virtual manufacturing system and virtual communication

8/8/2019 Virtual Manufacturing System and Virtual Communication

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AISSMS College of Engineering 2010-2011 1

1. Human Computer Interaction:To know about virtual communication we have to understand what HCI- Human

Computer Interaction is.

Human-computer interaction is a discipline concerned with the design,

evaluation and implementation of interactive computing systems for human use and with

the study of major phenomena surrounding them.

HCI in the large is an interdisciplinary area. It is emerging as a specialty concern

within several disciplines, each with different emphases: computer science (application

design and engineering of human interfaces), psychology (the application of theories of

cognitive processes and the empirical analysis of user behavior), sociology and

anthropology (interactions between technology, work, and organization), and industrial

design (interactive products).

Take the notion of machine. Instead of workstations, computers may be in the

form of embedded computational machines, such as parts of spacecraft cockpits or

microwave ovens. Because the techniques for designing these interfaces bear so much

relationship to the techniques for designing workstations interfaces, they can be

profitably treated together. But if we weaken the computational and interaction aspects

more and treat the design of machines that are mechanical and passive, such as the design

of a hammer, we are clearly on the margins, and generally the relationships between

humans and hammers would not considered part of human-computer interaction. Such

relationships clearly would be part of general human factors, which studies the human

aspects of all designed devices, but not the mechanisms of these devices. Human-

computer interaction, by contrast, studies both the mechanism side and the human side,

but of a narrower class of devices.

Or consider what is meant by the notion human. If we allow the human to be a

group of humans or an organization, we may consider interfaces for distributed systems,

computer-aided communications between humans, or the nature of the work being


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cooperatively performed by means of the system. These are all generally regarded as

important topics central within the sphere of human-computer interaction studies. If we

go further down this path to consider job design from the point of view of the nature of

the work and the nature of human satisfaction, then computers will only occasionally

occur (when they are useful for these ends or when they interfere with these ends) and

human-computer interaction is only one supporting area among others.

To give a further rough characterization of human-computer interaction as a field,

we list some of its special concerns: Human-computer interaction is concerned with the

joint performance of tasks by humans and machines; the structure of communication

between human and machine; human capabilities to use machines (including the learn

ability of interfaces); algorithms and programming of the interface itself; engineeringconcerns that arise in designing and building interfaces; the process of specification,

design, and implementation of interfaces; and design trade-offs. Human-computer

interaction thus has science, engineering, and design aspects.

Characterization of human-computer interaction as a field, we list some of its

special concerns:

1. Human-computer interaction is concerned with the joint performance of tasksby humans and machines;

2. The structure of communication between human and machine;3. Human capabilities to use machines (including the learn ability of interfaces);4. Algorithms and programming of the interface itself;5. Engineering concerns that arise in designing and building interfaces;6. The process of specification, design, and implementation of interfaces; and

design trade-offs.

Human-computer interaction thus has science, engineering, and design aspects.


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2.1 Virtual Communication:Modern information technology allows more and more people to communicate with

each other in ever new ways. The most prominent feature of the so called informationsociety is an increasingly intense and mobile communication, based on a multitude of

media and forms of expressionspeech, text, pictures, hypermedia, multimedia, etc.

Sometimes the communication is direct; human-to-human: Sometimes it is not so direct.

Beyond this maze of colorful, innovative, but yet regular conversations, there are

deviant, irregular forms of conversation, growing in importance. Beside the real

communication an unreal, virtual communication is taking place. This is

communication in which one or more parties are non-real, fictive, or deviates so strongly

from the perceived interlocutor that the communication becomes imagined or untrue to

reality in one or more respects. It is also implicit communication, where behaviors and

actions communicate intentions, values and beliefs. These phenomena are not completely

new, but they are reinforced through modern information technology, and thus they may

be of great importance in affecting peoples attitudes toward each other, toward

information and culture, and toward the mechanisms and processes that regulate the

functioning of society.


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2.2 Features of Virtual Communication:1. No well defined source

Through modern information technology we encounter information in shapes that,in reality, have no well defined, simple or clearly delimited transmitter or source.

These are, for instance, messages that have been generated by computers; that have

been gathered from information in different databases; collective cut-and-paste

creations; synthetic faces and voices, etc.

2.2 Features of Virtual Communication

2. Intelligent agentsResearchers and practitioners in artificial intelligence and human-computer

interaction are developing and employing increasingly complex and autonomous

software agents. More and more, such agents are being incorporated into computer

interfaces at various levels, and unleashed in computer networks. These intelligent

agents are per definition virtual agents and with many of them we can (and must)

communicate. The situation is perhaps less problematic than in other cases, because


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the interlocutor is normally aware of being engaged in virtual communication. Even

so, one tends to stay unaware of how ones attitudes adapt to the situation.

