A goal-oriented interface to consumer electronics using planning and commonsense reasoning

Abstract

We are reaching a crisis with design of user interfaces for consumer electronics. Flashing 12:00 time indicators, push-and-hold buttons, and interminable modes and menus are all symptoms of trying to maintain a one-to-one correspondence between functions and physical controls, which becomes hopeless as the number of capabilities of devices grows. The root of this problem is that the devices do not have knowledge of (a) their own capabilities (b) the scenarios where they can be of use. By using commonsense knowledge and an AI partial-order planner we propose instead to orient interfaces around the goals that users have for the devices. We present Roadie, a user interface agent that provides intelligent context-sensitive help and assistance for a network of consumer devices. Roadie uses a commonsense knowledge base to map between user goals and functions of the devices, and an AI partial-order planner to provide mixed-initiative assistance with executing multi-step procedures and debugging help when things go wrong.