ICEE InternshipICEE InternshipInternational Center for Engineering EducationInternational Center for Engineering Education

Project:Project:Natural Language Interaction with a Construction Natural Language Interaction with a Construction EstimatingEstimating Virtual Reality Environment Virtual Reality Environment

By:By:

Blake HoweBlake Howe

Project Supervisor:Project Supervisor:

Dr. Tulio SulbaranDr. Tulio Sulbaran

Presentation Date: July 14, 2003Presentation Date: July 14, 2003

ObjectiveObjective

The objective of this project is to develop a middleware application to enhance the educational experience of construction engineering students

Objective (cont.)Objective (cont.)

An avatar will be created that will be capable of understanding spoken queries given in a natural form.

These questions will focus on construction materials and methods

IBM Via VoiceIBM Via Voice

Abstraction from the problem

Available Java API

Via Voice will handle the speech aspects

Where is the need?Where is the need?

Allow students to receive help at a time convenient for them

Interface for a VR Environment users that are not technically proficient to communicate.

► ::

JavaJava

Language has many available resources (Collections)

Can run on any machine with little modification

Easily modified for the web (Servlets)

Expected Results

My contribution to Virtual Reality

A better understanding of solving complex

problems

Expected Results (cont.)Expected Results (cont.)

Java package for Natural Language Processing

Java Package for decision tree logic

How is this going to be accomplished?

Natural Language ProcessingNatural Language Processing

Templates will handle the most common queries

ATN parser will identify the parts of speech to generate a query to the Database

Decision Tree logicDecision Tree logic

Trees will be stored in tables

Once the tree is reached users will answer yes or no questions to arrive at the answer

Decision Tree logic (cont.)Decision Tree logic (cont.)

The answer will be verified for correctness.

Questions not answered to the users satisfaction will

be logged for review.