The advent of computer aided design and the proliferation of computer aided design tools have been instrumental in furthering the state-of-the art in integrated circuitry. Continuing this progress, however, demands an emphasis on creating user-friendly environments that facilitate the interaction between the designer and the CAD tool. The realization of this fact has prompted investigations into the appropriateness for CAD of a number of user-interface technologies. One type of interface that has hitherto not been considered is the natural language interface. It is our contention that natural language interfaces could solve many of the problems posed by the increasing number and sophistication of CAD tools. This thesis represents the first step in a research effort directed towards the eventual development of a natural language interface for the domain of computer aided design. The breadth and complexity of the CAD domain renders the task of developing a natural language interface for the complete domain beyond the scope of a single doctoral thesis. Hence, we have initally focussed on a sub-domain of CAD. Specifically, we have developed a natural language interface, named Cleopatra, for circuit-simulation post-processing. In other words, with Cleopatra a circuit-designer can extract and manipulate, in English, values from the output of a circuit-simulator (currently SPICE) without manually having to go through the output files produced by the simulator."

The first comprehensive resource on software and computing innovations in control technology

New developments in software and information technology are reinvigorating the control engineering community, raising expectations of dramatic improvements in the performance, safety, design time, and verification and validation of control systems. In concert with these developments, synergies between computer science and control are enabling futuristic innovations in autonomous, embedded, and adaptive systems, uninhabited air vehicles and robots.

Software-Enabled Control: Information Technology for Dynamical Systems offers a clear and thorough presentation of computer-enabled developments in control engineering as they relate to autonomous vehicle applications. The contributions range over software architectures, online modeling and control, and hybrid dynamical systems.

Some of the novel topics covered in this volume include:

• Open-system platforms that greatly simplify the real-time implementation of complex algorithms
• Control middleware for exploiting the capabilities afforded by the advances in computing technologies
• New algorithms and implementations of model-predictive control and state and model estimation
• Syntheses of intelligent control methodologies with modern control science, within software-enabled frameworks
• Tools and algorithms for hybrid dynamics, integrating the discrete event and continuous time aspects that have traditionally been considered separately
• Safety-assured control design for single and multiple vehicles
• Architectures and strategies for failure detection, fault tolerance, and control reconfiguration

Unique in its focus and broad in scope, Software-Enabled Control: Information Technology for Dynamical Systems offers an important resource for researchers and practitioners who are exploring the frontiers of control engineering, as well as for graduate and undergraduate students seeking entrance into this exciting and visionary community.

Technological developments increasingly require the conflicting criteria of performance, cost, environmental impact and safety to be reconciled. The field of complexity management addresses this challenge through the integration of traditionally disparate disciplines such as control science, software engineering, artificial intelligence and biology. Automation, Control and Complexity — An Integrated Approach is organised around four central themes: People and Automation, Sensing and Control, Software and Complex Systems and Complexity Management and Networks. Based upon a unique wealth of practical experience, this book exposes complexity as an opportunity to be seized rather than a problem to be confronted and will be of value to all technologists, managers, students and researchers dealing with complex engineering systems. Features include:

• Authoritative discussions of complexity within a variety of engineering domains, including commercial aviation, process industries, communication networks and power systems.

• Expositions of current and future trends in a wide range of technical fields such as control engineering, computer science, sensor systems, maintenance and diagnostics.

• Practical examples of the harnessing of sophisticated technologies for the realisation of a new generation of automation and control solutions.

The advent of computer aided design and the proliferation of computer aided design tools have been instrumental in furthering the state-of-the art in integrated circuitry. Continuing this progress, however, demands an emphasis on creating user-friendly environments that facilitate the interaction between the designer and the CAD tool. The realization of this fact has prompted investigations into the appropriateness for CAD of a number of user-interface technologies. One type of interface that has hitherto not been considered is the natural language interface. It is our contention that natural language interfaces could solve many of the problems posed by the increasing number and sophistication of CAD tools. This thesis represents the first step in a research effort directed towards the eventual development of a natural language interface for the domain of computer aided design. The breadth and complexity of the CAD domain renders the task of developing a natural language interface for the complete domain beyond the scope of a single doctoral thesis. Hence, we have initally focussed on a sub-domain of CAD. Specifically, we have developed a natural language interface, named Cleopatra, for circuit-simulation post-processing. In other words, with Cleopatra a circuit-designer can extract and manipulate, in English, values from the output of a circuit-simulator (currently SPICE) without manually having to go through the output files produced by the simulator."