Search

Engineering and the manner in which engineers think is largely visual and functional, and yet engineers are typically provided with search engines that are text-based. While software based on a visual and functional ethos exist (CAD for example), when searching for information engineers are still required to enter a text query into a search box. This process holds potential incompatibilities both with the nature of the data (i.e. 3D models) and with the way in which engineers think and work. Consequentially, the proposition tested in this paper is that a model-based approach to information access, i.e. a representation of an organisations information around a model of an artefact i.e. CAD model, can improve engineering information retrieval.In an A-B test with a traditional text-based search engine, and using study questions derived from real-world information seeking scenarios based on the activities of a world-leading aircraft manufacturer, the results presented in this paper suggest that there is merit to such an approach.Specifically, this paper shows that there is no significant difference in time to complete a search between a model-based and text-based interfaces in spite of the addition of a new stage in the search process (navigating a 3D model); that the system structure of the model-based interface allows for non-text based documents to be indexed, making up for the inherent limitations in traditional text-based search; and that participants enjoy using the model-based interface and find it intuitive, easy and simple to use. Further, this paper also finds that those with more experience/familiar with the product structure and those in managerial positions are more likely to find information using a model-based interface that those who are not, who perform better using a text-based interface.

This paper contributes to a better understanding and design of dashboards for monitoring of engineering projects based on the projects’ digital footprint and user-centered design approach. The paper presents an explicit insight-based framework for the evaluation of dashboard visualisations and compares the performance of two groups of student engineering project managers against the framework: a group with the dashboard visualisations and a group without the dashboard. The results of our exploratory study demonstrate that student project managers who used the dashboard generated more useful information and exhibited more complex reasoning on the project progress, thus informing knowledge of the provision of information to engineers in support of their project understanding.

The use of Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) to support the definition of requirements and design of modern complex aerospace systems is becoming increasingly accepted. However, MBSE tools and techniques also have many beneficial applications in the definition of requirements for conceptual modelling, and in the design for modelling, simulation, analysis, and implementation of aerospace systems. An MBSE based methodology, known as the Whole-of-System Analytical Framework (WSAF) [1], was developed to provide structure, rigour and traceability to the definition of modelling and simulation requirements for the analysis of weapon and combat system performance. The WSAF is grounded in standard analysis principles and practises but applies MBSE tools and techniques to support the analyst throughout the process [2]. Employing the WSAF, the study definition for the analysis of a weapon system's performance is achieved by deconstructing the systems of interest into their functional components. This activity considers the weapon “kill chain” from initial target detection through to assessing the effect of the weapon [3], and can include the entire combat system (including third party support platforms). Each system's functionality is then systematically analysed in order to identify the questions that must be addressed by a study. The modelling, simulation and analysis requirements necessary to answer those questions are then derived [1] [2]. By functionally defining the whole weapon system kill chain, analysts are able to ensure that their analysis is complete and rigorous, while the MBSE tools provide the required traceability [2]. The WSAF has been applied across the Australian defence domain and is utilised by one of DST Group's partner organisations, Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC). This paper describes the WSAF methodology using case studies from DST Group and DRDC. Lessons accumulated by both organisations are discussed, covering the application of MBSE tools and techniques to support weapon and combat system modelling, simulation and analysis for over a decade.

Equity is a core component of many computer science teacher preparation programs. One promising approach is addressing unconscious bias in teachers related to the race, ethnicity or gender of students. These biases may impact teacher expectations and interactions with students in a variety of classroom scenarios. Early literature on interventions targeting unconscious bias suggests that asking individuals to suppress biases is counterproductive. Our work uses the affordances of interactive online practice spaces to instead focus on specific teaching decisions that may be impacted by unconscious bias. We developed practice spaces and embedded them within CS teacher preparation programs. Our early findings indicate that practice spaces produce rich learning opportunities and analysis yields insight into what biases or beliefs may be interfering with teachers enacting principles of equity like disrupting preparatory privilege. In this workshop, we'll use online practice spaces to examine how we approach different classroom situations related to equity, and practice how we respond. We'll try two different variations on these practice spaces, and create space for participants to try a variety of other iterations on their own. We'll close by inviting folks to share their own stories of important classroom moments that problematized how they approached equitable teaching, and prototype creating practice spaces from those experiences. Participants will leave with links to practice spaces, and related curriculum materials they can use in CS teacher preparation courses, in teacher-led PLC groups, online CS teacher groups, or with local CSTA chapters.

