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In this paper, the authors propose a technique for generating creative conversations between users and multiple agents to support knowledge creation in a community. First, they describe self-expressing alter-ego agents as user proxies. An alter-ego agent accumulates statements that were originated by the user in past conversations as self-expressions and converses with other alter-ego agents by outputting these again in a manner adapted to the circumstances. Next, the authors describe the EgoChat system, which is an environment for conversations between alter-ego agents and users, and a framework for supporting knowledge creation by using EgoChat. Finally, they examine and discuss methods of evaluating this technique based on conversation examples using EgoChat. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 3, 88(11): 56–65, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecjc.20201 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we discuss methods for creating avatars that use “knowledge cards,” which are used in the EgoChat system. These avatars are agents acting in place of their creators, capable of holding conversations with other users. In the method we propose, the avatar's conversational content is structured in the form of what we call knowledge cards, which are semantically tagged text fragments; by handling both avatar statements and user statements as knowledge cards that can be handled in the same way, the person behind an avatar can easily predict the content of a conversation conducted between another user and the agent, also simplifying the task of producing content for conversational production. This is because a conversation in the form of knowledge cards is essentially a matter of combining existing text fragments. In order for a conversational agent to be used in real life, it would need to be continuously updated in its conversational content, in response to the reactions of other users, changing circumstances, and so on. The system we propose maintains a log of conversations the avatar holds with users, assisting in the task of updating the conversational contents. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 2, 88(1): 32–39, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecjb.20144 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a technique for interpolating the information in a real-time conversation via computer between a speaker and listener to compensate for differences in the knowledge presumed for the conversation and introduces Telme, a communications support system that uses this technique. The basic premises are that the system infers the context of the current topic based on the terms used by the speaker and infers the listener's degree of knowledge from the listener's questions and a history of operations such as operations for saving certain data. It then supplements the text information of the words dictated by the speaker with information that the listener should require based on those inferences and displays it on the screen. The degree of knowledge is inferred based on the user's conceptual space, which was generated by using multiple conceptual spaces that were created based on the views and opinions of specialists in various fields. The user's conceptual space, which consists of a set of key words having interrelationships, is adapted to the user by functions for inferring those relationships and the user's degree of knowledge through the user's interactions with the computer. This paper proposes a technique, explains basic mechanisms, and reports on and examines application examples and evaluation experiments. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Comp Jpn, 34(7): 87–98, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/scj.10115 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The designer proceeds with his work by collecting and combining knowledge about the design object; in so doing, the knowledge possessed by the designer is organized and extended. In cooperative design performed by multiple persons, this organized knowledge is shared among them. This study proposes a designer support environment in which design knowledge is organized by using conceptual systems (ontologies) in the special fields related to the design object. The proposed environment includes workspaces to store individual knowledge and software agents that perform knowledge organization procedures within their own workspaces or across different workspaces, thus supporting the collection, organization, and processing of design knowledge, as well as cooperative design. In addition, the prototype Designers Amplifier system is described, and experimental results obtained with the prototype system in the case of a bicycle rack design are presented. © 1999 Scripta Technica, Syst Comp Jpn, 30(8): 32–39, 1999 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]