Knowledge-Based Approaches to Fault Diagnosis: A Practical Evaluation of the Relative Merits of Deep and Shallow Knowledge

This paper argues that knowledge-based systems are an appropriate tool for the diagnosis of faults in complex devices and that both deep and shallow knowledge have their part to play in this process. The successful implementation and evaluation of the two diagnostic knowledge-based systems, named DIPLOMA and MIDAS, have shown that such systems are an appropriate tool for the diagnosis of faults in complex hydromechanical devices and that they make a beneficial contribution to the business performance of the host organization. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that the most effective and comprehensive knowledge-based approach to fault diagnosis is one that incorporates both deep and shallow knowledge, so that the distinctive advantages of each can be realized in a single application.