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Context-Aware Conversational Agents Using POMDPs and Agenda-Based Simulation

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User-Centric Technologies and Applications

Part of the book series: Advances in Intelligent and Soft Computing ((AINSC,volume 94))

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Abstract

Context-aware systems in combination with mobile devices offer new opportunities in the areas of knowledge representation, natural language processing and intelligent information retrieval. Our vision is that natural spoken conversation with these devices can eventually become the preferred mode for managing their services by means of conversational agents. In this paper, we describe the application of POMDPs and agenda-based user simulation to learn optimal dialog policies for the dialog manager in a conversational agent. We have applied this approach to develop a statistical dialog manager for a conversational agent which acts as a voice logbook to collect home monitored data from patients suffering from diabetes.

Funded by projects CICYT TIN2008-06742-C02-02/TSI, CICYT TEC2008-06732-C02-02/TEC, CAM CONTEXTS (S2009/TIC-1485), and DPS2008-07029-C02-02.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Group of Applied Artificial Intelligence (GIAA). Computer Science Department, Carlos III University of Madrid, Spain

    David Griol & José M. Molina

Authors
  1. David Griol
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  2. José M. Molina
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Informática Escuela Politécnica Superior (campus de Colmenarejo), Universidad Carlos III de Madrid , Avda. Universidad Carlos III, 22, 28270, Colmenarejo (MADRID), Spain

    José M. Molina

  2. Departamento de Señales, Sistemas y diocomunicaciones ETSI Telecomunicación , Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Av. Complutense 30, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    José Ramón Casar Corredera

  3. Departamento de Ciencias de la Computación Escuela Politécnica , Universidad de Alcalá, 28806, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain

    Manuel Felipe Cátedra Pérez

  4. Departamento de Tecnología Electrónica y de las Comunicaciones Escuela Politécnica Superior , Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, c/ Francisco Tomás y Valiente, 11, 28049, Madrid, Spain

    Javier Ortega-García

  5. Departamento de Señales, Sistemas y Radiocomunicaciones ETSI Telecomunicación, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid , Av. Complutense 30, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    Ana M. Bernardos Barbolla

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© 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Griol, D., Molina, J.M. (2011). Context-Aware Conversational Agents Using POMDPs and Agenda-Based Simulation. In: Molina, J.M., Corredera, J.R.C., Pérez, M.F.C., Ortega-García, J., Barbolla, A.M.B. (eds) User-Centric Technologies and Applications. Advances in Intelligent and Soft Computing, vol 94. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-19908-0_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-19908-0_4

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-19907-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-19908-0

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

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