3. What you see is what I want you to see

Using modern information technology we can control interfaces to such an extent

that what would normally constitute real human-to-human communication is

virtualized. Interestingly enough, there are two competing modes of control; the

transmitters control of his or her appearance and expressions, and the receivers

control of how the incoming information is to be filtered and presented.

If we are headed for a more virtualized communication, we also need to ask

ourselves what we mean by authenticity. Not so long ago, word processors and other

office software were promoted using the slogan What you see is what you get.

Nowadays, equally fitting designations would be What you see is what I want you to

see or, why not What I see is what someone else wants me to see.

4. Sketches look FinishedComputer-generated images and animations tend to liquefy the normal pragmatics

of pictures. They tend to give misleading signals as to the work and commitment

invested in the picture, the purpose and intention with the picture, and its origin. A

preliminary sketch may look as definitive and finished as the final version, giving the

viewer the feeling that proposals for changes are not welcome. So-called photo

realism can mislead the recipient into thinking that the objects, situations and

developments represented really exist. The situation is further complicated when the

pictures only have a very fragile, an obscure and complex connection to human

intentions, and hence lack origin, author and sender, other than in a virtual sense.


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5. Actions speak louderThe primary intention of actions are to communicate, and the reason is that

information technology makes actions easier, of less import, and also that actions are

often easily reversible. They require less effort and less involvement. This kind of

implicit communication has hardly been an issue with older types of

telecommunication, but given the fact that we now are able to perform tele-actions, to

experience tele-presence; to act and behave in the world of information; implicit

communication has become a reality.

6. Mass BehaviorImplicit communication also opens up the possibility of going with the flow and

other types off mass-behavior. What has previously been impossible, become possible

through new information technology, in pace with peoples actions becoming visible

in cyberspace. Just as the market dictates the rise and fall of stock prices based on a

million individuals fears and hopes, decisions are being made by virtual agents made

up by the people listening to them.

3.1 Virtual Teams

Virtual TeamsADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES

Improved Productivity Communication Efficiency

Reduced Transportation Cost Poor Leadership and Management

Lower Playing Field Incompetent Team Members

Table 1: Virtual Teams Advantages and Disadvantages


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3.2 Advantages

3.2.1 Improved Productivity

Overall, virtual teams allow organizations to compete more effectively in the Information

Age. While these teams will never replace physical groups, they do offer organizations

major advantages.

3.2.2 Reduced Transportation Cost

With virtual teams, transportation costs fall widely, atleast in the beginning. Flying to the

other side of the globe to have a physical meeting is very expensive, and both today and

in the past, it was largely reserved for large and very prosperous organizations.

3.2.3 Lower Playing Field

Perhaps the biggest advantage of the virtual team is that it can help you to lower the

playing field. Put quite simply, the advantages that in the past were only reserved for

large corporations can now be used by small business owners.

3.3 Disadvantages

3.3.1 Communication Efficiency

The first disadvantage that comes with virtual teams is a reduction in

communication efficiency. A number of studies have consistently shown that much of

what humans communicate to one another is not based on their verbal language, but on

non-verbal language. Some studies show that as much as 30% of communication is non-

verbal.

Of course, on the Internet, you are severely restricted in terms of how youcommunicate. It is next to impossible with current technology to read the non-verbal

signals being sent by the people you deal with online. For example, if someone sends you


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an email where they apologize for their action, all you see are the words on the page, and

there is no way for you to know for sure whether or not they are sincere.

In contrast, when dealing with them in person, you can analyze their body

language in order to determine whether or not they are truly legit. Because of this lack of

non-verbal communication, failures in communication are common on virtual teams.

In fact, in if someone asked me what was the leading cause of failure among

virtual teams, my answer would be a lack of communication. When you are not working

with someone face-to-face, it is absolutely critical that you be able to communicate with

them, because if you cannot, your project will never get of the ground.

Your emails should be clear and concise, and nothing should ever be assumed. In

the world of virtual teams, assumptions lead to disaster. Not only must virtual team

members be able to communicate clearly and concisely, but they must also be able to

communicate quickly. A failure to communicate quickly can lead to frustration, which

then leads to failure.

3.3.2 Poor Leadership and Management

While poor leadership will cause any team to fail, whether it is physical or digital,the issue becomes much more sensitive when you're dealing with virtual teams.Many

virtual managers are poor leaders and poor communicators. They don't know how to get

their message across, or they're indecisive when it comes to choosing the ways in which

they want the project to function.

