Austin Tate
Lecture at IHMC, Pensacola, Florida on 3-Apr-2003

Abstract
Human Centered Plan Representations that Computers can Understand

The I-X approach involves the use of shared models for task-directed cooperation between human and computer agents who are jointly exploring (via some, perhaps dynamically determined, process) a range of alternative options for the synthesis of an artifact such as a design or a plan (termed a product). I-X is a research programme with a number of different aspects intended to create a well-founded approach to allow humans and computer systems to cooperate in the creation or modification of some product such as a design, physical entity or plan i.e. it supports mixed-initiative synthesis tasks.

The <I-N-C-A> (Issues -Nodes -Constraints -Annotations) ontology is used to represent a specific artifact as a set of constraints on the space of all possible artifacts in an application domain. It can be used to describe the requirements or specification to be achieved and the emerging description of the artifact itself. It can also describe the processes, agent capabilities and task support aspects involved.

Joint work between AIAI at the University of Edinburgh and IHMC is exploring links between the I-X Task Support approach and KAoS domain and agent Policy management research. It is utilizing a coalition search and rescue scenario to provide realism.

About the Speaker

Austin Tate is Technical Director of the Artificial Intelligence Applications Institute (AIAI) and holds the Personal Chair of Knowledge-Based Systems at the University of Edinburgh. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (Scotland's National Academy) and a Fellow of the American Association for AI. His research area includes knowledge systems, planning, collaboration and process standards activities. His O-Plan and I-X planning research is supported by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the US Air Force Research Laboratory (Rome, NY) as well as the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. His work has involved Command, Planning and Control for activities such as Non-combatant Evacuation Operations, Air Campaign Planning, US Army Small Unit Operations and Disaster Relief. A number of defence related projects in the UK and internationally have involved Search and Rescue Coordination and Coalition or Joint Forces Planning Aids.