IX

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• I-X
• Austin Tate, Jeff Dalton, Robert Inder, John
  Levine,
• Robert Rae, Jussi Stader
• Artificial Intelligence Applications Institute
• Division of Informatics
• University of Edinburgh
• http//www.aiai.ed.ac.uk/project/ix/

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I-X Approach

• The I-X approach involves the use of shared
  models for task directed communication between
  human and computer agents who are jointly
  exploring (via some process(es)) a range of
  alternative options for the synthesis of an
  artifact such as a design or a plan (termed a
  product).
• I-X system or agent has two cycles
• Handle Issues
• Respect Domain Constraints
• I-X system or agent carries out a (perhaps
  dynamically determined) process which leads to
  the production of (one or more alternative
  options for) a synthesised artifact.
• I-X system or agent views the synthesised
  artifact as being represented by a set of
  constraints on the space of all possible
  artifacts in the domain.

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What does I-X Offer?

• Outer level approach of handling issues and
  respecting constraints in the domain model gives
  an intelligible approach to what an I-X system or
  agent does.
• Middle level provides a fractally composable cell
  which employs a model/viewer/controller systems
  integration approach.
• Detailed level provides an approach which
  represents and reasons with constraints on the
  space of all possible artifacts, and allows for
  the provision of specialised solvers for some or
  all of these detailed constraints.
• I-X makes contributions at level 1 and 3, and is
  compliant with other approaches at level 2.

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What does I-X Stand For?

• Intelligent I-X supports the construction of
  intelligent systems and intelligent agents
• Intelligible - I-X supports the construction of
  systems which are intelligible to their users and
  to other systems and agents.
• Integrated I-X is a systems integration
  architecture.
• Issue-based I-X is an issue-based and issue
  handling architecture.

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Example I-X Scenarios

• I-Plan Planning Agent
• DERA Master Battle Planner Agent
• Emergency and Unusual Procedures Assistant
• Expository Scenarios
• Meeting Room Booking Agent
• Non-activity based, nodes are meetings
• Interior Decoration Design Agent
• No time points
• PicoIX and I-Sim
• For simple coding experiments and explanations
• Car Design Example
• To show both product constraint adding and
  activity inclusion approaches both are possible
  and it is a design decision which to use
• Example that can use probabilities within Issue
  Handlers and/or Constraint Managers

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• Shared Product Model
  using
• Constraints on the space of products (ltI-N-CAgt).
• Shared Task Model - Mixed initiative model of
• mutually constraining the space of products.
• Shared Space of Options for the Product.
• Shared Model of Agent Capabilities - handlers for
• issues, functional capabilities and constraint
  managers.
• Shared Understanding of Authority - management
• of the authority to handle issues and
  act
• which may take into account options

(Partially) Shared Models
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Uses of a Shared Model
Intelligible Representation
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ltI-N-CAgt
Product Model
Nodes
CCritical Constraints AAuxiliary Constraints
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I-X and ltI-N-CAgt
Product Model
Issues
Nodes
Constraints
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Generic and Activity Ontologies
Generic Ontology Entities Relationships Issues Co
nstraints Nodes Node-Relatable Objects
Activity Specialisation Entities Relationships Is
sues Constraints Activities Time-points Activity-R
elatable Objects
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ltI-N-CAgt Generic Ontology
Entities Relationships Issues Constraints Node
Constraints Critical Constraints Auxiliary
Constraints Nodes Node-Relatable Objects (NROs)
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ltI-N-OVAgt Activity Ontology
Entities Relationships Issues Constraints Node
Constraints Include Node Constraints Other Node
Constraints Critical Constraints Critical
Ordering Constraints Critical Variable/Object
Constraints Auxiliary Constraints Auxiliary
Ordering Constraints Auxiliary Variable/Object
Constraints World-State Constraints Resource
Constraints Other Constraints Activities Time-poin
ts Activity-Relatable Objects (AROs)
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I-X Components
Inter-agent messages Information from the
environment User Input
Inter-agent messages Information to the
environment User Output
I/O Handlers
Events -gt Issues Other Information
Domain Model
Constraint Managers
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I-X Components Level 2
Inter-agent messages Information from the
environment User Input
Inter-agent messages Information to the
environment User Output
I/O Handlers
Events -gt Issues Other Information
Viewers
Domain Model
Constraint Managers
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I-X Cell Model/Viewer/Controller
I/O Handlers
Controller
Model Manager
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I-X Cell Plug-in Components
I/O Handlers
Controller
Model Manager
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I-X Constraint Managers
Issue Handlers
Optional Try add C and/or A constraint(s) -gt
yes/no/maybe Commit add C and/or A
constraint(s) -gt yes/no/maybe (I.H.
must commit to at least one case of the maybe)
Model Manager
Constraint Associator
Yes No Maybe in terms of alternative
sets of Issues and C Constraints
to add
Constraint Managers
Domain Model
Model(s)
lt I - N -
CA gt
Maybe Provided That
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I-X Options and Alternatives
Inter-agent Tasking Options
I/O Handlers
Current Model related to an Option
Mapping table for Option name to option object
and therefore to to current and other intra-agent
Alternatives related to the option(s)
Controller
Issue Handlers
Model Manager
Constraint Associator
Yes No Maybe
Intra-agent Model Alternatives
for current alternative model only
Domain Model applies to all Options and
Alternatives
Domain Model
Constraint Managers
Model with Intra-agent Alternatives
lt I - N -
CA gt
Each option has one Current Model associated
with it
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I-X Controller
Controller
Issue Handlers

