Extensible Prototyping for pragmatic engineering of knowledge-based systems

Knowledge-based systems (KBSs) have been built and practically applied in various contexts for decades. Yet, they still challenge developers by their complexity: Apart from a sound knowledge base they likewise require comprehensive user interface (UI) and interaction design for supporting the task at hand optimally. However, current KBS-Engineering methodologies still mostly focus on knowledge base development, regarding UI/interaction design a more incidental, low priority task. Thus, the UI often is developed in a rather ad hoc manner, thereby neglecting the potential of experimental design and creating reusable solutions. The integration of (rapid) evolutionary prototyping activities with KBS Engineering offers the chance for incorporating UI/interaction design more prominently into the process while at the same time leveraging the overall development task; specifically, we propose Extensible Prototyping as a tailored prototyping approach and we suggest its integration with the Agile Process Model for knowledge-based systems in this paper. For practical support, we further introduce the customized prototyping and knowledge systems engineering tool ProKEt, and we report on practical experiences with applying both the approach and the tool.     

A tandem architecture for cooperating knowledge-based concurrent engineering systems

This paper proposes a tandem architecture for cooperating heterogeneous expert systems. Two levels of meta and working expert systems are involved. The working-level expert systems (W-ES), which may be implemented in their own computational environments and in private proof languages, are mainly for application computations. The meta-level expert systems (M-ES), using a common argument language, are mainly responsible for cooperation. The prototype AGENTS system is described for constructing M-ES. Interaction among W-ES has been transformed into two forms: communication between M-ES through ordinary AGENTS messages and communication between M-ES and the corresponding W-ES using the Deductive Inference Language (DIL). DIL predicates are provided for defining DIL: messages, actuators and converters for interpreting DIL queries and instantiating variables. By this approach, stand-alone capability of infividual systems is retained at the working-level and cooperation is achieved effectively with minimum embellishment at the meta-level.     

Formalizing an engineering approach to cooperating knowledge-based systems

A theoretical grounding is provided for a cooperating knowledge-based systems (CKBS) model which is based upon agents, cooperation blocks, and cooperation block hierarchies. Our model describes the requirements for task decomposition, negotiation, cooperation and coordination, fault tolerance, and recoverability, these requirements in turn defining a holonic system. The behavioral properties of our model are described using state transition diagrams and properties of correctness and termination are proven.     

A knowledge-based system for the recycling of non-hazardous industrial residuals in civil engineering applications

Abstract: It is estimated that 4.6 billion tons of non‐hazardous solid waste materials are produced annually in the USA. The potential reuse for a portion of the materials in the construction of highways and roads suggests that valuable benefits in terms of economic and environmental gains are possible. This paper describes the development of a prototype computer‐assisted tool or expert system to help manufacturers assess and analyze their industrial residuals as potential road construction material. This represents an expansion in the application of intelligent systems to domains where a few, hard‐to‐find technical reports have represented the main source of expertise available to practitioners for years. The system, developed through the use of an object‐oriented software shell, Level5 Object, was designed in a user‐friendly Windows environment which allows users with little or no computer training to effectively evaluate material residuals.     

A knowledge-based vision system for industrial applications

This paper introduces a knowledge-based vision system for industrial environments. It is designed to control a cell in an assembly system. The images from the environment are taken as gray scale images. Based on a single image, the system has to recognize type and position of the recorded parts and to control their placement in the environment for further manipulation. This requires the explicit representation of rich task-specific knowledge. The effort to adapt our system to new tasks is very small. Thus, it is very important that the system is able to support major parts of the activities that are necessary for the acquisition of new knowledge. The system consists of three components-image segmentation, knowledge acquisition, and matching-which are described in detail. All the methods presented were tested using different parts of an electric motor as an example.     

