules, and the behaviour of the system as a whole is given by the ensemble of rules defined over the set of agents. From complex theory it has been found that the problem of cyclic instability cannot be solved analytically; however, it is possible to prevent it. In this paper we present a novel solution based on locking, to prevent cyclic instability. This strategy makes use of the topological properties of the digraph associated called Interaction Network (IN), and the local rules of the interacting agents. The concept of strong and weak coupling is introduced. Using the strong and weak concepts, a strategy c-INPRES that minimizes the number of agents locked is presented. Preliminary and encouraging results are shown.

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Understanding interactions with, and between, smart home technology is the key to better design. ... more Understanding interactions with, and between, smart home technology is the key to better design. In this article we explore two issues that can lead to problems for smart-home systems; socio-technical interactions and cyclic interactions. Both issues threaten to obstruct the uptake of the vision for the smart home. At the heart of these problems is interaction; interaction between systems and interaction between people and systems. In its simplest form a smart home is one in which most electronic and electrical devises (including computer based systems) are connected to each other and the outside world via computer networks (Figure 1). At one extreme smart homes simply enable sharing of digital media across a home network or, at another extreme, enable collections of networked devices to coordinate their actions. They also enable the creation of so-called “virtual-appliance”1 that work by deconstructing conventional appliances and applications into their elemental services and offering these back to the network user, so they may be recombined in various ways.

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Does chance have a role in intelligent environments? In this work-in progress paper we argue that... more Does chance have a role in intelligent environments? In this work-in progress paper we argue that chance and non-deterministic behaviour can play a fundamental and important role in intelligent environments. We discuss how this behaviour can be both destructive and constructive. Underpinning our ideas is the view that intelligent environments may be seen as a complex system of interacting services. In the first part of this paper we show that such complex systems can produce unexpected interactions that cause unplanned and often undesirable instabilities. However, not all instabilities are undesirable and in the second half of this paper, we present a conceptual notion that views system instability as a form of irrationality and propose a quantum control model for service agents within smart environments. We conjecture that irrational control models enable the service agents to perform better than if they were using traditional, rational, control models. Our purpose in presenting this work is to both provoke discussion and describe our early research on what we hope will be an interesting direction for intelligent building research.

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[Abstract for oral presentation] Ambient Intelligence (AmI) can be seen as a complex rule-based m... more [Abstract for oral presentation] Ambient Intelligence (AmI) can be seen as a complex rule-based multi-agent system, where the user can customize a number of services, either manually or automatically. As a consequence, and due to there being multiple and sometimes interacting rules programmed, Ambient Intelligence has been found to suffer from cyclic instability, i.e. periodic oscillations of the devices (turning on and off). As, from complex systems theory, it has been shown it is impossible to determine when a set of such rules and initial conditions will lead the system into this behaviour, we have developed a theoretical framework called Interaction Networks (IN) that capture the rule dependencies in the form of a directed graph. Additionally, we have developed a mechanism, Instability Prevention System (INPRES) to prevent this phenomenon. INPRES finds cycles in the IN associated and locks a device member of each cycle. As a tool to visualise the pervasive space, we have developed a graphical Multidimensional Model (MDM) to visualize the device-state-time pervasive space. The MDM has been found to be an important tool to analyze the dynamic of the environment. In this work we introduce the concept of density of cycles . This parameter enables us to characterize, in a practical way, the usability of a given system. In particular, we have found that a system with a density (for the case of an even number of agents) is guaranteed to have coupled cycles. Furthermore we have shown that low density is an important requirement for the usability of an ambient intelligence system. In addition, we discuss future improvements to INPRES based on the analysis of the weak and strong coupling of the rules. Finally, we offer some examples using computing simulations of systems with different parameters which demonstrate the effectiveness of our methods.

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Multi-agent systems underpin the vision for ambient intelligence. However, developing multi-agent... more Multi-agent systems underpin the vision for ambient intelligence. However, developing multi-agent systems is a complex and challenging process. For example, pervasive computing has been found susceptible to instability, due to unwanted behaviour arising from unplanned interaction between rule based agents. This instability is impossible to predict, as it depends on the rules of interaction, the initial state of the system, the user interaction, and in the time delay of the system (due to network traffic, different speed of processing, etc). In this paper we present a theoretical framework, an Interaction Network (IN), together with a communication locking strategy that we call INPRES (Instability Prevention System) that can be used to identify and eliminate this problem. In addition we describe a Multi-Dimensional Model (MDM) to represent the agents and the state of each agent over time. A theorem showing the role of delays in an unstable system is presented. We present experimental results based on simulations and a physical emulation that demonstrate the effectiveness of these methods.

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The chapter presents the background to the development of the digital home of the future and the ... more The chapter presents the background to the development of the digital home of the future and the ways in which it might be controlled by the end-user. We describe the technical background to the development of the digital home out of the ubiquitous availability of networks and devices. We then describe two different approaches to user control that are already under development – Task Based Computing (TBC) and Pervasive Interactive Programming (PiP). We discuss theoretical work on combining, formalising and visualising these processes. In addition we report on a user evaluation that demonstrates that non-expert users find these methods to be simple, enjoyable and useful. Although this chapter confines itself to end-user programming of the digital home we argue that the underlying mechanisms and concerns apply to all levels of pervasive computing.