• Issue is handled by IH
• IH can terminate having indicated
• Okay and (if changed) current model to be
  associated with option
• Okay with current and N-1 other inter-agent
  options and/or intra-agent alternatives
• Failed

Model Manager
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Dealing with Probabilistic Uncertainty

• I-X may be applied to build a system in which the
  world is probabilistically modelled.
• This is allowed for at the heart of the design by
  letting constraint managers return issues as well
  as yes/no/maybe answers.
• A Constraint Manager (or Issue Handler) can give
  a yes/no answer in definite cases, or may be the
  maybe answer to return an issue that the answers
  given are only probabilistically true to some
  level.
• Higher level Issue Handlers or the agent tasking
  environment can then respond as appropriate to
  that issue which will be attached to the model.

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Example I/O Scenarios
I/O Handlers
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Example I/O Scenarios

• Inter-agent messages
• Robot effectors and sensors
• Thermometer with preset min and max alarms
• Continuous readout thermometer
• Database access
• Monitor output for continuous status updates and
  warning lights for specific events
• User viewing agent process and model(s)
• User controlling agent process and model
  development

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Probing Questions for an I-X Design

• What issues does the agent handle (Verb, NPs,
  Qualifiers)?
• What are the principal entities in the model
  which the agent handles?
• What constraints in the domain should the agent
  respect?
• What types of options the agent can handle?
• What sources of input and output can the agent
  handle?
• How are events communicated to the agent?
• How can a user interact with the agent?
• What views can the agent present?

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Probing Questions for an I-X Design Level 2

• Can each Issue Handler return just one answer, or
  more than one? Can it fail (return no answers)?
• Can the various constraints identified by handled
  by one solver or are several specialised solvers
  preferable?
• What answers can each constraint manager provide?
• Yes/No
• Yes/No and Maybe
• Notes
• Maybe states the constraint is valid with respect
  to the current state of the model provided
  that the system handles or satisfies at least one
  of the alternative sets of issues and constraints
  returned.
• Any constraint returned in a maybe answer from a
  constraint manager is defined as a critical
  constraint.
• Any other constraint is termed an auxiliary
  constraint.

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I-Technology
I-View I-Face - User I-Face - Repository
I-Face
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I-X Continuing Discussion Topics

• Constraint Associator/Manager/Checker interfaces
• Viewers for agent process, options,and model
  (ltI-N-CAgt)
• I/O interfaces for all types of I/O scenarios
• Is environment/state model a separate thing to
  ltI-N-CAgt model or just a part of the CA elements
  for all possible models?
• What about information sources used by components
  of the agent?
• How fundamental is the nature of the Include
  Node constraint? (e.g., in the interior
  decoration design scenario).
• Concept of Options needs refining.

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Further Information

• http//www.aiai.ed.ac.uk/project/ix/