抄録
Recent artifacts have gained a high degree of intelligent or smart characteristics, and it is important to investigate the general feature of such intelligence or smartness. First, a definition and classification of artifacts are discussed, and a definition of intelligent artifacts is proposed. In addition to the function and the performance of artifacts, an intelligent attribute is introduced as the third coordinate axis. It is shown that the intelligence of artifacts corresponds to the automatization of the application, operation, and management of artifacts. The necessity of intelligent artifacts and the purpose of the intelligence are examined. It is revealed that the intelligent characteristics aim for adjusting the parameters of artifacts to provide the optimum performance against their environmental changes and reducing the load of users and natural and social environment. The purpose of intelligent characteristics is to increase the advantages provided by the artifacts and to decrease their disadvantages by changing their parameters after sensing their environmental change.
