Improving competitiveness using intelligent systems.What is IS? Sometimes referred to as AI or "artificial intelligence," IS involves the use of sensors, software and computers embedded Inserted into. See embedded system. in machines and devices. It emulates and actively employs some part of the intelligence of a human being in performing tasks. In other words Adv. 1. in other words - otherwise stated; "in other words, we are broke" put differently , IS effectively combines the human intellect A natural language query program for IBM mainframes developed by Artificial Intelligence Corporation. The company was later acquired by Trinzic Corporation, which was acquired by Platinum, which was acquired by Computer Associates. with the enhanced abilities of machines to achieve better results. IS technology is being developed worldwide and several Saskatchewan companies are working with the research community here to develop new equipment with potential to reach a global market. One interesting project is the Liquid Level Sensing System, an IS application used to measure fluid levels in storage tanks, even from remote locations. Developed by Acutec Systems Ltd., it will increase the accuracy of measuring fluid levels in oilfield storage tanks. This system used IS technology to interpret sensor information and make a determination of fluid height. Acutec's system will aid in controlling spills of hazardous materials, optimize production and storage, and make maintenance of such material more reliable and less prone to human error. An application of IS for the mining industry is being developed by HDRK. The company is developing a Rock Motion Detector A motion detector is a device that contains a physical mechanism or electronic sensor that quantifies motion that can be either integrated with or connected to other devices that alert the user of the presence of a moving object within the field of view. , a computer-controlled sensor technology that determines the mass of rock in underground mines. HDRK's system can determine the mass of discrete rocks, their relative degree of structural integrity and their association with adjacent material, eliminating the current subjective method of interpreting vibrations upon impact. To enable this, a unit currently used in the mining industry is being adapted with IS technology. A number of IS applications are being developed in the energy field. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The oil industry, for example, is using IS to optimize process control in oil treaters. IS is being used to capture and analyze process data, making it possible to optimize heat and chemical use while treating oil in the field. This helps make oil treatment more efficient and reduces costs. IS technologies are also contributing to alternative energy applications. Every vehicle is specifically calibrated cal·i·brate tr.v. cal·i·brat·ed, cal·i·brat·ing, cal·i·brates 1. To check, adjust, or determine by comparison with a standard (the graduations of a quantitative measuring instrument): for use with a certain fuel, either gasoline gasoline or petrol, light, volatile mixture of hydrocarbons for use in the internal-combustion engine and as an organic solvent, obtained primarily by fractional distillation and "cracking" of petroleum, but also obtained from natural gas, by or diesel. When vehicles are altered to use alternative fuels, such as natural gas, ethanol, bio-diesel, or hydrogen, the engine must be adjusted to maintain optimum performance. Intelligent systems have been developed to help vehicles adapt to new fuels and switch back and forth between fuels. These systems can actually learn how to adapt various makes and models of vehicles for alternative fuel use. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Alternative fuels like natural gas and hydrogen must be stored under high pressure, due to their larger volume compared to liquid fuels. Installing high-pressure tanks in vehicles creates special monitoring problems. It is critical to know, for example, if a tank has deteriorated. IS applications are being developed to provide continuous monitoring of tank quality to ensure safety. Another interesting application, still in the proposal stage, is a residential energy audit tool for handheld computers A computing device that can be easily held in one hand while the other hand is used to operate it. The Palm devices are a popular example. See Palm, smartphone and palmtop. . The IS approach would be used by energy efficiency experts to aid in determining where and how a homeowner could improve their building to reduce energy consumption. The tool would use IS technology to help make better decisions on data inputs. The applications of intelligent systems to assist businesses to automate complex and time-consuming tasks is spreading to a variety of industries; from agriculture, manufacturing, transportation and communications, to financial analysis, electric power generation, and health. Some practical applications include: methods of sorting seeds to identify the best seeds and eliminate damaged ones; predicting the number of people likely to take a given flight, to avoid over- or under-booking airline reservations; and developing adaptive control Adaptive control A special type of nonlinear control system which can alter its parameters to adapt to a changing environment. The changes in environment can represent variations in process dynamics or changes in the characteristics of the disturbances. systems to optimize the conversion of a wide variety of different vehicles to natural gas. One Canadian technology is an Intelligent Lumber lumber, term for timber that has been cut into boards for use as a building material. The major steps in producing lumber involve logging (the felling and preparation of timber for shipment to sawmills), sawing the logs into boards, grading the boards according to Grading System (ILGS ILGS Integrated Logistics System ILGS Illinois Gourd Society ILGS Item Languages ) which used scanning technologies and modeling methods to improve predictions of lumber strength. In Canada, Precarn Incorporated, a national consortium of corporations, research institutes and government partners working within the intelligent systems industry, promotes the application of intelligent systems such as neural networks neural network or neural computing, computer architecture modeled upon the human brain's interconnected system of neurons. Neural networks imitate the brain's ability to sort out patterns and learn from trial and error, discerning and extracting . More information about Precarn and intelligent systems can be found at www.precarn.ca. Kim Young is a Principal Engineer at the Saskatchewan Research Council The Saskatchewan Research Council is a Saskatchewan, Canada technology corporation, owned by the province. It provides contract research, technology transfer and analytical services to companies in Saskatchewan and around the world. . |
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