Objective
The objective of KADS is to assist the transfer of knowledge-based systems (KBS) technology into the marketplace by providing methodological guidance for the development process. It is believed that KBS development can be treated as a particular case of software engineering, and that the same requirements must be placed on the development of KBS as on other types of software. In short, KBS must be produced to specification and to acceptable standards by a controllable process.
The objective of the project was to assist the transfer of knowledge based systems (KBS) technology into the marketplace by providing methodological guidance for the development process. The conceptual modelling methodology and tools have been applied in 11 experiments with well documented success. Methods and techniques have been developed to support all aspects of KBS analysis and design. The important models used are of expertise, cooperation, requirements, functional design, and physical design. A library of generic task models, called interpretation models, has been developed to support structured knowledge acquisition. The methodology is currently supported by the Shelley workbench, implemented using a configuration of Prolog and the object oriented graphical language PCE. It includes a variety of tools together with advice and guidance on the use of the methodology.
The conceptual modelling methodology and tools have been applied in eleven experiments with well-documented success in at least one revenue-earning study for a commercial client in the UK.
Methods and techniques have been developed to support all aspects of KBS analysis and design. The important models used within KADS are of expertise, cooperation, requirements, functional design, and physical design. A library of generic task models, called interpretation models, has been developed to support structured knowledge acquisition.
The KADS (Knowledge Acquisition and Design Support) methodology is currently supported by the Shelley workbench, implemented using a configuration of Prolog and the object-oriented graphical language PCE. It includes a variety of tools to support different aspects of KADS together with advice and guidance on the use of the methodology.
Exploitation
PCE, developed at the University of Amsterdam, is being marketed in Europe and America through non-exclusive licensing agreements. The Shelley workbench has been released to some academic institutions.
The KADS methodology is being exploited via commercial projects, industrial training courses, academic courses and within books and other publications. A number of important companies, such as IBM and Arthur Andersen, are adopting KADS as their standard KBS methodology. The CCTA in the UK are taking KADS as the methodological foundation for the GEMINI programme which is aimed at providing the successor for SSADM.
Results of the project have been incorporated in ESPRIT II projects 2576 (ACKNOWLEDGE) and 5248 (KADS-II).
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CM17 9NA Harlow
United Kingdom