The process of decision making based on complex data can be supported using mathematics and meaningful visualization. Accordingly the activities in this work area lie in the fields Data Mining, knowledge representation and knowledge management. Recent applications belong to computer-assisted medical diagnostics and product engineering in the technical sector.

In diagnosis support medical data are analysed using methods from multivariate statistics with the aim to check existing hypotheses or to extract structures and knowledge. Relevant methods are for example cluster and discriminant analysis as well as regression methods, whereas in the work area particular attention is turned on the adequate treatment of non-linear situations. The data to be analysed frequently are available in the form of time-dependent signals as for example in electrocardiogram or electroencephalogram analysis, which brings the mathematical theory of signals and time series into the play.
The expert knowledge utilised in medical diagnosis, consulting and in neighbouring fields can at least partially be formalised and as such form the basis of an expert system for a clearly defined field of expert activity. In the present work area rule-based approaches like for example Fuzzy Logic are applied as well as data-based methods. Recently a software for the automatic evaluation of diets has been developed implementing a data-based method.

Located in the focus of the technical sector is an innovative methodology for supporting multi criteria decision making processes, based on transparent visualizations of knowledge contents and intuitive, ergonomic interaction facilities. So, also non-experts faced with rather complex decision scenarios are enabled to balance effectively and efficiently pros and cons, too. Various types of criteria – like quantitative or qualitative, objective or subjective, active or passive, dependent or independent – may be handled simultaneously, and each user can navigate through the decision horizon following his/her special strategy and regarding dynamic restrictions. Fields of application are: product development, analysis, design and optimization of processes, information exploration, and innovation management.

Projects

• ADiWA - Alliance Digital Flow Of Goods (only available in german)

  

  Die elektronische Vernetzung intelligenter Objekte mit dem Internet hat in vielen Bereichen – so etwa durch die RFID-Technologie oder durch den OPC-Standard zur herstellerunabhängigen Kommunikation in der Automatisierungstechnik – einen hohen Reifegrad erreicht und eröffnet damit breite Vermarktungschancen.

  • Further Information

• Decision support in the production environment

  

  The production facilities of modern enterprises are subject to a trend towards higher complexity and linking-up. This trend is intensified by the dynamics created in the facility structure through frequent product changes and shortened product life cycles.

  • Further Information

• SACA: Software Assisted Call Analysis

  

  This project is temporarily only available in german.

  • Further information

Competences

• Data Mining / multivariate statistics
• signal- and time series analysis
• expert systems
• multi criteria decision making
• interactive knowledge management
• visualization