I-X Background Material

Introduction

I-X is a multi-faceted research programme whose goal is to produce a well-founded system that allows humans and computers to cooperate in the creation or modification of some artefact. This artefact may be a plan, a design or a physical entity - in other words, I-X supports synthesis tasks. Beyond this, it can also be used to provide a framework for any collaborative activity.

The I-X research draws on earlier work on O-Plan (Tate et al. 1998; 2000; 2002), <I-N-OVA> (Tate, 1996), the Enterprise Project (Fraser and Tate, 1995; Uschold, et al., 1998) and the Task-Based Process Management Project (Stader, 2000) but seeks to make the framework generic and to clarify terminology, simplify the approach taken, and increase the re-usability and applicability of the core ideas.

The I-X research programme includes the following threads or work areas:

I-Core, comprising the core architecture, an underlying ontology for activity and processes (termed <I-N-C-A> - Issues, Nodes, Constraints and Annotations), and the terminology used to describe systems or applications built in the I-X framework.
I-P2, which are I-X Process Panels used to support user tasks and cooperation.
I-DE, which is the I-X Domain Editor, which is itself an I-X application but is also used to create and maintain the domain description, process models and activity specifications used elsewhere.
I-Plan, which is the I-X Planning System. This is also used within I-P2 and other applications as it provides generic facilities for supporting planning, process refinement, process composition, dynamic response to changing needs, etc.
I-Views, which are viewers for processes and products, and which are employed in other applications of I-X. I-Views can be for a wide range of modalities and types of user.
I-Faces, which are underlying support utilities to allow for the creation of user interfaces (User I-Faces), inter-agent communications (Communications I-Faces) and repository access (Repository I-Faces).
I-X Applications of the above work areas in a variety of domains. These currently include:
- Coalition Operations (CoAX)
- Emergency and Unusual Procedure Assistance (I-Aid, I-Help, I-Rescue)
- Support Desks (I-Support)
- Multi-Perspective Knowledge Modelling and Management (I-AKT)
- Medical Best Practice Procedures or Protocols (I-Medic)
- Natural Language Presentations of Procedures and Plans (I-Tell)
- Collaborative Meeting and Task Support (I-Space, I-Room and I-World)
- Intelligent Messaging (I-Me)
I-X Student Projects, which are deepening and refining a number of aspects of the I-X research programme.
I-X Technology Transfer, including work on standards committees, especially for process, plan, activity and capability models.

Recommended Reading

Austin Tate, Jeff Dalton, and Stephen Potter: Intelligible Messaging - Activity-oriented Instant Messaging

Abstract: I-X Process Panels are used to support users who are carrying out processes and responding to events in a cooperative working environment. The panels support the tracking of personal or group issues, the planning and execution of activities and the checking of constraints. Panels can be connected to other panels, and also to a range of services, agents and other cooperative working support tools to form part of a framework for activity and process support in an organization. The dynamically changing context in which a user operates is reflected in the options presented. Actual usage indicated the value of adopting an "instant messaging" style of use. An augmented activity-orientated "intelligible messaging" approach is taken in which artificial intelligence planning technology can be deployed in a natural way.

Further Reading: More papers on I-X Technology are available at http://www.aiai.ed.ac.uk/project/ix/documents/contents.html