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Grosvenor, S. R., Burkhardt, C., Koratkar, A., Fishman, M., Wolf, K. R., Jones, J. E., & Ruley, L. 2000, in ASP Conf. Ser., Vol. 216, Astronomical Data
Analysis Software and Systems IX, eds. N. Manset, C. Veillet, D. Crabtree (San Francisco: ASP), 695
The Scientist's Expert Assistant Demonstration
S. R. Grosvenor
Booz-Allen Hamilton, Seabrook, Maryland
C. Burkhardt, A. Koratkar
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Maryland
M. Fishman, K. R. Wolf
AppNet, Inc., Laurel, MD
J. E. Jones, L. Ruley
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Abstract:
The Scientist's Expert Assistant (SEA) is a prototype effort for the Next Generation Space Telescope that uses a combination of artificial intelligence and user interface techniques to explore ways to substantially reduce the time and effort involved in proposal preparation for both scientists and the telescope operations staff. The Advanced Architectures and Automation Branch of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center has been working with the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) to explore SEA alternatives. At ADASS '99 we were demonstrating the latest version of the SEA software. This article summarizes the new features and lessons learned in the SEA project over the last year.
The Scientist's Expert Assistant (SEA)
is currently completing its final
phase of prototype development. During the course of this project we
have developed a central proposal browser and several visual components
that allow users to develop their observing programs in a visual and
intuitive manner. We have focused on visual components that can either
be executed within an integrated environment or run independently. We
have also been exploring the effectiveness of applying expert systems
technology to guide users.
At ADASS '98 (Koratkar 1999) we demonstrated an earlier release of SEA.
At the time, SEA supported only a single observation, had the basics of
a graphical exposure calculator and a visual target tuner, and had a
very limited expert system. Even then, we had found significant user
enthusiasm for visual approaches. Over the last year, we have added
features to the target tuner and exposure calculator, improved the
overall proposal browser, and expanded the expert systems applications.
We also added several new tools including: the orbit planner, the visit
planner, and a context-sensitive help system. Our purpose in
demonstrating SEA at ADASS '99 was to present these new features, gather
additional feedback, and to explore collaborative possibilities.
Here's a quick summary of the new features in SEA:
- The overall proposal browser has been enhanced to add
table-oriented views of a proposal by exposures, visits, instruments, or
targets. This allows an experienced user to quickly edit properties of
their proposal through a table rather than the more intuitive, but
lengthier, process of filling out forms.
- Context-sensitive help has been added throughout the system.
Users can click on any button or field and display help information
directly related to the selected item. The help content itself is
evolving and contains a blend of interface-oriented and science-oriented
assistance including one-click access to the appropriate links within
detailed instrument handbooks.
- The Visual Target Tuner nows supports multiple apertures, and has
a variety of 2 and 3 dimensional tools for analysis. Additional online
image databases such as the Digitized Sky Survey have been added.
Figure 1:
The Target Tuner's new visual tools.
![\begin{figure}
\epsscale{0.8}
\plotone{D-09a.eps}
\end{figure}](img1.gif) |
- A new component, the Orbit Planner, graphically assists users in
laying out their exposures within a single HST orbit. It has the
ability to establish links between exposures, and shows predicted
overheads. With a simple ``click-and-drag'' users can re-arrange
exposures, or change the duration of exposures. While nicknamed ``Orbit
Planner'' because of its current space-based context, it was designed to
be easily adapted to earth-based observing during a single night.
Figure 2:
The Orbit Planner.
![\begin{figure}
\epsscale{0.8}
\plotone{D-09b.eps}
\end{figure}](img2.gif) |
- The second new component, the Visit Planner, provides visual
support for organizing all the exposures and visits in the entire
proposal. Similar to the Orbit Planner, the Visit Planner allows the
user to use ``click-and-drag'' technology to organize visits, exposures
within a visit, and establish links or constraints between visits and
exposures.
- The Exposure Time Calculator now supports spectroscopic
exposures. It also contains new graphs such as comparing the target's
spectral energy distribution to the throughput of the instrument
configuration.
Figure 3:
Throughput vs SED in the ETC.
![\begin{figure}
\plotone{D-09c.eps}
\end{figure}](img3.gif) |
- A new Dither Planning Module represents the team's recent efforts
to blend a visual tool and an expert assistant. This module's expert
assistant runs in the background. It monitors data input and options
selected by the user and provides suggestions and recommendations as
needed. Greater details on the Dither Module can be found in these
proceedings (Wolf 2000).
A major goal of the SEA project has been not simply to implement new
features, but to gauge the effectiveness of these new features. The
team is now preparing for the project's final phase: evaluation. Even
before we do our formal evaluation, we have already learned a great
deal:
- Expert systems technology is improving, but it's still difficult
to make it work effectively. Java-based rules engines exist and work,
as do visual rule editors. But the actual development and testing of
rules is still primarily a task better suited to programmers than
astronomers. This makes developing rules difficult as very few people
have both the programming and astronomical expertise.
- The visual approaches have a strong immediate favorable reaction
from users. While the specific productivity and quality boost remains
to be measured. We believe this impact is more than just a ``whiz bang''
effect, it provides a significant jump in intuitive feel of the tools.
- Collaboration involving reuse of tool components and an evolution
towards common observing software suites could have a revolutionary
overall affect on software costs.
References
Koratkar A. & Grosvenor S. 1999, in ASP Conf. Ser., Vol. 172, Astronomical Data
Analysis Software and Systems VIII, ed. D. M. Mehringer, R. L. Plante, &
D. A. Roberts
(San Francisco: ASP), 60
Wolf, K. 2000, this volume, 123
© Copyright 2000 Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 390 Ashton Avenue, San Francisco, California 94112, USA
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