Lee Lacy Dynamics Research Corporation [email protected] 407-380-1200 x104 OWL Ontology-based Solutions...

Lee Lacy

Dynamics Research Corporation

[email protected]

407-380-1200 x104

OWL Ontology-based Solutions for Military Applications OWL Ontology-based Solutions for Military Applications

INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS THROUGH PEOPLE, PROCESSES, AND TECHNOLOGY


DRC Introduction

• Founded in 1955 – Satisfying Customers for over 50 Years

• 2004 Revenues $275.7M

• ~2000 Employees

• Serving National Priority Markets– National Defense

– Citizen Security

– Citizen Services

• Publicly Traded – NASDAQ: DRCO

• Headquarters: Andover, MA

• Local office: Vienna, VA (Dunn Loring metro stop)

• Semantic Web Research and Development Team: Orlando, FL



Objectives

• Describe recent applications of Semantic Web ontologies to national defense and related lessons learned in terms of:– Problem / Challenge

– Ontology-based solution

– Conclusions / Lessons Learned



Warnings / Disclaimers

• Acronym-rich environment

• OWL-centric perspective

• Many of the concepts to be presented have been presented at an IC Ontology TEM and at the OWL Workshop held in conjunction with the ISWC ’05

• Comments and slides have not been vetted and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of our sponsors



Presentation Outline

• Defense and Simulation Ontology Implementation Experiences– DARPA DAML– Foreign Clearance Guide (FCG)– JEOD Decision Support System (DSS)– Computer Generated Forces / Behavior

Representation (CGF/BR)

• Lessons Learned• Summary / Questions



Sample DAML Military Ontologies Developed

• Intelligence-related ontologies– Event chronology ontology– Fugitive/terrorist description ontology

• Equipment / Platform ontologies– Military equipment

taxonomy/ontology– Equipment Characteristics and

Performance (C&P)– Commercial Shipping

• GPS Coordinates• National Security Organization• Conditions• Military task list ontology

Performed by: DRC

Managed by:Managed by: AFRLAFRL

Funded by: Funded by: DARPADARPA



Foreign Clearance Guide (FCG) Challenge

• FCG document specifies detailed information and rules for obtaining clearances

• Loss of over $80K in fuel and one sortie daily due to diplomatic clearance violations

• Indirect Costs:– Lost Crew Time– Delays in

Transportation/Supply System– Disrupted Flight/Cargo

Movement Schedules

• Lack of automated support for diplomatic clearance process and lead times

Performed by: BBN

DRC


Funded by: Funded by: USAF USAF AMCAMC



Automated Clearance Tool (ACT) Solution

ACT is an agent based, decision-support tool that supports the processing of diplomatic clearances at Air Mobility Command (AMC).

ACT software agents utilize ontologies to reason about annotated data.



FCG Markup Supports Agent Decision Making

• Ontologies designed and developed to represent FCG concepts• Ontologies drove schema design for Oracle population tool• FCG contents captured in database• Database queries used to generate compliant RDF/XML• ACT agents consume instance data

FCG OntologySpecify requirements

EncodeformalOWL

representation

Design Object Model



Automated Clearance Tool

Semantically Annotated Brain Books

Lead Time Compute

Agent

RED shading indicates a Lead Time problem

Authoritative Data Source(e.g. Electronic FCG)



FCG Conclusions / Lessons Learned

• Semantic annotation enables software agents to reliably interpret data

• Semantic annotation enables software agents to share data with future unforeseen software

• Content authoring (database publishing) tool helped manage the RDF/XML instance data

• Documented repeatable ontology engineering process helpful



JEOD KTOD ACTD Challenge

• Overall ACTD placing new tools in the hands of EOD technicians facing IED threats

• JEOD Decision Support System products include:– Mobile Field Kit (MFK)

– JEOD Portal

– JEODNET Infrastructure

• MFK Plug-In Needed for providing contextually relevant information for performance support

Performed by: InfoPro

DRC

Managed by:Managed by: DISADISA

Funded by: Funded by: JEOD JEOD KTOD KTOD ACTDACTD



Reference Assistant Tool (RAT) Solution

• Filters procedural knowledge base using current conditions.

• Formats the filtered data based on a user’s form factor.

• Reduce development costs of authoring Job Aids by dynamically composing Job Aids from procedural knowledge bases on the fly.

• Reduces the development time/costs for Interactive Multimedia Instruction (IMI)

• Allows developers to focus on content rather than format

Domain

compliantwith

Condition-basedFormattedDelivery

Content AuthoringEffort

Content Readby Software

ProceduralKnowledge

Base(RDF)

DeliveryTools

ProceduralKnowledgeOntology(OWL)

1

2

3



Content Authoring Tool (CAT) Enabling Tool

• Portlet within the JEOD Portal Tool

• Front-end editing tools for data/entry

• Oracle Back-end

• Database publishing techniques to generate ontology-compliant instance data



Delivery Tool Web Services Architecture

• Filter Web Service (Step 1)– Based on context and user role

• Format Web Service (Step 2)– Based on form factor (e.g., handheld, tablet

PC) and desired presentation method– XHTML output

Filter TTP XML

Web Service

Format TTP XML

Web Service



JEOD Conclusions / Lessons Learned

• SME feedback critical on two levels:– Ontology design validation from domain experts (e.g.,

what are the components of IEDs)

– Application usability from surrogate users

• Future development efforts can reuse the major components of the Dynamic Job Aid System.

