Engineering education needs to provide both theoretical knowledge and problem-solving skills. Many topics can be presented in lectures and computer exercises are good tools in teaching the skills. Learning by doing is combined with lectures to provide additional material and perspectives. The teaching scheme includes lectures, computer exercises, case studies, seminars and reports organized as a problem-based learning process. In the gradually refining learning material, each teaching method has its own role. The scheme, which has been used in teaching two 4th year courses, is beneficial for overall learning progress, especially in bilingual courses. The students become familiar with new perspectives and are ready to use the course material in application projects.

The aim of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is to clean wastewater before it is discharged into the environment. Real-time monitoring and control will become more essential as the regulations for effluent discharges are likely to become stricter in the future. Model-based soft sensors provide a promising solution for estimating important process variables such as chemical oxygen demand (COD) and help in predicting the performance of WWTPs. This paper explores the possibility of using interpretable model structures for monitoring the influent and predicting the effluent of paper mill WWTPs by systematically finding the best model parameters using an exhaustive algorithm. Experimentation was conducted with regression models such as multiple linear regression (MLR) and partial least squares regression (PLSR), as well as LASSO regression with a nonlinear scaling function to account for nonlinearities. Some autoregressive time series models were also built. The results showed decent modelling accuracy when tested with test data acquired from a wastewater treatment process. The most notable test results included the autoregressive model with exogenous inputs for influent COD (correlation 0.89, mean absolute percentage error 8.1%) and a PLSR model for effluent COD prediction (correlation 0.77, mean absolute percentage error 7.6%) with 20 h prediction horizon. The results show that these models are accurate enough for real-time monitoring and prediction in an industrial WWTP.

Increasing volumes of data, referred as big data, require massive scale and complex computing. Artificial intelligence, deep learning, internet of things and cloud computing are proposed for heterogeneous datasets in hierarchical analytics to manage with the volume, variety, velocity and value of the big data. These solutions are not sufficient in technical systems where measurements, waveform signals, spectral data, images and sparse performance indicators require specific methods for the feature extraction before interactions can be properly analysed. In practical applications, the data analysis, knowledge-based methodologies and optimization need to be combined. The solutions require compact calculation units which can be adaptively modified. The artificial intelligence is extended with various methodologies of computational intelligence. The advanced deep learning approach proposed in this paper uses generalized norms in feature generation, nonlinear scaling in developing compact indicators and linear interactions in model-based systems. The intelligent temporal analysis is available for all indices, including for stress, condition and quality indicators. The service and automation solutions combine these data-driven solutions with the domain expertise by using fuzzy logic for case-based systems. The applications are developed gradually in connections, conversion, cyber, cognition and configuration layers. The advanced methodology is based on the integration of features, scaling functions and interaction models specified by parameters. All the sub-systems and different combinations of them can be recursively updated and optimized with evolutionary computing. The systems adapt to the changing operating conditions and provide situation awareness for the risk analysis. The approach supports different levels of the smart adaptive systems.

Integration of domain expertise and uncertainty processing is increasingly important in automation solutions which rely on data analytics and artificial intelligence. We need a level to assess what is approximately correct. Uncertainties of the inputs are taken into account by using fuzzy numbers as the inputs of different fuzzy and parametric systems. Nonlinear scaling functions (NSFs) integrate these solutions and make them easier to tune. Fuzzy rule-based systems are represented with scaled fuzzy inputs. Membership functions (MFs) can be developed fromNSFsand existingMFscan be used in developingNSFs. Fuzzy set systems and linguistic equation (LE) systems become consistent within the limits of detail. In recursive analysis, both meanings and interactions on all levels can be tuned together with genetic algorithms. In applications, the modular overall system consists of similar subsystems, which are normally used, with extensions to fuzzy. The compact fuzzy modules can be developed for specific tasks which are combined within Cyber Physical Systems (CPS). Uncertainty processing is embedded in the recursive analysis. The fuzzy extensions provide a feasible way for the sensitivity analysis of the solution.