Frequently Asked Questions About Urban Security Expert System Software
- What is Urban Security Expert System Software?
- What are the system requirements for Urban Security Expert System Software?
- Tell me more about what I can do with Urban Security Expert System Software.
- Summarize key functionality provided by Urban Security Expert System.
- What Urban Security Expert System Software-related technical analysis terms do I need to understand?
- How do I set up a scene for analysis with Urban Security Expert System Software?
What is Urban Security Expert System Software?
Urban Security Expert System is an application software that was developed based on a proprietary ESI Security Technology's core shell: Expert System Integrated Development Environment (ESIDE®). ESIDE enables the development of application packages that integrate fuzzy logic solver, AutoCAD design environment, and other critical features. The software allows high-fidelity modeling and analysis of complex systems that cannot be accurately described by models based on physical principles.
ESIDE is a Hybrid Expert System that generates its "expertise" through a fusion of data bases, experimental, simulation, and real-life data, as well as "crisp" or "fuzzy" human expertise. It provides higher objectivity and accuracy than conventional Expert Systems.
ESIDE incorporates the proprietary Systematic Fuzzy Logic Model Generator Toolbox (SFLMT), which is the main module of ESIDE Shell. It can lead to completely automatic utilization for data analysis, trend detection, model generation, etc. ESIDE can be configured by the user using Oracle, AutoCAD, LabVIEW, C++, etc. ESIDE is adaptive, has learning capability, can perform reasoning and inference based on exact (crisp), non-exact (fuzzy), and combined knowledge, allowing fuzzy and exact terms to be freely mixed in the rules and facts of the expert system.
What are the system requirements for Urban Security Expert System Software?
For optimal performance, your computer system should meet the following minimum hardware and software requirements:
Hardware
- Intel Pentium 4 (1.4GHz or better), or compatible
- 1024 x 768 or higher VGA video display with 256 colors
- 4X CD-ROM drive
- Windows-supported display adapter
- Mouse or other pointing device
- 512 MB of RAM (minimum)
- 1.0 GB of hard disk space (minimum)
- 500 MB of disk swap space (minimum)
- 500 MB of free disk space in your system folder (minimum)
Software
- Windows XP Professional SP 1 or later
Windows XP Home SP 1 or later - Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or later
- AutoDesk Architectural Desktop 2004
- Urban Security Expert System software on a CD-ROM
Tell me more about what I can do with Urban Security Expert System Software.
Software can be used to analyze blast wave propagation, thermal profile, damage effects on buildings and human injury in a complex urban environment. Software possesses several unique features:
- Intelligent modeling methodology that combines accurate nonlinear models of experimental and numerical data, with heuristic knowledge and empirical formulas;
- CAD and Geographical Information System (GIS) compatible, user-friendly interfaces that enables the user to rapidly construct 3D models of a blast scene, and
- Learning - knowledge acquisition and training mechanism for enhancing and improving the system performance as more facts or information (either implicitly embedded in experimental data or acquired from domain experts) become available.
In accordance with the functionality required for blast and thermal effects analysis, several modules have been designed and implemented in the Urban Security Expert System software:
- Graphical user interfaces;
- Pre-processor that models blast scenarios using built-in libraries of standard components and imports previously created models;
- Solvers that encapsulate blast, thermal, structural, and vulnerability models and analysis techniques;
- Post-processor that visualizes results;
- Knowledgebase/reasoning edit/view facility that accepts new numerical models and data; and
- Security tools for practical cases of interest to the user.
Summarize key functionality provided by Urban Security Expert System.
- Blast load: Peak over-pressures and impulses from a bomb on the ground, buildings, and other structures in complex urban environments.
- Thermal load: Temperature profile and time-temperature histories on the building components caused by burning of liquid fuel inside or outside of a building.
- Blast effect: Damage levels caused by a bomb explosion.
- Thermal effect: Damage levels caused by high temperature fires.
- Vulnerability: Human vulnerability (fatality/injury) caused by high overpressures.
- Pre-blast analysis (target hardening): Vulnerability of potential target areas (hot spots) in buildings and potential target hardening reinforcements in terms of: materials, wall construction methods, etc.
- Post-blast analysis (apprehend perpetrator): Estimation of bomb characteristics and parameters.
- VIP protection analysis: Determination of safety zones, motorcade paths, and removal of threats.
- Knowledgebase facilities: Generate/modify new/existing fuzzy logic models, structural response models, edit the knowledgebase.
- Databases: Standard and user-defined materials, construction methods, explosives, mitigation methods, etc.
What Urban Security Expert System Software-related technical analysis terms do I need to understand?
| Building: | Defines a frame-type structure that contains columns, beams, walls, slabs and windows. |
| Component: | Defines a structural object that is used to construct a model of a building. Components' properties are defined in Building dialog window. |
| Component Type: | Defines the characteristics of structural components. Software has a built-in structural component library consisting of different types of beams, columns, slabs, walls and windows. |
| Bomb: | Defines explosive source. The user can define a bomb in terms of its explosive material and mass. There is a built-in explosive library that contains all required parameters for common types of explosives. |
| Fuel: | Defines the source of fire. The user can define fuel in terms of its type, properties and fuel carrier. There is a built-in fuel library that contains all necessary parameters for common types of fuel. |
| Environment: | Defines environment conditions of an explosion scene: elevation, ambient pressure, temperature, humidity, weather, wind speed, wind direction and soil type. |
| Population Set: | Defines a group of people positioned within a certain area outside of building. For internal vulnerability and blast analysis for a given building, a population set is defined as the number of people per each bay of the building. |
| Scene: | Refers to a specific combination of buildings, bombs, fires and environment conditions. |
| Vulnerability zone/casualty: | Refers to a specific computational program to estimate the hazard zone and casualty caused by blast load. The casualty is categorized into three groups: eardrum rupture, lung damage and fatality rate. |
| Damage level: | Defines the degree of damage to a structural component. The damage has been categorized into four levels: Destroyed, Severe, Moderate, No Damage. |
How do I set up a scene for analysis with Urban Security Expert System Software?
To efficiently assemble a scenario there are a few steps that the user needs to follow:
- Prepare input data.
- Set up buildings and population sets.
- Set up bombs, fires and environmental conditions.
Details for each step are described below.
Prepare input data
Urban Security Expert Ssystem requires certain data to be entered and manipulated through a number of dialog boxes. Before any data is entered, a preparation phase is recommended for the users to save time by identifying the most important aspects of blast scenario and analysis objectives, and collecting only the necessary data. Some basic data that needs to prepared includes:
- Building information such as type, location and size.
- Information on structural components such as size and material properties. If some of that information is not available, appropriate default values will be loaded from built-in libraries of buildings, components, and materials.
- Bomb, fuel and environmental information such as mass, shape, location of bomb, type and carrier of fuel, and environmental conditions.
- Population set information such as number of people located within the building or within a certain area outside of the building.
Set up buildings and population sets
With all necessary information collected, the user can start building the scenario of interest. City maps are used in this process. Exemplary images are shown below.
A city map containing 2D information
A blast scene based on 2D information and user-defined heights of buildings
Set up bombs, fires and environmental conditions
