CORVID Restaurant Selection Knowledge Automation Expert System The following Restaurant Selection system is a small demonstration that displays some of Exsys CORVID's features. CORVID expert systems can advise among a group of possible competing alternatives even if the user's requests may not exactly match any of the possible options. In this case, the system advises on where to go to dinner based on occasion, atmosphere, and food preferences.
			The CORVID system interacts with you by asking initial questions to obtain data on your preferences. More focused queries are then made by the sytem based on information you have already provided. Unnecessary questions are not asked, but when your answer indicates more details are needed in a specific area, the system asks follow-up questions. Recommended restaurants are presented, along with specific comments on potential disadvantages the restaurant might present for the occasion (e.g. too noisy, not private, etc.) Run this CORVID Applet to select the best restaurant for dinner in Albuquerque, NM:

How It Works:

This example system selects from a group of Albuquerque restaurants. These are restaurants with widely differing food types, atmosphere and prices.

The system asks the user questions on the occasion and what type of food is desired. Data is applied to a spreadsheet of information on the various restaurants. The system's analysis creates a probabalistic ranking of the restaurants related to the customer's needs. The system automatically "weights" various factors based on the occasion. The top 5 restaurants that best meet the user's requests are displayed. Comments on the suitability of the restaurant are also displayed with the results. CORVID image maps are used to ask the questions enabling a simple graphic end user interface.

All of the decision-making logic is kept separate from the restaurant data which is stored in an easily maintained spreadsheet. Generic restaurant selection logic is converted to rules using CORVID's development environment. These rules are applied to data on the specific restaurants stored in the spreadsheet. Including a new restaurant is as simple as adding it to the spreadsheet. If a restaurant changes its price, menu, or decor, it is also just edited in the spreadsheet.

(This system does not imply any use or endorsement of Exsys CORVID by the restaurants, or any endorsement of the restaurants by EXSYS Inc....though Ribs has really yummy key lime pie.)