The TRAINS Project: Overview
The original conversational problem-solving assistant developed by the URCS research group.
Projects by George Ferguson
Over the years I've had the good fortune to work with some great people on some fantastic projects. This gallery provides capsule summaries and video clips from some of the most significant of them (at least the ones for which I have videos).
The TRAINS Project: Session
Recording of an untrained user using the TRAINS system, from 1995.
TRIPS: The Rochester Interactive Planning System
Robust, adaptable, and portable system for developing conversational assistant prototypes in a variety of domains.
Chester: Prototype Personal Assistant for Patient Self-Care
Prototype of a conversational assistant for helping people take their medications properly, as part of helping them stay healthy in their homes.
PLOW: Procedural Learning on the Web
Prototype system that learned how to perform tasks using a web browser by observing its user perform the task while they described what they were doing using natural language.
Personal Health Management Assistant
A vision of the possibilities with a conversational assistant for patient self-care.
CARDIAC: Conversational Agent for Robust Dialogue Interaction and Care
Prototype of a conversational assistant for conducting a simple "check-up" interview with heart failure patients.
ExACT: Extensible Agent for Collaborative Tasks (1/2)
Prototype of a complete desktop environment for emergency management including a conversational assistant that would learn how to help its user.
ExACT: Extensible Agent for Collaborative Tasks (2/2)
The same scenario as above, but the operator interacts with the system using only spoken natural language, which is much more intuitive.