Fuzzy systems

Fuzzy systems provide a framework for handling real-world uncertainties, allowing resilient systems to effectively measure and maintain performance during crisis and shocks. Moving from simply measuring to understanding shifts the focus from data (how much) to meaning (what is). This transition allows to interpret the world rather than just record it. By understanding this shift, the systems gain the resilience to adapt to disruptions instead of simply reacting to fixed rules.
Fuzzy systems provide a logic that enables the modeling of complex processes through approximate reasoning. Thereby, fuzzy logic establishes a definition for membership functions, linguistic variables, and fuzzy operators, which we use as nature-inspired implementation for a human-centered interaction science and technology. With our projects, we move from mere probabilities to viable possibilities, hence enriching summative structures with human-centric, intuitive ones.
  • Fuzzy Management System in Customer Services

    To help agents inside the Contact Center Post improving his performance and knowledge, an information and knowledge management (IKM) system will be implemented to provide: (1) right information to collaborators in order to answer clients’ questions in a short time, (2) a list of experts who can help him out if he can not handle a special case and (3) recommendations related to his search terms and new arrivals information. Fuzzy databases and techniques will be used in this IKM system to give more precise recommendations.

    Human-IST collaborators: Minh Tue Nguyen, Edy Portmann

    Partners/ External collaborators (companies): Swiss Post

  • Phenotropic Interaction

    To ensure better interactions between systems of various nature, a bio-inspired way of handling exchanges is being studied. The basic idea of Phenotropic Interaction is that of handling interactions with flexibility, instead of following strict and predefined protocols, by having all involved systems adapt to the others, in such a way that interactions become more and more flawless and precise over time. This kind of flexibility brings robustness and customizability of actions and interactions. Phenotropics can be applied for example in Human-Computer Interaction, but also in communication between pieces of software or computer hardware.

    Human-IST collaborators: Moreno Colombo, Edy Portmann, Denis Lalanne, Sara D’Onofrio

    Partners/ External collaborators (companies): Swiss Post, Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF)

  • Fuzzy Management System in Customer Services

    To help agents inside the Contact Center Post improving his performance and knowledge, an information and knowledge management (IKM) system will be implemented to provide: (1) right information to collaborators in order to answer clients’ questions in a short time, (2) a list of experts who can help him out if he can not handle a special case and (3) recommendations related to his search terms and new arrivals information. Fuzzy databases and techniques will be used in this IKM system to give more precise recommendations.

    Human-IST collaborators: Minh Tue Nguyen, Edy Portmann

    Partners/ External collaborators (companies): Swiss Post

  • Fuzzy Leadership in People Development

    To help the Swiss Post’s collaborators take ownership of their professional development a guiding virtual assistant will encompass 30 years of psychology and neuroscience advances and foster the individual’s self-authorship through chatbot-like interactions.

    Human-IST collaborators: Timo Schuler, Edy Portmann

    Partners/ External collaborators (companies): Swiss Post

  • Recommendation Systems to Optimize the Generation of Public Policy with Academic Participation

    This project proposes the creation of an intelligent platform that allows the agents responsible for generating public policy to establish communication with the academic sector in Ecuador. The system will have two types of users, public sector and academic sector. The former may propose projects or consultations directed at the academic sector to improve decision-making. The proposed system will learn from the profiles of users (public administration and academic sector), their interactions, but also from their activities. In this way, the system will be able to identify which topics, groups, articles and users, among others, are closest to the preferences of an active user.

    The expectation is that this project will have an impact on those responsible for generating public policy, by providing information and resources for decision-making through informed knowledge and feedback from the academic sector, all with the idea of strengthening democracy using new technologies. Furthermore, the project is expected to expand its use in other contexts and regions in the coming years, strengthening relations between the public, private, and academic sectors of Ecuador and other countries.

    Human-IST collaborators: Luis Terán, Edy Portmann

    Partners/ External collaborators (companies): Secretariat of High Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (SENESCYT)

  • Scaling smart city Projects - from Individual pilots towards a Common strategy of industry Emergence (SPICE)

    The SPICE project is a Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) project aimed at creating means of accelerating the scaling and actuation of human-centered smart city solutions in Switzerland. This can as a consequence enhance innovation, efficiency, social welfare and quality of urban life. The exploration of ways to include citizens' needs and opinions in different stages of the development and upscaling of smart city solutions will be one of the central topics to be addressed by SPICE. The project is being carried out in both an inter- and transdisciplinary way by the Human-IST Institute in collaboration with the University of St.Gallen and the University of Applied Sciences Zurich, as well as practice-partners, including companies and city administrations.

    Human-IST collaborators: Luis Terán, Moreno Colombo, Edy Portmann
    Partners/ External collaborators (companies): Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF), Swiss Post, City of Lucerne, City of Thun, Smart City Hub