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Brainhat handles language, naturally
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| 10/01/2001 08:07 AM |
| By Patricia
Resende |
First there were automated
answering services, then computer intelligence. Remember robotic
dogs?
Now we have Brainhat.
Brainhat Corp., a
Connecticut-based company, has developed a natural language
processing “executive” that can dispatch tasks, ask and answer
questions and handle other events.
The East Hartford company
recently announced a natural language operating system that can be
programmed in English and can intelligently interact with users in
automated question-and-answer environments.
For now, it
relies on text information from a keyboard, but the goal is to make
it capable of non-scripted verbal interactions with users. Brainhat is in talks with major automakers with
the long-term goal of using the technology in automobiles. But the
system can be used today on e-commerce sites or
kiosks.
Brainhat’s Web site
solicits users to play. For example, Brainhat asked this reporter if I wanted a
room. When I responded “no,” it asked why I didn’t want a room and
if I wanted a beer. Before long Brainhat was responding that it was sad and
that this reporter didn’t like Brainhat because I didn’t want a room.
Brainhat began as a skunk
project by a University of Connecticut graduate, Kevin Dowd. Dowd,
along with founding Brainhat, is also
a two-time author who published “High Performance Computing” and
“Getting Connected to the Internet at 56K.” Dowd founded Atlantic
Computing, an Internet security company and sold it to Integralis in
February 2000 for nearly $10 million.
Now he is busy rolling
out Brainhat while also seeking
funding. For now, Dowd said he is self-funding Brainhat.
Brainhat’s artificial intelligence programming
system works by creating a vocabulary for the specific application,
building scenarios to facilitate reasoning and other activities that
would be designed to determine a knowledge base. Dowd said that
possible applications for Brainhat
include:
•Instant messaging agents capable of handling text
queries such as, “Did a package come for me?”
•Automated
call attendants that can answer questions such as, “Is Joe Jones
there?” or “Can you give me your fax number?”
•Interactive
auditory guides for museum exhibitions. that allow visitors to ask
questions such as, “Why is the statue’s head missing?” or “Why did
Van Gogh cut off his ear?”
•Command processing for industrial
robots, including the ability to send multiple messages
asynchronously without sequencing.
The company also plans to
roll out a personal genie that would schedule appointments and make
phone calls.
Brainhat this
month will also announce a voice XML/Web server, which interprets
natural language requests. |
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