The research agendas of two major areas of computer science are
converging: Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods are moving towards
more realistic domains requiring real-time responses, and real-time
systems are moving towards more complex applications requiring
intelligent behavior. Together, they meet at the crossroads of
interest in "real-time intelligent control," or "real-time AI." This
subfield is still being defined by the common interests of researchers
from both real-time and AI systems. As a result, the precise goals for
various real-time AI systems are still in flux. This paper describes
an organizing conceptual structure for current real-time AI research,
clarifying the different meanings this term has acquired for various
researchers. Having identified the various goals of real-time AI
research, we then specify some of the necessary steps towards reaching
those goals. This in turn enables us to identify promising areas for
future research in both AI and real-time systems techniques.
(Also cross-referenced as UMIACS-TR-94-69