INTELLIGENT HYPERTEXT SYSTEMS FOR AEROSPACE KNOWLEDGE REPRESENTATION

THE PROPOSED RESEARCH IS DESIGNED TO UTILIZE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TECHNOLOGY FOR ASSISTING USERS LOCATING AND UNDERSTANDING TECHNICAL INFORMATION IN MANUALS USED FOR PLANNING AND CONDUCTING WIND TUNNEL TESTS AND INCREASING THEEFFICIENCY OF PERSONNEL TRAINING IN WIND TUNNEL TESTING PROCEDURES. THE OBJECTIVE IS TO CREATE A COMPUTERIZED MANUAL IN THE FORM OF HYPERTEXT AND AN ADVISORY SYSTEM WHICHSTORES EXPERTS KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE. THE COMBINATION OFHYPERTEXT MANUAL AND ADVISORY SYSTEM IS TERMED AN INTELLIGENT HYPERTEXT (IH) SYSTEM. PHASE I OF THE PROJECT WILL IMPLEMENT A PROTOTYPE IH SYSTEM FOR CONDUCTING TRANSONIC WIND TUNNEL TESTING. PHASE II OF THE PROJECT WILL EXTEND THE CONCEPTS TO ENCOMPASS AERODYNAMIC TESTING KNOWLEDGE IN EXPANDED DOMAINS INCLUDING SUPERSONIC AND HYPERSONIC TUNNELS, DYNAMIC TESTING, LOW SPEED V/STOL TUNNEL. THE PRIMARY RESEARCH PROBLEM ADDRESSED IS STUDY OF THE MECHANISMS NEEDED TO ORGANIZE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT AEROSPACE GROUND TESTING. TYPICALLY, SUCH KNOWLEDGE OFTEN CONSISTS OF DIFFUSE AND DISPERSED SETS OF INFORMATION THAT IS HARD TO COLLECT, MUCH LESS UNDERSTAND AND MASTER. WE PROPOSE TO IMPLEMENT A KNOWLEDGE ORGANIZATION TOOL TO ASSIST IN STRUCTURING THIS KNOWLEDGE AND PRESENTING THIS KNOWLEDGE TO NOVICES AS WELL AS MORE EXPERIENCED TEST ENGINEERS.