Yusuke Manabe

Design assistant agents for supporting requirement specification definition in a distributed design team

In this paper, we first discuss the necessity of a support system for distributed multi-lingual development teams, to bridge the gaps between different languages, cultures and social systems of a client and a vendor when defining a requirement specification of an application system. Next, we propose the design of an agent-based support system for defining requirement specifications, consisting of collaborating design assistant agents, common design support functions and a language translation web service. To implement the approach we plan to use OMAS, a platform for developing multi-agent systems. OMAS has features for describing multi-lingual ontologies and multi-lingual representations of dialogs. It also provides a platform for testing multi-cultural cooperation over the Internet. Some experimental applications are being developed currently using different natural languages. In this paper, we propose an agent-based support system for requirement specification definition as one such application. The proposed system is a web-based and agent-based application and supports a multi-lingual software design team using a network of personal design assistant agents.

Multilingual collaborative design support system

In this paper, we first present an analysis of a multi-language application from a cross-cultural point of view. Then we analyze the specific activities of a multilingual collaborative design and the automatic translation system that it requires. We also propose an architecture of a design support system producing the UML design of applications and allowing a multilingual collaboration. We present the first results of an experiment with such a system.

A concept of context-aware computing based on symbol grounding perspective

Conventional context-aware system refers to an intelligent mobile system that can sense the Real Space (RS). Its essential functions are to understand the situation in RS as well as to supply suitable information or services to users depending on the perceived situation. In order to realize that, pattern recognition technologies based on signal or image processing (non-symbolic processing) as well as natural language processing technologies based on knowledge processing (symbolic processing) should be implemented. Historically, symbolic processing and non-symbolic processing have independently evolved but about 20 years ago Steven Harnad had proposed ‘Symbol Grounding Problem’ and argued that it is necessary to integrate non-symbolic processing and symbolic processing. However, there are very few discussions dealing in both context-aware computing and symbol grounding mechanism. Therefore, this paper defines the desired functions for context-aware system in the view point of symbol grounding mechanism and proposes a novel context-aware system, symbiotic grounding system, as an advanced symbol grounding system.

Mobile symbiotic interaction between a user and a Personal Assistant agent

In this paper, we propose a concept of an Mobile symbiotic interaction (MSI) between a user and a Personal Assistant (PA) which is an agent program that watches over the particular user using sensors deployed in a ubiquitous environment. The PA un derstands users behavior through signals from the MSI. It is prototyped using the OMAS platform to aim at enhancing a relation between a user and his/her own PA by verbal interface and non-verbal interface which are realized in the proposed MSI.

Symbiotic Computing Based Approach Towards Reducing User's Burden Due to Information Explosion

In this work, Symbiotic Computing (SC) based solution to combat the problem of Information Explosion is addressed. Symbiotic Computing was proposed to bridge the gap between the Real Space (RS) and the Digital Space (DS) by creating symbiotic relations among users in the RS and the information resources such as software, data, etc. in the DS. SC is realized by adding a new axis, S/P computing (Social and Perceptual Computing), to the advanced ubiquitous computing consisting of ambient and web computing. Here, a new framework of SC based on Symbiotic Space (SS) and Symbiotic Space Platform (SSP) has been designed to construct and maintain Symbiotic Relations for S/P computing in order to reduce the burden of Information Explosion. Finally the feasibility of our proposal has been tested by bench-top simulation through applying logical model of Symbiotic Computing to a typical example of Information Explosion.

B-dash: agent platform for mutual cognition between human and agents

In this paper, we describe an agent-based platform called “B-DASH” for the Symbiotic Computing. Mutual cognition between human and agents is a key technology of the Symbiotic Computing. In order to promote that mutual cognition, B-DASH has a blackboard mechanism to integrate and share information.

A Cloud-Based Support System for Offshore Software Development

In this paper, we first discuss a necessity of a bridge engineer for a multi-lingual development team, who bridges gaps between different languages, cultures and social systems of a client and a vender to define a requirement specification of an application system. Next, we propose a concept of cloud-based support system for defining requirement specifications, consisting of two design assistant agents, a definition support subsystem and a language translation web service. The design assistant agents who support a client and an offshore vender as expert systems which play a role of a bridge engineer.

Low-level cognitive process model for symbol grounding in context-aware system

This paper proposes a low-level cognitive process model as a part of context-aware systems that can recognize situations in real space as well as provide suitable information or services to users based on the recognized situations. Generally context-aware systems need to deal with sensory data (non-symbolic processing) as well as language resources such as Web (symbolic processing). In this paper, we employ symbol grounding perspective and propose a neural network-based models for converting sensory data into symbolic representation. In addition, this paper exhibits an evidence for a basic question “why do we take a symbol grounding perspective?” in the view point of accessibility of symbolic representation inside systems.

Prototyping a meeting support system using ubiquitous agents

The ubiquitous technology attracts attention widely to support people life effectively. However, developing such application systems impose heavy burden to developers because they have to combine very wide fields of technologies such as sensor devices, mechatronics, pattern recognition, machine learning, activity understanding, decision making, etc. In this paper, first, we propose a method to connect device, data and programs to an intelligent agent platform. Next, we describe a ubiquitous system prototype that supports meeting sessions. We have developed this prototype as a test bed. It is is still a small example for testing a ubiquitous agent system, but it has potential ability to support meetings because it favors collaboration between people and ubiquitous agents.

Conversation-based support for requirement definition by a Personal Design Assistant

A Personal Design Assistant (PDA) is an agent program that supports a designer whose role is to support an engineer who defines design specifications during system development. The PDA is a multi-agent system consisting of a conversation agent, design skill agents, a user model, an ontology, a planning function to support, communication and collaboration with other agents and designers. The PDA is designed, based on the model of PA (Personal Assistant) provided by the OMAS framework. In this paper, we propose a conceptual design of a PDA conversation-based support for a process of requirement definition of a system development.