This project was designed to investigate key areas of information such as knowledge representation, inferencing techniques and human computer interfaces. Emphasis was given to developing a language for knowledge representation and management based on LISP and PROLOG; an expert system suited to assist sales engineers in designing computer configurations; and an expert system helping office personnel to perform complex office procedures (eg resource planning). These complementary tasks focused on the develo pment of hardware and software components to manage the problems resulting from the size and complexity of large knowledge bases, and on the associated reasoning mechanisms.
This project was designed to investigate key areas of information such as knowledge representation, inferencing techniques and human computer interfaces. Emphasis was given to developing: a language for knowledge representation and management based on LISP and Prolog; an expert system suited to assist sales engineers in designing computer configurations; and an expert system helping office personnel to perform complex office procedures (eg resource planning). These complementary tasks focused on the development of hardware and software components to manage the problems resulting from the size and complexity of large knowledge bases, and on the associated reasoning mechanisms.
The wide potential applications were underpinned by an engineering approach, where existing tools like OMEGA were studied to investigate the fundamental structure. A development system for the combination of knowledge sources and for communities of cooperating knowledge bases was implemented.
The wide potential applications were underpinned by an engineering approach, where existing tools like OMEGA were studied to investigate the fundamental structure. A development system for the combination of knowledge sources and for communities of cooperating knowledge bases was implemented. The development of a manipulation system for large knowledge bases was planned. However, the project was terminated after 18 months, as the contractors agreed that the project could not succeed within the terms defined. They had, however, been successful in integrating the AMORD, CSSA and OMEGA representations, and introducing time dependencies.
Exploitation
A book relating the progress of the project is being produced. The OMEGA/AMORD/CSSA time reasoner work will be exploited by partners in other development efforts such as message-passing architectures and logical programming environments.