Equity is a core component of many computer science teacher preparation programs. One promising approach is addressing unconscious bias in teachers, which may impact teacher expectations and interactions with students. Since early intervention literature indicates that asking individuals to suppress biases is counterproductive, our work uses online interactive casestudies as practice spaces to focus on teaching decisions that may be impacted by unconscious bias. Our initial findings indicate that when embedded within teacher preparation programs, practice spaces produce rich learning opportunities, and our analysis yields insights into how beliefs or biases may interfere with principles of equity like disrupting preparatory privilege.

Frequently MRI data is characterised by a relatively low signal to noise ratio (SNR) or contrast to noise ratio (CNR). When developing automated Computer Assisted Diagnostic (CAD) techniques the errors introduced by the image noise are not acceptable. Thus, to limit these errors, a solution is to filter the data in order to increase the SNR. More importantly, the image filtering technique should be able to reduce the level of noise, but not at the expense of feature preservation. In this paper we detail the implementation of a number of 3D diffusion-based filtering techniques and we analyse their performance when they are applied to a large collection of MR datasets of varying type and quality.

Statistical partitioning of images into meaningful areas is the goal of all region-based segmentation algorithms. The clustering or creation of these meaningful partitions can be achieved in number of ways but in most cases it is achieved through the minimization or maximization of some function of the image intensity properties. Commonly these optimization schemes are locally convergent, therefore initialization of the parameters of the function plays a very important role in the final solution. In this paper we perform an automatically initialized expectation-maximization algorithm to partition the data in medical MRI images. We present analysis and illustrate results against manual initialization and apply the algorithm to some common medical image processing tasks.

We present a preprocessing and segmentation scheme designed to address the particular difficulties encountered in the analysis of magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) data, as a precursor to the application of computer assisted diagnosis (CAD) techniques. MRCP generates noisy, low resolution, non-isometric data which often exhibits significant greylevel inhomogeneities. This combination of characteristics results in data volumes in which reliable segmentation and analysis are difficult to achieve. In this paper we describe a data processing approach developed to overcome these difficulties and allow for the effective application of automated CAD procedures in the analysis of the biliary tree and pancreatic duct in MRCP examinations.

As whole body MRI (WB-MRI) gains currency, the data this class of technique generates presents new challenges for the imaging community. One acquisition protocol currently being applied with considerable success entails imaging the subject in a number of successive coronal sections, resulting in a high resolution, gap free, full body acquisition. However this technique often results in considerable greylevel offsets between adjacent coronal sections. To make the images suitable for the application of automated image analysis procedures these discontinuities in the grey data must be alleviated. We examine the issues related to this problem, and present a solution based on histogram rescaling, which is designed to correct for the non-uniformities while preserving the integrity of the data histogram so that it can be used robustly in later processing steps. The final datasets reconstructed from the resampled coronal sections exhibit superior greyscale homogeneity, visually and in statistical measures, and the image segmentation results achieved using this corrected data are consistently more robust and more accurate than those arrived at using the original raw data. The approach has been tested and successfully validated on a database of sixty two WB-MRI datasets.

Evolving protocols in Whole Body MRI (WB-MRI) present new challenges in the application of automated image processing and analysis procedures. We address two issues relating to sectionally acquired coronal WBMRI: greyscale non-uniformity correction and accurate data merging. The body is scanned in a number of slightly overlapping coronal sections, each containing 32 eight mm thick slices. Adjacent coronal sub-section often demonstrate a significant greyscale mismatch resulting in sharp discontinuities within homogeneous tissue regions in the body. This presents problems for automatic segmentation and classification approaches. Similarly a simplistic reconstruction procedure can lead to inaccuracies in the relative alignment of the data from each DICOM image in the reconstructed volume, resulting in the dislocation of small structures

The successful realization of the goal of Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) practice, to contain all project information in models, is predicated on the ability of the system model to represent the information needs of a broad range of stakeholders such as the owners, acquirers, suppliers, maintainers, and users. The paper opens by discussing the interface between the acquirer and supplier within the pre-contract competitive Australian defence context. From this and earlier work, the need for the model of the system of interest to be built upon a comprehensive knowledge representation that can support the creation and integration of multiple stakeholder specific models is derived. Elicitation of further requirements from both stakeholder workshops and from functional analysis follows. Refereed/Peer-reviewed