Semantics for e-Science Collaboration Jan Update

CoAKTinG 2005 Update: Overview CoAKTinG in a nutshell 2005 NASA collaboration Follow-on projects now deepening the collaboration

interpretation of data/events following through decisions/ coordinating activities producing documents & other artifacts archiving/recovering information informal and formal communication meetings Key collective activities in e-science

e-Science collaboration technologies should support fluid movement around the space of… consensus knowledge contested knowledge unformalized knowledge formalized knowledge e-Science

Fluid movement in the e-Science collaboration design space… Baseline tools: Whatever collaboration tools scientists currently use… + Options to codify semantics of: Presence Issues Options Constraints Arguments Procedures Workflow Events Using: Instant Messaging status Semiformal hypermedia Formal ontologies Meeting event streams

Extending the AKT Reference Ontology for e- Science collaboration Extensions to support: generation of multimedia presentations (e.g. millisecond representations of time) meetings distributed across several (physical and virtual) locations exhibition of information objects as events (e.g. slides; videos; documents) meeting-specific (compound) information bearing objects (versions of resources used in meetings) annotation events (e.g. verbal comments, creation of Compendium nodes)

mapping real time discussions/ group sensemaking following through decisions/ coordinating activities synthesising artifacts recovering information from meetings awareness of colleagues availability/ sense of presence virtual meetings CoAKTinG toolset Video conf. BuddySpace Compendium I-X Process panels Meeting Replay

Technical integration: Jabber interoperability I-X Process panels Meeting Replay BuddySpace Compendium Jabber XML Messaging Server

CoAKTinG e-Science Testbeds 1. Comb-e-Chem (UK e-Science Project) 2. Remote Science Teams supporting simulated Mars exploration (NASA field trial)

Knowledge Extraction + Formulisation Knowledge and Process Modelling + Analysis Knowledge Reuse + Dissemination Instrument Identification + Resource Cooperation Rationale Capture + decision making Data Analysis + Considerations Codifying scientific procedures with rationale

Workflow Execution And Monitoring Instrument Tracking And utilisation Resource + Floor Management Run-time tracking and control Action Realisation + Rationale Feedback Comb-e-Chem: Facility e-Science in Action Presence Awareness + Remote Participation

CoAKTinG e-Science Testbeds 1. Comb-e-Chem (UK e-Science Project) 2. Remote Science Teams supporting simulated Mars exploration (NASA field trial)

Image Credits--- Mars: NASA/JPL/MSSS; Earth: NASA/JSC; Composite: MSSS Towards Interplanetary e-Science collaboration…

Mars surface exploration field trial

Collaboration Configuration Scientist (Mars) Scientist (Earth) Scientist (Mars) Scientist (Earth) Software Agent Architecture (Mars) Compendium used as a collaboration medium at all intersections: humans+agents reading+writing maps BuddySpace connecting Earth scientists (no real-time Mars connection)

CoAKTinG NASA testbed: BuddySpace location-based presence for Earth geology team, plus 1-1/1-many instant messaging

CoAKTinG NASA testbed: Compendium activity plans for surface exploration, constructed by Mars+Earth geologists, interpreted by software agents The Compendium nodes and relationships in this plan were interpreted by Brahms software agents for monitoring and coordinating astronaut and robot activity during surface explorations. Copyright, 2004, RIACS/NASA Ames, Open University, Southampton University Not to be used without permission

CoAKTinG NASA testbed: Compendium science data map, generated by software agents, for interpretation by Mars+Earth geologists The Compendium maps were autonomously created and populated with science data by Brahms software agents that use models of the mission plan, work process, data flow and science data relationships to create the maps. Copyright, 2004, RIACS/NASA Ames, Open University, Southampton University Not to be used without permission

CoAKTinG NASA testbed: Compendium scientific feedback map from Earth geologists to Mars colleagues about their map Copyright, 2004, RIACS/NASA Ames, Open University, Southampton University Not to be used without permission

CoAKTinG NASA testbed: Meeting Replay tool for Earth scientists, synchronising video of Mars crews discussion with their Compendium maps Copyright, 2004, RIACS/NASA Ames, Open University, Southampton University Not to be used without permission RIACS/NASA Ames Research Center Mobile Agents Project Maarten Sierhuis KMi Open University CoAKTinG Project Simon Buckingham- Shum & Al Selvin Southampton University CoAKTinG Project Kevin Page Danius Michaelides Dave De Roure Nigel Shadbolt

NASA Mobile Agents field trial paper

Plans for NASA Mobile Agents field trial April 2005 Semantic Blogging (OU) rich human narrative mixed with formal semantics + Science Media Player (Soton) semantic multimedia filtering

Hab Semantic Blogspace for e-Science EVA astronaut Shannons blog/ aggregator Stacys blog/ aggregator RSS feeds RSS feed(s) OU Compendium server

SciOrg Compendium Hab science data Distributed sensemaking by semantic blogging Shannons blog/ aggregator Stacys blog / aggregator EVA astronaut Blog commentary

SciOrg Compendium Hab science data Science Media Player to render+replay data EVA astronaut Shannons blog / aggregator Stacys blog / aggregator RSS feed Science Media

Blog entries could therefore populate Compendium (or be written via a Compendium map)

CoAKTinG Follow-on Projects 1. Memetic: Meeting Memory Technologies Informing Collaboration (Manchester – Open – Southampton – Edinburgh) 2. Co-OPR: Collaborative Operations for Personnel Recovery (Edinburgh – Open)

m e m e t i c = Access Grid collaboration environment Compendium Meeting Replay Meeting Memory Technologies Informing Collaboration

CoAKTinG Follow-on Projects 1. Memetic: Meeting Memory Technologies Informing Collaboration (Manchester – Open – Southampton – Edinburgh) 2. Co-OPR: Collaborative Operations for Personnel Recovery (Edinburgh – Open)

Co-OPR = Compendium I-X Co-OPR: Collaborative Operations for Personnel Recovery

Compendium in Crisis Action Planning

I-X domain modelling, planning & issue mgmnt. Process Panel Domain Editor Messenger Map Tool I-Plan

Grey Matter + Silicon I-X Inputs to Compendium in simulated mission Issues and Responses Activity Options Constraints/Maps Annotations/Notes In a day long coalition personnel recovery operation in a political scenario, external evaluators reported that participants found Co- OPR was: …amongst the best of the tools demonstrated

In summary… e-Science has proven an excellent testbed to explore the design space for semantic collaboration tools CoAKTinG has demonstrated an approach to integrating tools to support fluid movement around the design space