Search results

There is a huge amount of information and data stored in publicly available online databases that consist of large text files accessed by Boolean search techniques. It is widely held that less use is made of these databases than could or should be the case, and that one reason for this is that potential users find it difficult to identify which databases to search, to use the various command languages of the hosts and to construct the Boolean search statements required. This reasoning has stimulated a considerable amount of exploration and development work on the construction of search interfaces, to aid the inexperienced user to gain effective access to these databases. The aim of our paper is to review aspects of the design of such interfaces: to indicate the requirements that must be met if maximum aid is to be offered to the inexperienced searcher; to spell out the knowledge that must be incorporated in an interface if such aid is to be given; to describe some of the solutions that have been implemented in experimental and operational interfaces; and to discuss some of the problems encountered. The paper closes with an extensive bibliography of references relevant to online search aids, going well beyond the items explicitly mentioned in the text. An index to software appears after the bibliography at the end of the paper.

Unicorn and STILAS are multiuser client/server systems developed in and for the Unix environment to automate all aspects of information management, from cataloging and authority control to intelligent access of non‐SIRSI databases. In keeping with the client/server concept, SIRSI has introduced a graphical user interface (GUI) to Unicorn and STILAS. The SIRSI system provides a path to information both inside and outside the library. SIRSI provides a standard interface, an “Intelligent Interface” client to diverse database systems and other vendors' library automation systems. SIRSI's Reference Database Managers provide an intelligent connection to locally mounted reference databases. SIRSI's VIZION, a stand‐alone desktop client, provides an automatic graphical user interface to hundreds of online sources of information and services available through the Internet and via modem. Furthermore, SIRSI has recently introduced WebCat, which facilitates mounting and access to the complete catalogs and other services of libraries over the Internet's World Wide Web.

The main purpose of this paper is to briefly discuss the concept of product data management (PDM) describing the contributions, objectives and some currently existing challenges.

By targeting the described challenges, it proposes a new semantic‐oriented agent and knowledge base approach and presents its conceptual and implementation designs. The available prototype version of the proposed approach is also briefly discussed.

The PDM community is facing some challenges especially in intelligent PDM development, i.e. unfriendly graphical machine interface, unintelligent search and unstandardized‐based platform independent PDM system deployment and deployment framework.

An intelligent semantic‐oriented agent‐based search is an original and new solution.

Intelligent agents – software components designed to perform complex tasks for the user (with or without the presence of the user) – are used in a variety of settings, from instant messaging and web auctions, to ATM network management and air traffic control systems. The technology also has applicability within libraries, adding a level of user‐oriented control and flexibility to activities such as digital collection management and virtual reference. The use of intelligent agents to assist users with their searches has perhaps the greatest potential. The purpose of this article is to provide background information on the use of agent technology in information settings, and review three library‐based projects that utilize agent technology in a practical way.

A comprehensive literature review combined with brief case studies of practical applications of agent technology in three modern library settings. A conceptual model of a virtual, agent‐based personalized library is also presented.

Librarians and others in the information profession recognize the potential of agent technology within the library setting. The paper presents a number of practical scenarios for using agents, from supporting digital libraries and teaching information literacy to virtual reference.

There are numerous implications for current and future use of agent technology in libraries, including how to engage IT staff in the development process, how to educate users about the benefits of the technology, and how to make sure library professionals have the skill set to allow them to participate in the conceptualization, design and implementation of agents.

There is a wealth of professional literature on agent technology and its uses, mostly from a computing or engineering perspective. This paper has value in that it presents the concept from a library perspective, and includes references to relevant library literature and projects.

This paper presents a novel hands‐free control system for intelligent wheelchairs (IWs) based on visual recognition of head gestures.

A robust head gesture‐based interface (HGI), is designed for head gesture recognition of the RoboChair user. The recognised gestures are used to generate motion control commands to the low‐level DSP motion controller so that it can control the motion of the RoboChair according to the user's intention. Adaboost face detection algorithm and Camshift object tracking algorithm are combined in our system to achieve accurate face detection, tracking and gesture recognition in real time. It is intended to be used as a human‐friendly interface for elderly and disabled people to operate our intelligent wheelchair using their head gestures rather than their hands.

