Failure Mode Analysis Expert Systems Using XMEDIA.

In this paper we describe the application of XMEDIA - an expert system shell for developing multimedia knowledge bases - to develop a proposed family of failure mode analysis (FMA) multimedia knowledge base modules called FMA/XMEDIA. FMA/XMEDIA multimedia knowledge base modules make expert failure mode analysis knowledge easily accessible through an interactive, user friendly personal computer interface provided by XMEDIA. FMA/XMEDIA modules take advantage of the digital image media provided by XMEDIA. Digital images are used to provide visual explanations to support the interaction between a user and the PC based expert system. We discuss several FMA/XMEDIA prototype modules we are developing as well as suggest potential domains from which future modules could be developed. We also describe other types of media to be incorporated into future FMA/XMEDIA modules such as digital audio and laser disc videos.