IM-PACs: Intelligent Messaging - Planning and Collaboration Systems

• Open Work Area
• Protected Work Area
• Contact: i-x@aiai.ed.ac.uk

• Background Technologies:
  • I-X - Intelligent Technology
  • CoSAR-TS - Coalition Search and Rescue - Task Support
  • CoAKTinG - Collaborative Advanced Knowledge Technologies in the Grid

• Applications:
  • I-Rescue - Help
  • e-Response - Emergency Response
  • I-Ex - Everest Expedition 2005

• Project Team Members:
  • Principal Investigator: Austin Tate
  • Commercialisation Manager: Richard Wheeler
  • Contracts and Admin: Ken Baird
  • Scottish Enterprise Facilitator: Graham Fairlie
  • Scottish Enterprise Outcome Manager: Simon Hardy
  • Researchers: Jessica Chen-Burger, Jeff Dalton, Stephen Potter, Jussi Stader, Gerhard Wickler

• Links:
  • I-C2 Systems - Intelligent Communication and Coordination
  • IM-PACS use for Everest 2005 Expedition
  • SE/ESF Publicity Guidelines -
    http://www.scotland.gov.uk/esf

IM-PACs is be based on I-X, a key research orientated asset of the Artificial Intelligence Applications Institute (AIAI) at the University of Edinburgh. It provides a framework for representing, reasoning about, and using plans and business processes in collaborative contexts. AIAI's approach to plan representation and use links the activities selected to their underlying "goal structure" using rich and enrichable constraint descriptions which include the impact that the activities are meant to have on the state of the environment in which they are executed. This allows for more precise and useful monitoring of plan execution, allowing plans to be adjusted or repaired as circumstances change. It can make use of dynamically changing context and status of the agents and products involved (e.g. through emerging geo-location services for people and products). It also provides for the real-time communication of activities and tasks between both human and automated resources.

Research to date has been funded for specific, often military, planning environments. IM-PACs will commercially leverage this research to create a for-profit company or licensing unit which is focused on taking the most innovative and market-facing components of AIAI's flagship planning technology and bringing them to the most promising market opportunities. Through the proof-of-concept fund we will create technical bridges between the wealth of excellence accumulated in specific research projects and the market. We will turn pioneering research into innovative product offerings, and accumulate business momentum and refined market knowledge. Through an initial market study sponsored by Scottish Enterprise, we have gained valuable insight into possible first product offerings, market targets, channel partners, and customers. We are aiming for a highly visible high growth business based in Scotland with global reach and impact.

The IM-PACs project is funded by Scottish Enterprise, the European Research Development Fund (ERDF) and AIAI at the University of Edinburgh. The project has received assistance from the Proof of Concept Fund managed by Scottish Enterprise. The Proof of Concept Funds supports the pre-commercialisation of leading-edge technologies emerging from Scotland's Universities, Research Institutes and National Health Service Trusts. [Project References - POC5-SEB-004 POC5-SEB-004+ ]