Blackboard Architectures and Applications

Book excerpt: Blackboard Architectures and Applications focuses on studies done on blackboard architecture in the industries and academe. Particularly given value is the role this paradigm plays in distributed problem solving, parallelism, and intelligent real-time systems. Composed of 21 chapters, the book contains the literature of authors who have diligently conducted studies on this concern. The book starts by discussing the blackboard model of problem solving, including control and organization, wherein goal relationships and their use in blackboard architecture are noted. Also given attention are BBI basic control loop, an empirical comparison of explicit and implicit control architectures, and the dynamic integration of reasoning methods. The book then proceeds with discussions on the concurrency and parallelism of advanced architectures. Taken into consideration include design alternatives for parallel and distributed blackboard systems; the parallelization of blackboard architectures and the Agora system; and a comparison of the cage system and polygon architecture. Real-time blackboard architecture systems are also explored. This part contains experiments, frameworks, and methods designed to approximate processing in real-time problem solving. The text also points at developments in blackboard systems. Given attention are the architecture of ATOME, performance of GBB, the Erasmus system, and the use of blackboard system for distributed problem solving. The book finally focuses on object-oriented blackboard architecture for model-based diagnostic reasoning; dynamic instructional planning in the BB1 architecture; and consideration of blackboard model for cockpit information management. The book is a vital source of data for those wanting to explore the potential of artificial intelligence.