The nature and evaluation of commercial expert system building tools, revision 1

This memorandum reviews the factors that constitute an Expert System Building Tool (ESBT) and evaluates current tools in terms of these factors. Evaluation of these tools is based on their structure and their alternative forms of knowledge representation, inference mechanisms and developer end-user interfaces. Next, functional capabilities, such as diagnosis and design, are related to alternative forms of mechanization. The characteristics and capabilities of existing commercial tools are then reviewed in terms of these criteria

MoCog1: A computer simulation of recognition-primed human decision making

This report describes the successful results of the first stage of a research effort to develop a 'sophisticated' computer model of human cognitive behavior. Most human decision-making is of the experience-based, relatively straight-forward, largely automatic, type of response to internal goals and drives, utilizing cues and opportunities perceived from the current environment. This report describes the development of the architecture and computer program associated with such 'recognition-primed' decision-making. The resultant computer program was successfully utilized as a vehicle to simulate findings that relate how an individual's implicit theories orient them toward particular goals, with resultant cognitions, affects, and behavior in response to their environment. The present work is an expanded version and is based on research reported while the author was an employee of NASA ARC

Automatic probabilistic knowledge acquisition from data

A computer program for extracting significant correlations of attributes from masses of data is outlined. This information can then be used to develop a knowledge base for a probabilistic expert system. The method determines the best estimate of joint probabilities of attributes from data put into contingency table form. A major output from the program is a general formula for calculating any probability relation associated with the data. These probability relations can be utilized to form IF-THEN rules with associated probability, useful for expert systems

Computer modeling of human decision making

Models of human decision making are reviewed. Models which treat just the cognitive aspects of human behavior are included as well as models which include motivation. Both models which have associated computer programs, and those that do not, are considered. Since flow diagrams, that assist in constructing computer simulation of such models, were not generally available, such diagrams were constructed and are presented. The result provides a rich source of information, which can aid in construction of more realistic future simulations of human decision making

Simulating motivated cognition

A research effort to develop a sophisticated computer model of human behavior is described. A computer framework of motivated cognition was developed. Motivated cognition focuses on the motivations or affects that provide the context and drive in human cognition and decision making. A conceptual architecture of the human decision-making approach from the perspective of information processing in the human brain is developed in diagrammatic form. A preliminary version of such a diagram is presented. This architecture is then used as a vehicle for successfully constructing a computer program simulation Dweck and Leggett's findings that relate how an individual's implicit theories orient them toward particular goals, with resultant cognitions, affects, and behavior

MoCog1: A computer simulation of recognition-primed human decision making

The results of the first stage of a research effort to develop a 'sophisticated' computer model of human cognitive behavior are described. Most human decision making is an experience-based, relatively straight-forward, largely automatic response to internal goals and drives, utilizing cues and opportunities perceived from the current environment. The development of the architecture and computer program (MoCog1) associated with such 'recognition-primed' decision making is discussed. The resultant computer program was successfully utilized as a vehicle to simulate earlier findings that relate how an individual's implicit theories orient the individual toward particular goals, with resultant cognitions, affects, and behavior in response to their environment

A comparison of schematic and taxonomic iPad® AAC systems for teaching multistep navigational AAC requests to children with ASD

textThe variety of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) applications available on devices such as the Apple iPad®, necessitates research comparing different application components. AAC applications can include a variety of display formats such as: visual scene displays (VSDs; with vocabulary embedded into images of a scene or context), grid displays (with rows and columns of symbol buttons representing vocabulary), and hybrid formats (combining elements of VSDs and grids). To navigate through multiple pages of vocabulary, VSDs and hybrids are often organized schematically (i.e., by context or location) and grids are commonly organized taxonomically (i.e., by category). This study compared how four young children (ages 4 to 8) with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) acquired two-step navigational requesting with an iPad® AAC application using a schematic VSD, or hybrid pop-up grid, and a taxonomic grid. Using a multielement design, acquisition was compared across two settings (e.g., living room, kitchen), and three categories of preferred items (e.g., drinks, food, toys). Intervention involved behaviorally-based strategies (e.g., time delay, least-to-most prompting). During intervention, three participants mastered the schematic systems (VSD or hybrid), but did not master the taxonomic grid. Two of these participants also generalized requesting with schematic systems to an untrained location with a new preferred item, and maintained responding across all three settings. A fourth participant mastered both a schematic VSD and a taxonomic grid during training. During generalization, she rapidly acquired requesting in the new environment with the schematic VSD, but did not meet mastery criterion with the taxonomic grid. Across participants, the most common error with schematic systems was selecting the wrong scene (i.e., selecting an image of a location that did not match the location of the given session). In contrast, all participants showed a greater variety of error types with the taxonomic grid (including selecting the wrong category symbol, pressing the screen multiple times, trying to activate the screen with the wrong motion, and selecting the wrong item symbol). Differences in the types of errors observed suggest possible advantages and disadvantages with each system. Results have important implications for the development of AAC assessment and implementation protocols.Special Educatio

An overview of expert systems

An expert system is defined and its basic structure is discussed. The knowledge base, the inference engine, and uses of expert systems are discussed. Architecture is considered, including choice of solution direction, reasoning in the presence of uncertainty, searching small and large search spaces, handling large search spaces by transforming them and by developing alternative or additional spaces, and dealing with time. Existing expert systems are reviewed. Tools for building such systems, construction, and knowledge acquisition and learning are discussed. Centers of research and funding sources are listed. The state-of-the-art, current problems, required research, and future trends are summarized

An overview of artificial intelligence and robotics. Volume 1: Artificial intelligence. Part C: Basic AI topics

Readily understandable overviews of search oriented problem solving, knowledge representation, and computational logic are provided. Mechanization, automation and artificial intelligence are discussed as well as how they interrelate

An overview of artificial intelligence and robotics. Volume 2: Robotics

This report provides an overview of the rapidly changing field of robotics. The report incorporates definitions of the various types of robots, a summary of the basic concepts, utilized in each of the many technical areas, review of the state of the art and statistics of robot manufacture and usage. Particular attention is paid to the status of robot development, the organizations involved, their activities, and their funding