Critics for knowledge-based design systems

Expert critics have been built to critique human performance in various areas such as engineering design, decision making, etc. We suggest that critics can also be useful in the building and use of knowledge based design systems (KBDSs). Knowledge engineers elicit knowledge from domain experts and build a knowledge based design system. The system generates designs. The amount of knowledge the system possesses and the way it applies the knowledge directly influence the performance of its designs. Therefore, critics are proposed to assist in: acquiring sufficient knowledge for constructing a desirable system; and applying proper knowledge to generating designs. Methodologies of equipping a KBDS with critics are developed. Our practice in building and using a KBDS shows the applicability and capability of these critics     

ECDEX: A knowledge-based approach to conceptual design of engineering systems

This paper describes a knowledge-based approach to the domain independent conceptual design phase. We describe the development of “ECDEX”, the “Engineering Conceptual Design Expert” that generates concept variants (concept alternatives) during the conceptual design phase of engineering systems. ECDEX was developed using an expert system shell called CLIPS (C Language Integrated Production System) and a C-program interface to aid the quantitative phase of concept evaluation. ECDEX internally develops function structures that are dependent on the number of solution principles for each sub-function selected during the process. After the function structures are developed, ECDEX searches for solution principles for each of the sub-functions considering that every combination needs to begin with the system input and end with the system output. After all combinations are developed, ECDEX performs the concept evaluation using evaluation criteria defined by the designer providing a set of ‘concept variants’. ECDEX is applied to three test cases; an impulse loading test rig, a hydro-electric generation plant and a fishing reel. The results from these three test cases demonstrate that ECDEX generates satisfactory conceptual designs of engineering systems.     

A knowledge-based system for postgraduate engineering courses

This paper describes a novel approach to the development and implementation of an educational tool based on knowledge-based technology employing an expert system shell. Software has been developed which, after providing basic background information, proceeds to analyse the student's learning pattern to establish which next question, explanation, or topic to propound in order to aid the learning process and ensure that fundamental knowledge is gained by the student at his/her own pace. While the system described has been designed and implemented specifically to supplement, rather than supplant, the taught part of an MSc. course in Manufacturing Systems Engineering and Management, the methodology formulated can be used to develop similar knowledge-based systems for other technical as well as non-technical subjects at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels in Higher Education.     

Experience on knowledge-based software engineering: A logic-based requirements language and its industrial applications

A formal requirements specification language plays an important role in software development. Not only can such language be used for stating requirements specification, but also can be used in many phases of software development life cycle. The FRORL project started from constructing a language with a solid logical foundation and further expanded to research in verification, validation, requirements analysis, debugging, and transformation. Research in this project aided in some industrial applications in which a code generation tool produced software for embedded systems. This article reports the experiences gained from this project and states the value of research in knowledge-based software engineering.     

Rule-based consistency enforcement for knowledge-based systems

A rule-based approach for the automatic enforcement of consistency constraints is presented. In contrast to existing approaches that compile consistency checks into application programs, the approach centralizes consistency enforcement in a separate module called a knowledge-base management system. Exception handlers for constraint violations are represented as rule entities in the knowledge base. For this purpose, a new form of production rule called the activation pattern controlled rule is introduced: in contrast to classical forward chaining schemes, activation pattern controlled rules are triggered by the intent to apply a specific operation but not necessarily by the result of applying this operation. Techniques for implementing this approach are discussed, and experiments in speeding up the system performance are described. Furthermore, an argument is made for more tolerant consistency enforcement strategies, and how they can be integrated into the rule-based approach to consistency enforcement is discussed     

Constructing knowledge-based systems

Vital, a four-and-a-half-year ESPRIT II research and development project that involves nine organizations in five countries is discussed. It addresses the problems of effective process modeling for knowledge-based systems, providing guidelines on when to use various knowledge-engineering methods and techniques, and reducing the bottleneck in acquiring expert knowledge by providing both methodological and software support for developing large, industrial, knowledge-based system applications. The project goals, approach, and workbench are outlined, and a case study is described     

