RehabRobo-Query: Answering natural language queries about rehabilitation robotics ontology on the cloud

Abstract

We introduce a novel method to answer natural language queries about rehabilitation robotics, over the formal ontology REHABROBO-ONTO. For that, (i) we design and develop a novel controlled natural language for rehabilitation robotics, called REHABROBO-CNL; (ii) we introduce translations of queries in REHABRoso-CNI, into SPARQL queries, utilizing a novel concept of query description trees; (iii) we use an automated reasoner to find answers to SPARQL queries. To facilitate the use of our method by experts, we develop an intelligent, interactive query answering system, called REHABROBO-QUERY, using Semantic Web technologies, and make it available on the cloud via Amazon web services. REHABROBO-QUERY guides the users to express their queries in natural language and displays the answers to queries in a readable format, possibly with links to detailed information. Easy access to information on REHABROBO-ONTO through complex queries in natural language may help engineers inspire new rehabilitation robot designs, while also guiding practitioners to make more informed decisions on technology based rehabilitation.