A true leader is someone who knows exactly what they want, and they know how

to properly communicate this to the members of their team. They are able to help the

members of their team on any issue they may be having, and instead of trying to simply

give out orders, they know when to get their hands dirty.

At the same time, effective virtual managers are individuals who know not to

micro-manage. When a leader decides to begin micro-managing his or her team, this


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leader will inevitably fail. A leader is a person who can set their members on the right

path, but they don't have to walk them to their destination step-by-step.

The quality of the leadership for a virtual team will play a key role in its success

of failure. However, the members play a crucial role as well. In order for a project to

become a success, everyone in the organization must know their role. They must be

skilled in their area of expertise, but under no circumstances should they challenge the

head of the project.

3.3.3 Incompetent Team Members

Virtual Team members must all be competent. If the members of the virtual team

are not competent, then the project is doomed to failure from the start. If the teammembers are lazy, or slack off from their assignments, this can have a detrimental effect

on the rest of the team. This is why it is critical for team leaders to be cautious in who

they choose for the project at the very beginning, because if they are not, this could lead

to serious problems down the road.

4.1 Virtual Manufacturing Systems

VM is the use of manufacturing-based simulations to optimize the design of

product and processes for a specific manufacturing goal such as: design for assembly;

quality; lean operations; and/or flexibility.

4.2 Manufacturing Message Specification (MMS)

For interconnection purposes, factory automat ion (FA) system can be

combined with various sensors, controllers, and heterogeneous machines using a

common message specification. In particular, interconnection of heterogeneous


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machines through a common message

specification promotes flexibility and

interoperability.

For this reason, the manufacturing message

specification (MMS) standards have been

developed. The standard specifies sets of

communication primitives and

communication protocols for the factory

communication environment. In part icular,

the MMS standard specifies various

funct ionalities of the different FA devices in a

compatible way. Thus, users ofMMS

applications have to use functions from only one unique set of functionalities to

operate various kinds of automation machines. Moreover, the different auto mation

machines can communicate among themselves through the standard automation

language. This enables transition from the traditional centralized control to the

distributed control systems.

A virtual factory environment can be used to examine the correctness of an

implementation and as a test solution of an FA system prior to installing the

system in a real factory communication environment furthermore, by using the

virtual factory

communication system,

developing time and costs

can be minimized. In

addition, it can be used

as a training tool of

MMS users.

Fig 4.2 AGV Route


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5.1 Conclusion

Virtual communication is communication in which some apparent participant or

part of the context is fictitious or deviates substantially from the real interlocutor or

context. The main point here is that the conditions for communication are not what they

appear to be. Such phenomena are amplified by information technology that lowers the

cost of transforming and synthesizing appearances in various modalities, and exposes us

to information that may have no well defined source but still appear to us as expressions

of some agent.

Fig 5.1 Basic AGV route and a plant layout

If we continue down this path, we face a rapid growth of virtual communication, and

an increasing population of virtual agents whose messages we will be forced to take

seriously. Todays technology and interfaces do not accurately support the dialogue with

virtual agents, but it is technically possible to increase the interaction. Virtualcommunication could have a major impact on society: Traditional democratic processes

do not stand a chance to cope with the accelerated pace with which societal changes

take place in cyberspace.


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y FutureVirtual communication raises many important issues about trust, identity, authenticity,

etc. One question is how to combine the desire to look the way you want with the desire

to see what you want. If communication becomes a meeting of interfaces, rather than a

meeting person-to-person we need to develop a new set of social contracts, and devise

mechanisms to implement them.


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References:

1. Bengtsson, B. (1999). Virtual communication. Licentiate thesis (Report UMINF99.09). Umea University, Department of Computing Science.

2. Bengtsson, B. Virtual communication: Conceptualizing the effects of informationtechnology on the conditions for communication.

3. Dong-Sung Kim, Wook Hyun Kwon, and Zygmunt J .H aas , Implem entat ion of a V ir tua l Factor y

Communicat ion Sys tem us ing the Manufacturing Message

Sp ec ifica tion S ta nd ard , (Engineering Research Center for

Advanced Control Instrumentation, School of Electrical and

Co mputer Eng., Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea 151-742)

4. Interneta. Bjorn Bengtsson, HCI: http://old.sigchi.org/cdg/cdg2.html,

(Department of Computing Science Umea University S-901 87 Umea,

Sweden)

b. http://www.hcibib.org/c. http://www8.cs.umu.se/~bjorn/vc.htmd. http://www.exforsys.com/career-center/virtual-team/virtual-team-

disadvantages.html

virtual manufacturing system and virtual communication

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