Responding to requests and situations in assistive computer systems - A decision-theoretic approach

This project will make advances in Language Technology and User Modeling to yield computer agents that respond appropriately to people's spoken requests and circumstances, thereby improving the way in which people interact with computers. Key outcomes are: 1) computational models that detect the state of the interaction (e.g., whether it is progressing) and build a model of the user based on the dialogue and observed behaviour; and 2) decision procedures that determine appropriate responses in light of the situation and the user model, i.e., who takes the initiative (system or user), type of response (e.g., ask a question or perform an action) and content, modality of presentation (e.g., voice or screen), and addressee (user or other).