WORLDCOMP'08 Tutorial: David Dodds

Processing Geo-Semantic Knowledge and Visuals David Dodds Director, Open-Meta Computing Inc, Canada Date: July 16, 2008 Time: 6:00 - 9:30 PM Location: Ballroom 2

Abstract



Location-based processing, illustrated by Google Maps and Google Earth for example, and automotive use of GPS-based map-displays are examples of the kinds of very useful processing that can be done on geo-spatial information. Looking at the data structures and their contents of these location-based geo-processing systems enables us to see the promise and the limitations inherent in such systems. The most popular representations are KML and GML and one may benefit from the XML 'coloring' which Notepad++ provides us when we look at such data structures. By the application of clever algorithms to these data structures one transforms this data into information, often output as one or another map projection. Clearly there are other representations used as well and very useful output occurs in addition to map projections of the various kinds. By tying together data-bases whose content can be keyed via geo-spatial information, perhaps as simple as latitude and longitude or City-Street addresses, with clever algorithms location-based processing can be greatly beneficial.

By looking at syntactical processing of geo-data where we see schemas used to guide the processing in GML and SensorML data structure examples and semantic processing of geo-data aided by ontological knowledge of Space, Time, Phenomena, etc. via NASA JPL Semantic Web for Earth and Environmental Terminology (SWEET) we see how the transformations of the geo-data structures to map projections and other display types is made.


Objectives



The tutorial shows use of Open-Source Software (OSS) to syntactically and semantically process geo-spatial information. The objective is to learn the various kinds of processing that can be usefully done on geo-spatial information, not about any particular software tools. Location-based processing, illustrated by Google Maps and Google Earth for example, and automotive use of GPS-based map-displays are examples of the kinds of very useful processing that can be done on geo-spatial information. The tutorial explains how to do this processing and what kind of information is obtained from it. Participants see how to obtain 'meaning' ("semantics") and 'implications' derived from geo-spatial data sets.

"Semantic Web" processing on OWL ontologies is shown in the tutorial using OSS tools Stanford's SMI OWL / Protege; Pellet, Jena, SWRL; and fuzzyDL, which is a Description Logic Reasoner supporting Fuzzy Logic reasoning.



TUTORIAL TOPICS


• Introduction to XML file types: XML, GML, KML, SVG, RDF, RDFS, OWL (examples)
• What an XML schema is
• Explanation of GML and some uses of GML schemas (examples)
• Explanation of KML and how it used (examples)
• Using Google Maps and Google Earth
• Explanation of SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) (maps) and SVG meta-data 'smarts'
• Explanation of OGC SensorML and how it used (examples)
• Explanation of 'knowledge representation' using RDF, RDFS, OWL
• OWL based ontologies about Space, Time, Phenomena, and other domains
• Doing "Semantic Web" processing on OWL ontologies and what one obtains from that
• Using XSLT to do some interesting things with XML-based geo-data
• We look at an ontology of SVG, so that a 'reasoning' program [Jena, Pellet] can detect that SVG line elements, rectangle elements, circle elements and other parts of SVG are numeric / geometric things [such as are defined via NASA JPL SWEET ontology set]. We see how such 'understanding' allows a 'reasoning' program to see the representational metaphor between (one or more) SVG Path element and 'roads' and 'waterways' (depicted) in a (SVG-based) map. (inflected-line, hasLength, hasWidth, hasColor, hasLocation, etc) Applying "Semantic Web" processing to a three-dimensional Google Earth picture [Dresden] we see how a 'reasoning' program can infer that the temperature in the shade of a building is less than the temperature of nearby areas which are illuminated by the bright sunlight! (example of semantic processing) The workshop shows participants how to use the programs to perform: various XSLT processing including generating and discovery / scanning (of) SVG and KML datasets; using Notepad++ to view and edit XML, SVG, KML and OWL; to use Jena, Pellet, SWRL, etc; to do semantic processing tasks, use OWL / Protege to look at and use the geospatial-related ontologies and, for example, relate semantic web type representations with SVG map and KML, GML maps / visuals.

This tutorial assumes that attendees have a basic understanding of editing files on a computer and using computers to run programs.

David Dodds has worked with computers since 1968, when he wrote Continuous Systems Models (CSMP) on IBM mainframe computers at university. In university environments, he programmed a speech synthesis system; which produced the first ever machine spoken Coast Salish; and designed and developed technical scientific models and simulations; including a simulated town council in a continuous system Forrester Limits to Growth model. He was Sessional Lecturer and taught computing science in a university computing science department.

Later he worked at Bell Northern Research, the research arm of Nortel (Northern Telecom, Bell Canada) where he designed and developed graphical interfaces, and scientific and technical visualization systems. He wrote text understanding software, these were in-house projects to allow extraction of content from telephony specification documents for use by graphical-interface programs, and he also wrote expert systems in C and Prolog.

He has been working the last eleven years on the various emerging XML technologies, was on the W3C SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) workgroup to develop the metadata element specification for SVG 1.0, and on the Idealliance committee to develop XML Topic Map (XTM) specifcation.

David has published numerous papers in robotics and on fuzzy systems, since 1978. Including, Fuzzy Logic Computer Implementation of Metaphor from Ordinary Language, AAAS Annual Meeting (American Association for the Advancement of Science), 1981. One paper, Fuzziness in Knowledge-Based Robotics Systems, was published in Fuzzy Sets and Systems 26: North-Holland 179-193, 1988. Two of these papers were published in the SPIE proceedings Space Station Automation III. He was lead-author of the book WROX Professional XML Meta Data. He has presented numerous papers on XML, SVG, and RDF; Intelligent and Content Aware Graphics Systems.

David presented two papers at SVGOpen 2003, one on Accessing SVG Content Linguistically and Conceptually, the other on Programming SVG Advanced Access Using Metadata and Fuzzy Sets. He presented a paper, Natural Language Processing and Diagrams, about the use of ontologies and logic, at The 2004 International Conference on Machine Learning; Models, Technologies and Applications; which is a part of The 2004 International Multiconference in Computer Science and Computer Engineering. David's paper, Extending Representation Capability (Representation Extention Through the Corresponding Metaphor Process) was in the Extreme 2004 conference proceedings.

He presented a paper, Components of Meta-Programming, Computer Analogies and Metaphors, at The 2005 International Conference on Programming Languages and Compilers which is a part of The 2005 International MultiConference in Computer Science and Computer engineering.

David chaired his own ICAI session; Second Order Meta-Programming - Cognitive Fusion and Autonomous Robots ; and presented two papers; Second Order Metaprogramming, and Ontologies and Conceptual Metaphor in Autonomous Robotics; at The 2006 International Conference on Artificial Intelligence which is a part of WorldComp 2006.

He chaired his own session and presented two papers at The 2007 International Conference on Artificial Intelligence, which is a part of WorldComp 2007. He presented; OntoClock, The Difference Between Having Ontological Knowledge and Knowing It; and Second Order Meta-Programming Situatedness, Awareness, Knowledge. He presented a third paper, on Situated Systems, at The 2007 International Conference on Wireless networking.

David's paper; OntoClock, The Difference Between Having Ontological Knowledge and Knowing It; is in the Extreme Markup Language 2007 conference proceedings.