• Domain independent applicability of filtering and formatting of procedural content.

• “Just-in-time” access to procedural job aids.

• Training community benefits from reduced development costs for Interactive Multimedia Instruction because of focus on content rather than format.



Computer Generated Forces Behavior Representation Challenge

• Computer Generated Forces behaviors typically used to represent opposing and flanking forces in simulations

• Behavior representations were traditionally hard coded

• Newer simulations’ behaviors being represented as data/information

• Each simulation system describes their behaviors differently (need implementation independence to support interchange)

• Object-oriented representations of functional behaviors

• Representations need to support both primitive and composite concepts

Performed by: DRC


Funded by: Funded by: DMSODMSO



OOS Behavior Composer ExampleOOS Behavior Composer Example

PasteCopyCutRedoUndoSaveOpenNew

Evaluation Plot Execution Plot Rules

Behavior Composer

Parallel: 1

Platoon Move_PB (1)

Sequence: 1

Sequence: 2

CB (2) CB (1)Determine

Contact_PB (2) Pause_PB (5)

Pause_PB (4)

Platoon Shoot_PB (3)

True

False

True

Selector

Sequence

Primitive

Composite

ConditionalBranch

Parallel

Directive

Order

Interface

Note



OWL-based BR Solution

• Research demonstrated the use of OWL for representing CGF behaviors

• OWL representation of Composites and Primitive meta-data

• Versioning meta-data captures VV&A information

• Enables new capabilities, e.g., filtering, reasoning

• Software developed to demonstrate composability

• Grounded using OneSAF Objective System (OOS)



Behavior Composition with OWLBehavior Composition with OWL

ImplementationIndependent

Primitive Beh.Metadata COTS/GOTS OWL-Compliant Tools

OWL

OWL

XML

Behavior Composer UserLegacyPrimitiveBehavior Metadata

Legacy

CompositeBehaviors

Implementation Specific Primitive

Behaviors

describes

ImplementationIndependentCompositeBehaviors

describes

RDF/XML RDF/XML

OWL

CompositeBehaviorOntology

PrimitiveBehaviorMetadataOntology

DomainOntology

commit to

Produced

Legend

Legacy

Ontologies

Prototype Composer / Editor Tool

XML

commit to



CGF/BR Conclusions / Lessons Learned

• Process descriptions challenging using object-oriented techniques

• Technology insertion challenging with fast-moving program

• Ontologies more easily used for metadata at more atomic levels of description (as opposed to representing software code)



Overall Lessons Learned

• OWL’s XML foundation eases fears among earlier implementers

• Pilot/prototype projects key in gaining acceptance and understanding

• Inferencing features still difficult to demonstrate in applications

• Repositories needed to help identify authoritative ontologies

• Ontologies should be based on authoritative data sources and validated with help from subject matter experts

• Mature documented ontology development practices needed

• Developers and implementers need help to understand and apply OWL



User Education (Evangelism)

• Adopters need to understand the business case

• XML now recognized and widely adopted

• Tool developers are beginning to take OWL more seriously

• Widely recognized killer apps still needed (credit: Dr. Jim Hendler)

• May evolve from one of the many proof-of-concept prototypes being developed to help demonstrate solutions



Ontology-based Application User / Developer Education

• Natural evolution of skills and knowledge for XML data engineers and database professionals

• Successful applications require marriage of data engineering skills (similar to database schema developers) and software engineering skills

• Increasing number of Semantic Web books available that touch on particular languages

• OWL book focuses on explaining the OWL syntax defined in the W3C recommendations



Unabashed Book Plug

• Language information described in multiple W3C Recommendation documents

• Developers needed help with syntax

• Adopters need easily obtainable support information

• Provides an introduction to Semantic Web concepts

• Describes OWL syntax with examples

• Foreword by Mike Dean



Semantic Web Layered Architecture

Applications

Ontology Languages (OWL Full,OWL DL, and OWL Lite)

RDF and RDF/XML

XML and XML Schema

URIs and Namespaces

RDF Schema Individuals

Implementation Layer

Logical Layer

Ontological PrimitiveLayer

Basic RelationalLanguage Layer

Transport/Syntax Layer

Symbol/Reference Layer

}}}}}}

Figure © Lee W. Lacy - 2005



Summary

• OWL is being used in a variety of research efforts to support ontology-driven solutions for real world problems

• Challenges exist in integrating the technology into mainstream fielded systems

• Additional education and evangelism needed before the technology is widely accepted



Questions?

Lee Lacy: [email protected] Voice: 407-380-1200 x104

Lee Lacy Dynamics Research Corporation [email protected] 407-380-1200 x104 OWL Ontology-based Solutions...

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