The blackboard model of problem solving

Abstract

The first system was the HEARSAY-II speech understanding system (Erman et al.,1980) that evolved between 1971 and 1976. Subsequently, many have been built that have similar system organization and run-time behavior. The objectives of this article are (1) to define what is meant by blackboard systems and (2) to show the richness and diversity of system designs. The article begins with a discussion of the underlying concept behind all systems, the model of problem solving. In order to bridge the gap between a model and working systems, the framework, an extension of the basic model is introduced, including a detailed description of the model's components and their behavior. A model does not come into existence on its own, and is usually an abstraction of many examples. In Section 2 the history of ideas is traced, and the designs of some application that helped shape the model are detailed. Part 2 of this article which will appear in the next issue of AI Magazine, describes and contrasts some and discusses the characteristics of application problems suitable for the method of problem solving.