Expert Systems

Jaime A. Riascos
Mechatronics Engineering – Intelligent Control
Mariana University
2020 -2
Expert systems

An Expert System is defined as an interactive and The expert system can resolve many issues which Expert systems were the predecessor of the current
reliable computer-based decision-making system generally would require a human expert. It is based day artificial intelligence, deep learning and machine
which uses both facts and heuristics to solve on knowledge acquired from an expert. learning systems
complex decision-making problems.
Expert systems (ES)
What are The expert systems are Characteristics of
the computer Expert Systems
Expert applications developed
Systems? to solve complex
• High performance
problems in a particular
domain, at the level of • Understandable
extra-ordinary human • Reliable
intelligence and
expertise. • Highly responsive
 The expert systems are capable of −

• Advising
• Instructing and assisting human in decision making
• Demonstrating
• Deriving a solution
• Diagnosing
Capabilities • Explaining
of Expert • Interpreting input
Systems • Predicting results
• Justifying the conclusion
• Suggesting alternative options to a problem
 They are incapable of −

• Substituting human decision makers

• Possessing human capabilities
Capabilities • Producing accurate output for inadequate knowledge
base
of Expert • Refining their own knowledge
Systems
Components of Expert Systems
Knowledge Base

Inference Engine

User Interface
Components
of Expert
Systems
Knowledge Base
It contains domain-specific and high-quality
knowledge. Knowledge is required to exhibit
intelligence. The success of any ES majorly
depends upon the collection of highly
accurate and precise knowledge.
What is Knowledge?
What is Knowledge?

The data is collection of facts. The information is organized as data and

facts about the task domain. Data, information, and past
experience combined together are termed as knowledge.
Components of Knowledge Base

The knowledge base of an ES is a store of

both, factual and heuristic knowledge.

• Factual Knowledge − It is the information

widely accepted by the Knowledge
Engineers and scholars in the task domain.
• Heuristic Knowledge − It is about practice,
accurate judgement, one’s ability of
evaluation, and guessing.
 Knowledge representation

It is the method used to organize and

formalize the knowledge in the knowledge
base. It is in the form of IF-THEN-ELSE rules.
 IF-THEN structure.

provides description.

Rules as a easy to understand and create.

knowledge
relates given information or facts in the IF part
; antecedent (premise or
condition).

action in the THEN part; consequent

(conclusion or action).
 Rules - example
IF The ‘traffic light’ is yellow
THEN the action is be ready

IF the DC motor is broken

THEN the action is replacing new motor

IF there is virtual classes

THEN the students are slepping u.u
Types of Rules
Types of Rules
 The success of any expert system majorly
depends on the quality, completeness, and
accuracy of the information stored in the
knowledge base.

The knowledge base is formed by readings

Knowledge from various experts, scholars, and the
Knowledge Engineers. The knowledge
Acquisition engineer is a person with the qualities of
empathy, quick learning, and case analyzing
skills.

He acquires information from subject expert by

recording, interviewing, and observing him at
work, etc. He then categorizes and organizes the
information in a meaningful way, in the form of
IF-THEN-ELSE rules, to be used by interference
machine. The knowledge engineer also monitors
the development of the ES.
 Inference Engine
Use of efficient procedures and rules by the
Inference Engine is essential in deducting a correct,
flawless solution.

In case of knowledge-based ES, the Inference Engine

acquires and manipulates the knowledge from the
knowledge base to arrive at a particular solution.
Inference Engine
• Applies rules repeatedly to the facts, which are
obtained from earlier rule application.
• Adds new knowledge into the knowledge base if
required.
• Resolves rules conflict when multiple rules are
applicable to a particular case.

To recommend a solution, the Inference Engine uses the

following strategies
• Forward Chaining
• Backward Chaining
 Forward Chaining

It is a strategy of an expert system to answer the question, “What can

happen next?”

Here, the Inference Engine follows the chain of conditions and derivations
and finally deduces the outcome. It considers all the facts and rules, and
sorts them before concluding to a solution.

