This research, undertaken in collaboration with Robert D. Rodman of North Carolina State University at Raleigh, is concerned with the problem of how to interact with a computer system in natural language by voice. It continues and builds on the results of research carried out by the investigators over the past seven years. Working in the problem domain of electronic equipment repair, they are currently investigating a range of interactive modes from "passive" (the computer merely follows orders and ans- wers questions) to "directive" (it takes charge and questions and instructs the human user). They are also investigating the nat- ure and role of comments in a task-oriented dialog and ways of representing and generating appropriate, fully grammatical, natu- ral language spoken responses. The motivating goal of the research is to be able to design a machine partner, capable of natural language voice dialogue, and able to assist human beings of varying abilities and experience in an electronic repair task. Progress toward this goal contrib- utes in important ways to knowledge of how to employ automata in roles previously possible only for skilled human beings.