Rethinking competence systems for knowledge-based organizations

Existing competence systems are based on a rationalistic view of competence. While these competence systems might work in job-based organizations, we argue that in more dynamic settings, such as in knowledge-based organizations, the interest-informed actions that capture the emergent competencies of tomorrow require different types of information technology support. The main objective of this paper is to elaborate on the possibilities and implications of using interest-activated technology as a design rationale for competence systems. This paper is based on an action case study of an implemented interest-activated Intranet recommender system prototype at Volvo Information Technology AB in Gothenburg, Sweden. On the basis of how organizational members used this prototype to find information they were interested in, our research team was able to inquire into how personal interest, embodied in information-seeking activities, could be a means for identifying competence. Building on the relation between personal interest and competence, we discuss competence systems design and spell out explicit implications for managerial practice in knowledge-based organizations.     

Critical success factors for knowledge-based software engineering applications

A key problem in KBSE is evaluating the prospective utility of proposed KBSA tools. This paper analyzes the utility of ten KBSA prototype applications that were developed as part of an advanced course. Based on such an analysis, we hypothesize three new critical success factors for explaining their utility. The factors identify key elements of KBSA tools that serve as indicators of their likely utility.     

Design of knowledge-based systems with a knowledge-based assistant

The authors propose a model for an intelligent assistant to aid in building knowledge-based systems (KBSs) and discuss a preliminary implementation. The assistant participates in KBS construction, including acquisition of an initial model of a problem domain, acquisition of control and task-specific inference knowledge, testing and validation, and long-term maintenance of encoded knowledge. The authors present a hypothetical scenario in which the assistant and a KBS designer cooperate to create an initial domain model and then discuss five categories of knowledge the assistant requires to offer such help. They discuss two software technologies on which the assistant is based: an object-oriented programming language, and a user-interface framework     

Structural design language for coupled knowledge-based systems

A Structal Design Language (SDL) has been developed in INTERLISP environment for building coupled knowledge-based expert systems for integrated design of a class of structures. The integrated design includes the preliminary design, structural analysis, design of members, design of connections, and computer-aided drafting of the final design. The complex body of knowledge needed for detailed design of a structure is fractionated into smaller and more manageable knowledge sources which are organized into a hierarchy of cooperating conceptual specialists. SDL provides a multiwindow graphics interface capable of displaying both the orthographic and isometric views of the frame structure and beam-column connections. A three-dimensional face frame representation sentation is used for the graphic display of the beam-column connections. SDL has been used to develop a prototype knowledge-based system for integrated design of steel building structures consisting of moment-resisting frames.     

A knowledge-based approach for multi-factory production systems

This paper investigates scheduling of jobs with deadlines across a serial multi-factory supply chain which involves minimizing sum of total tardiness and total transportation costs. Jobs can be transported among factories and can be delivered to the customer in batches which have limited capacity. The aim of this optimization problem is threefold: (1) determining the number of batches, (2) assigning jobs to batches, and (3) scheduling the batches production and delivery in each factory. The proposed problem formulated as a mixed-integer linear program. Then the model's performance is analyzed and evaluated through two examples. Moreover, a knowledge-based imperialistic competitive algorithm (KBICA) is also presented to find an approximate optimum solution for the problem. Computational experiments of the proposed problem investigate the efficiency of the method through different sizes of the test problems.     

A formal model for knowledge-based systems verification

A logico-algebraic model for verification of Knowledge Based Systems, based on Abraham Robinson's meta-algebra, is presented in this article. the set of rules of Knowledge Based System is considered to be the set of axioms of a theory “T”. the model consists of: (i) the collection “P” of all well formed formulas of the language of T, (ii) a subset P₀ of P that has as its elements the axioms of a given logic (bivalued, intuitionistic, or other), plus all the theorems that can be deduced from this logic inside the language of T, (iii) some distinguished subsets of P, to be called m-ideals and m-filters, that depend on T and P₀. Important concepts that are involved in the verification of Knowledge Based Systems are considered, such as forward and backward reasoning consistencies. Appropriate characterizations are obtained by using properties of m-ideals and m-filters. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.