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Multi-agent systems underpin the vision for ambient intelligence. However, developing multi-agent... more Multi-agent systems underpin the vision for ambient intelligence. However, developing multi-agent systems is a complex and challenging process. For example, pervasive computing has been found susceptible to instability, due to unwanted behaviour arising from unplanned interaction between rule based agents. This instability is impossible to predict, as it depends on the rules of interaction, the initial state of the system, the user interaction, and in the time delay of the system (due to network traffic, different speed of processing, etc). In this paper we present a theoretical framework, an Interaction Network (IN), together with a communication locking strategy that can be used to identify and eliminate this problem. We present experimental results based on simulations and a physical implementation that demonstrate the effectiveness of these methods.

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Ambient Intelligence (AmI) has been found to suffer from cyclic instability that manifests itself... more Ambient Intelligence (AmI) has been found to suffer from cyclic instability that manifests itself in the form of periodic oscillation of device states, such as lights flickering in smart homes. This behaviour emerges from interaction between rule based devices. Complex systems theory has shown that it is not possible, in general, to predict whether a set of rules and initial conditions will lead a system into periodic behaviour. As a consequence, we have developed a strategy called Instability Prevention Systems (INPRES) to prevent this unwanted behaviour and a framework called Interaction Networks (IN) that captures the rule dependencies using graph theory. INPRES uses IN theory to analyse the rules and dependencies, identifying potential causes of instability and inoculating the network against instability by selectively locking network nodes in a way that seeks to preserve environment functionality.. The INPRES strategy has been proven effective for preventing this oscillatory behaviour; however, it has the inherent disadvantage of preventing information spreading across the system due to locking nodes. Thus, locking needs to be applied in a selective way. Towards this end we have found that the analysis of the local rules of the systems can provide additional information, that can improve the performance of INPRES: that is, it is possible to lock fewer agents thereby reducing the extent of the disabling effects of the locking. In this paper we show how this can be achieved by presenting the concept of weak and strong coupling of oscillatory subsystems and showing how this can be used as part of the IN methodology to produce a more effective locking arrangement. Additionally, some examples of this refinement using computing simulations are given. Finally, we discuss the potential for applying this work applications ranging from pervasive computing to political and financial systems.

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Sociological Inquiry, 1992

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As the proportion of older adults grows, the number of special care provisions to help individual... more As the proportion of older adults grows, the number of special care provisions to help individuals with declining cognitive abilities needs also to increase. Information Communication Technology (ICT) is beginning to play an increasing role in facilitating the work and research of specialists to support and
monitor individuals with cognitive impairment within their everyday environments. In addition, advances in artificial intelligence and the development of new algorithmic approaches can be used to approximate the computational processes of human behaviour in different circumstances. In this paper, we report on the development of a software system using game based therapies for older adults in Mexico suffering from cognitive impairment, where this system has been deployed in a unique day therapy centre. We further propose an evaluation module based on using an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) approach to monitor the user performance, a Fuzzy Logic based module to detect significant changes in performance that might indicate a possible cognitive decline, and a bio-signals sensor in order to gather information about the emotional state of the patient during the interaction.

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Multi-agent systems underpin the vision for ambient intelligence. However, developing multi-agent... more Multi-agent systems underpin the vision for ambient intelligence. However, developing multi-agent systems is a complex and challenging process. For example, pervasive computing has been found susceptible to instability, due to unwanted behaviour arising from unplanned interaction between rule based agents. This instability is impossible to predict, as it depends on the rules of interaction, the initial state of the system, the user interaction, and in the time delay of the system (due to network traffic, different speed of processing, etc). In this paper we present a theoretical framework, an Interaction Network (IN), together with a communication locking strategy that can be used to identify and eliminate this problem. We present experimental results based on simulations and a physical implementation that demonstrate the effectiveness of these methods.

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Bio-signals are important to know what is going on with our body. Especially the muscular activit... more Bio-signals are important to know what is going on with our body. Especially the muscular activity is related with physiological changes in a woman, for example with their menstrual cycle. Besides of this, it is required to evaluate muscular activity over this changes, this can be done with electromyography (EMG) and the entropy, which allow the comparison of the obtained signals to measure those physiological changes. In previous works, muscular fatigue has been evaluated with EMG; nevertheless it has not been going into deep with chemical changes that are produced into the body, in a natural way which can alter the obtained bio signal coming from the muscle. We developed a digital portable electromyograph to get electromyography samples. By means of it, the women´s bio-signals were studied, for those who were under an exercise routine and also for those who were not. While visualizing the behavior of the electromyography obtained from the muscle, we perceived the singularity that the bio-signal for women of both group, while being on a menstrual cycle were similar. Thus, it was implemented the entropy on the signals to justify the results obtained on the electromyography and the personal test applied. As a result, we proved that these signals are really showing one of the physiological changes in a woman.

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