This is an extremely useful system for the users who have restricted limb movements caused by some diseases such as Parkinson's disease and quadriplegics.

In this paper, a novel integrated approach to real‐time face detection, tracking and gesture recognition is proposed, namely HGI.

It is an useful human‐robot interface for IWs.

Conversational agents are natural language interaction interfaces designed to simulate conversation with a real person. This paper seeks to investigate current development and applications of these systems worldwide, while focusing on their availability in Canadian libraries. It aims to argue that it is both timely and conceivable for Canadian libraries to consider adopting conversational agents to enhance – not replace – face‐to‐face human interaction. Potential users include library web site tour guides, automated virtual reference and readers' advisory librarians, and virtual story‐tellers. To provide background and justification for this argument, the paper seeks to review agents from classic implementations to state‐of‐the‐art prototypes: how they interact with users, produce language, and control conversational behaviors.

The web sites of the 20 largest Canadian libraries were surveyed to assess the extent to which specific language‐related technologies are offered in Canada, including conversational agents. An exemplified taxonomy of four pragmatic purposes that conversational agents currently serve outside libraries – educational, informational, assistive, and socially interactive – is proposed and translated into library settings.

As of early 2010, artificially intelligent conversational systems have been found to be virtually non‐existent in Canadian libraries, while other innovative technologies proliferate (e.g. social media tools). These findings motivate the need for a broader awareness and discussion within the LIS community of these systems' applicability and potential for library purposes.

This paper is intended for reflective information professionals who seek a greater understanding of the issues related to adopting conversational agents in libraries, as this topic is scarcely covered in the LIS literature. The pros and cons are discussed, and insights offered into perceptions of intelligence (artificial or not) as well as the fundamentally social nature of human‐computer interaction.

The purpose of this study is to implement environmental control systems; information and communication technologies based on user behavior for smart buildings and describe their definitions, technological advances, advantages and modern uses. It also highlights the complexity and difficulty of energy management and comfort via control devices.

This study reviews recent progress in control, information technologies, sensing and optimization in buildings and addresses the automation and environmental control systems of important parameters such as lighting, noise, temperature and humidity. It also explores the technological innovations and methods of management through sensors based on user behavior for the processes of optimization and control.

A proposed prototype has been developed by the combination of user behavior and control systems in buildings, mainly related to thermal comfort and energy use. This study addresses the development of a smart-comfort control system based on users’ behavior.

The main contribution of this study is the goal-driven development of an indoor quality apparatus for environmental monitoring data by using smart sensor systems. It can help users to monitor and control their environmental factors and provides functionalities for assessing comfortable ranges.

Much previous research on improving information retrieval applications has focused on developing entirely new systems with advanced searching features. Unfortunately, most users seldom utilize these advanced features. This research explores the use of a software agent that assists the user during the search process. The agent was developed as a separate, stand‐alone component to be integrated with existing information retrieval systems. The performance of an information retrieval system with the integrated agent was subjected to an evaluation with 30 test subjects. The results indicate that agents developed using both results from previous user studies and rapidly modeling user information needs can result in an improvement in precision. Implications for information retrieval system design and directions for future research are outlined.

In a previous paper (Nardi & O'Day 1996), we chose to begin thinking about intelligent software agents with a detailed look at what human agents do. Our interest is in agents that provide expert services to end users. We analysed data from two studies of reference librarians to see how they provide value to their clients, considering the librarians as exemplary human agents. Shneiderman (1995) observes that claims about intelligent software agents are vague, dreamy and unrealised: we wanted to bring some precision and optimistic realism to the discussion.

The paper deals with the design and creation of an intelligent user interface augmenting the user experience in everyday environments, by providing an immersive audio environment. We highlight the potential of augmenting the visual real environment in a personalized way, thanks to context modeling techniques. The LISTEN project, a system for an immersive audio augmented environment applied in the art exhibition domain, provides an example of modeling and personalization methods affecting the audio interface in terms of content and organization. In addition, the different evolution steps of the system and the outcomes of the accompanying user tests are here reported.