K-Vision^TM

K-Vision is a software product based on Expert Systems (Artificial Inteligence Technology), and Knowledge Systems (defined below).

Artificial Inteligence (AI)

The technology that attempts to make computers simulate the reasoning of human beings.

Expert Systems (ES)

Programs that emulate, through a decision tree, the problem solving capabilities of human experts.

Knowledge Engineering

The process of developing a knowledge system (or expert system). It includes the knowledge acquisition (research and expert interview) and implementation of the executable program. The result of this process is the complete and validated knowledge system.

Knowledge systems use AI and ES technonogies to capture and use knowledge and expertise of human expert problem solvers to provide systems with the ability to reason through real business decisions and processes.

Using K-Vision, a Knowledge Engineer (KE) interviews, analyzes, and documents the knowledge of the Domain Expert (DE). An intuitive GUI allows the KE to graphically enter and display the DE's knowledge in the form of a decision knowledge tree. K-Vision allows custom, qualitative, and mathematical responses, since "yes" or "no" is not always the answer.

Knowledge-based Applications

You can quickly and easily develop knowledge-based applications, even with very little knowledge of artificial intelligence concepts. In K-Vision, questions, conclusions, actions, help tasks, and procedures can be added to the end of a list of logic to represent the next step of the process. Or, you can go to a particular node and add, delete, or modify the procedure from that point forward. Keeping track of the different steps is easy because each type of step is represented by a particular geometric shape.

Keeping track of your activity while you are working within the tree is easy because the cursor changes design with each type of action. Visibly viewing the knowledge base is not cumbersome either. Zoom-in and zoom-out commands allow you to see all of the tree, or just the portion of the tree with which you are currently working. Seeing a line of logic without a node at the end represents incomplete knowledge and therefore visually prompts you to build a conclusion.

With K-Vision, knowledge bases created by individual Knowledge Engineers can be easily combined into projects to provide the application user with a single view of the combined knowledge. K-Vision automatically converts the graphical representation of your expert's knowledge into an expert system. It does not matter if your application is simple or complex, K-Vision can handle it easily, precisely, and completely. Tree maintenance is simple, requiring only that you modify the individual graphical representation; K-Vision revises the application accordingly.