Abstract
Since it costs a lot to develop service robot applications, there is a need for a platform that can easily develop the applications even for experts who do not have knowledge of robots and artificial intelligence techniques. We have been developing an integrated intelligent application development platform named PRINTEPS to support the development of service robot applications. By using the scenario editor in PRINTEPS, users can execute source codes for robots generated from the workflows. In the scenario editor, it is possible to create a workflow while reusing the entire workflow or individual business processes. However, when reusing the entire workflow, it is difficult to identify, how to reuse parts of the workflow containing business processes for a different purpose. Also, when reusing individual business processes, it is difficult to solve, how to combine business processes. To solve these issues, this research proposes a knowledge chunk reuse support tool based on different ontologies. Using the case-based reasoning framework, the proposed tool accumulates part of reusable workflow as a case (knowledge chunk) based on different ontologies from the viewpoint of application domain knowledge and use of robots. It also supports retrieval and reuse of knowledge chunks. As a case study, we have developed a teacher-robot collaboration lesson system using the proposed tool. We built a knowledge chunk base based on the ontologies about teacher knowledge, robots, and knowledge chunks by referring to the workflows of teacher-robot collaboration lessons we did at several elementary schools. Two teachers in a public elementary school have created workflows about the science learning unit Pendulum Movement using the proposed tool. Based on the created workflows, they have conducted teacher-robot collaboration lessons. We evaluated the proposed tool and teacher-robot collaboration lesson system from the questionnaire for the teachers and pupils and confirmed its usefulness.