This strategy is followed for working on conclusion, result, or effect. For

example, prediction of share market status as an effect of changes in
interest rates.
Forward Chaining
 Backward Chaining

With this strategy, an expert system finds out the answer to the
question, “Why this happened?”

On the basis of what has already happened, the Inference Engine tries to
find out which conditions could have happened in the past for this result.

This strategy is followed for finding out cause or reason. For example,
diagnosis of blood cancer in humans.
Backward Chaining
User Interface
User interface provides interaction
between user of the ES and the ES
itself. It is generally Natural Language
Processing so as to be used by the
user who is well-versed in the task
domain. The user of the ES need not
be necessarily an expert in Artificial
Intelligence.
User Interface
It explains how the ES has arrived at a particular
recommendation. The explanation may appear in
the following forms

• Natural language displayed on screen.

• Verbal narrations in natural language.
• Listing of rule numbers displayed on the screen.

The user interface makes it easy to trace the

credibility of the deductions.
Requirements of Efficient ES
User Interface
• It should help users to accomplish their goals in
shortest possible way.

• It should be designed to work for user’s existing

or desired work practices.

• Its technology should be adaptable to user’s

requirements; not the other way round.

• It should make efficient use of user input.

Applications
of Expert
System
 Identify
Maintain
Problem
the System
Development Domain

of Expert Develop and

Complete
Design the

Systems: the ES
System

General Steps Test and

Develop the
Refine the
Prototype
Prototype
 Identify Problem
Domain

• The problem must be suitable for an

expert system to solve it.
• Find the experts in task domain for the
ES project.
• Establish cost-effectiveness of the
system.
 Design the System

• Identify the ES Technology

• Know and establish the degree of

integration with the other systems and
databases.

• Realize how the concepts can represent

the domain knowledge best.
 Develop the
Prototype

From Knowledge Base: The knowledge

engineer works to

• Acquire domain knowledge from the expert.

• Represent it in the form of If-THEN-ELSE
rules.
 Test and Refine the
Prototype

• The knowledge engineer uses sample

cases to test the prototype for any
deficiencies in performance.

• End users test the prototypes of the

ES.
 Develop and
Complete the ES

• Test and ensure the interaction of the ES

with all elements of its environment,
including end users, databases, and other
information systems.

• Document the ES project well.

• Train the user to use ES.

 Maintain the System

• Keep the knowledge base up-to-date

by regular review and update.

• Cater for new interfaces with other

information systems, as those systems
evolve.
Benefits of Expert Systems
• Availability − They are easily available due to mass
production of software.
• Less Production Cost − Production cost is reasonable.
This makes them affordable.
• Speed − They offer great speed. They reduce the amount
of work an individual puts in.
• Less Error Rate − Error rate is low as compared to human
errors.
• Reducing Risk − They can work in the environment
dangerous to humans.
• Steady response − They work steadily without getting
motional, tensed or fatigued.
Expert Systems Limitations
No technology can offer easy and complete solution.
Large systems are costly, require significant
development time, and computer resources. ESs have
their limitations which include:

• Limitations of the technology

• Difficult knowledge acquisition
• ES are difficult to maintain
• High development costs
 Knowledge base
• Rule Set representation.
• IF (condition) THEN (action) structure.
Database
• Facts to match the IF (condition) parts in the knowledge
base.
Inference engine
• Reasoning executed once solution achieved.
Summary • Links the rules strored in the database.
Explanation facilities
• To answer how and why a particular conclusion is
reached a specific fact is needed respectively.
• Can explain its reasoning and justify, analyze or conclude.
User interface
• User and ES communication to find the problem solution.
 Task!
Create your group (up to three members) with your close friends and
develop the next activities:
• Given the following fields, select an area that your group is most expert
with.
• Industrial application/manufacturing
• Robotics
• Oil & gas
• Troubleshooting in Electrical & Electronics
• Identify your problem domain and objectives
• Construct a flowchart to describe your system.
• The expert system must have at least 10 rules and 2 conclusion.
 References
https://www.tutorialspoint.com/artificial_intelligence/artificial_intelligence
_expert_systems.htm
http://ocw.ump.edu.my/course/view.php?id=521