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From: jra@gensym.com (Jim Allard)
Subject: Re: G2, Blackboards and land cover monitoring
In-Reply-To: csc144@nof.abdn.ac.uk's message of 15 Nov 1994 10:35:56 GMT
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Date: Wed, 23 Nov 1994 16:59:06 GMT
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   From: csc144@nof.abdn.ac.uk (chriss)
   Newsgroups: comp.ai,comp.ai.shells,comp.infosystems.gis
   Date: 15 Nov 1994 10:35:56 GMT
   Organization: University of Aberdeen,  Scotland

   ~{VqHKWS~}Bambooson (elefenge@leonis.nus.sg) wrote:

   :     I think that G2 is designed based on blackboard machanism. 

	   G2 isn't actually a blackboard "shell" but does have
	   the flexability to enable me to develop the basic blackboard
	   features that I require. I do not require a sophisticated blackboard
	   environment.

G2 was not designed based on a blackboard model, but as Chris says there are
features that relate to blackboard functionality, like activating and
deactivating portions of KBs, (and the rules within them).  G2's inferencing
mechanism is a proprietary scheme designed for computing within deadlines in a
finely grained, multi-threaded way in an environment with rapidly changing data.

   : Also G2
   : is a special real-time expert system shell which includes many optional
   : modules such as neural-net, diagonosis tool,development tools...
   : Why do you adopt G2 ? The purpose of G2 is to let you can apply
   : AI techniques to manufacturing process instead of development of
   : low-level inference or reasoning processes.

	   G2 has "real-time" facilties and is, as you say, targeted
	   towards process monitoring. However, it is an expert
	   system shell and there is no reason to restrict it's application
	   to manufacturing processes only. It is an "open" system in that
	   it has powerful facilities for interfacing and this, in
	   conjunction with it's flexible OO development environment, makes
	   it suitable for my needs.

We have found that G2 is being applied in many areas beyond our original process
control market.  In 1990 we added procedural programming and object system
features specifically geared towards addressing application areas other than
process control.  This has made it into a general programming tool.  We're used
in discrete manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, avionics, transportation, and many
offline applications like what's being mentioned here.  We think our strength is
in integrating all of the software tools needed for delivered applications, we
have the support organization needed to back up a sophisticated commercial tool,
and in the fact that we don't impose a reasoning or computing methodology that
our customers are compelled to use.

Jim

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Jim Allard                                  Chief Architect, Core Technologies
Gensym Corporation                          jra@gensym.com
125 CambridgePark Drive                     (617) 547-2500 x252
Cambridge, MA  02140                        FAX (617) 547-1962
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