Surveys the solution of complex problems at national and regional levels and outlines possible future developments

Finding an alternative to supplement military ways of resolving international conflicts has been taken up by many people skilled in various areas such as political science, economics, social studies, modelling and simulation, artificial intelligence and expert systems, military strategy and weaponry as well as private business and industry. The Workshop will therefore be of use as it looks at various control methods which would create a conciliatory social and political environment or climate for seeking and obtaining non-military solutions to international conflicts and to solutions to national conflicts which may lead to international conflicts.

Provides a valuable overview of human-machine interaction in technological systems, with particular emphasis on recent advances in theory, experimental and analytical research, and applications related to man-machine systems. Topics covered include: Automation and Operator - task analysis, decision support, task allocation, management decision support, supervisory control, artificial intelligence, training and teaching, expert knowledge; System Concept and Design - software ergonomics, fault diagnosis, safety, design concepts; Man-machine Interface - interface design, graphics and vision, user adaptive interfaces; Systems Operation - process industry, electric power, aircraft, surface transport, prostheses and manual control. Contains 53 papers and three discussion sessions.

These Proceedings provide valuable information on the exchange of ideas between scientists who apply nonlinear programming and optimization to real world control problems and those who develop new methods, algorithms and software. The papers deal with windshear problems, optimization of aircraft and spacecraft trajectories, optimal control for robots, the optimization of urban traffic control, general mechanical systems, multilevel inventory systems and robust control.

Applications of Nonlinear Programming to Optimization and Control is a collection of papers presented at the Fourth International Federation of Automatic Control Workshop by the same title, held in San Francisco, California on June 20-21, 1983. This workshop aims to exchange information on the applications of optimization and nonlinear programming techniques to real-life control problems, to investigate ideas that arise from these exchanges, and to look for advances in nonlinear programming that are useful in solving control problems. This book is divided into 16 chapters. It covers a wide range of related topics, starting with computer-aided-design of practical control systems, continuing through advanced work on quasi-Newton methods and gradient restoration algorithms. Other chapters provide specific examples, which apply these methods to representative problems. The remaining chapters present examples, including trajectory optimization, optimal design of a structure for a satellite, identification of hovercraft characteristics, determination of optimal electricity generation, and optimal automatic transmission for road vehicles. This book is of value to computer scientists and mathematicians.

Containing 4 plenary papers and 38 technical papers, this volume contributes to the literature on the important subject of man-machine systems. The many topics discussed include human performance skills, knowledge engineering and expert systems, training procedures, human performance and mental load models, and human-machine interfaces.

Computer Aided Design of Multivariable Technological Systems covers the proceedings of the Second International Federation of Automatic Control (IFAC). The book reviews papers that discuss topics about the use of Computer Aided Design (CAD) in designing multivariable system, such as theoretical issues, applications, and implementations. The book tackles several topics relevant to the use of CAD in designing multivariable systems. Topics include quasi-classical approach to multivariable feedback system designs; fuzzy control for multivariable systems; root loci with multiple gain parameters; multivariable frequency domain stability criteria; and computational algorithms for pole assignment in linear multivariable systems. The text will be of great use to professionals whose work involves designing and implementing multivariable systems.

Digital computers are now used routinely in on-line control systems. As applications become more complex and costs of developing software rise, the need for good software tools becomes vital. This volume presents 14 papers on the most recent developments within real-time programming - languages for real-time programming, software development tools and the application of real-time systems within industry.