FEATS: knowledge representation and processing issues

Abstract FEATS is an intelligent training system that supervises a structural/mechanical engineer using a finite element package such as COSMIC/Nastran. Within this goal, FEATS involves the investigation of various aspects of artificial intelligence including natural language understanding and processing, goal extraction and planning, user modelling, and knowledge representation and manipulation. The paper describes an approach to understanding the engineer's conversation with FEATS, the consequent extraction of knowledge, and its representation. The knowledge representation and processing is implemented in a FEATS prototype. This prototype was written in Quintus prolog and Quintus ProWindows, and it runs on a Sun SparcStation 1.