In Eds. Smith M.J., Salvendy G., Harris D. & Koubek R.J.

"Usability Evaluation and Interface Design: Cognitive Engineering, Intelligent Agents and Virtual Reality" Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc. Publishers London, Mahwah, New Jersey, 2001, 460-464.

A NEURO-FUZZY ADAPTIVE CONTROL OF INTERACTIVE SYSTEMS

Hans-Gnter Lindner humanIT Human Information Technologies GmbH, GMD TechnoPark Rathausalle 10, 53754 Sankt Augustin, Germany, lindner@humanit.de Alexander Nikov, Tzanko Georgiev Technical University of Sofia, K. Ohridski 8, BG-1000 Sofia, Bulgaria, nikov@tu-sofia.acad.bg ABSTRACT The paper presents adaptation and optimization of the interaction structure of interactive systems by application of the control theory principles based on a fuzzy neural network. The interactive system is presented as a control system consisting of two parts: 1) plant of control or controlled plant (model of the real-life process) and 2) neurofuzzy-based feedback control algorithm. The last one is detailed presented. A MATLAB-based control structure for adaptive interactive systems is proposed. A MATLAB object-oriented fuzzy neural network is kernel of the control algorithm. By logfile data from a web-based interactive system the neuro-fuzzy-based adaptive control is simulated and studied. The advantages of adaptive control of interactive systems and further developments are discussed. 1. INTRODUCTION Today's networked world and the decentralization that the Web enables and symbolizes have created information explosion and saturation. This information overload can be reduced by adaptive interactive systems. Usually they have large-scaled very complex structures with high number of unknown or badly estimated parameters. Thus a framework supporting the development of intelligent systems able to learn in dynamic, imprecise, and uncertain environments is needed. This paper presents such framework, showing how it is possible to adapt interactive systems to user combining control theory and neuro-fuzzy-based learning. The control theory (Vidyasagar, 1995) is appropriate to model the structure and parameters of interactive systems. The adaptive control is a kernel concepts in control theory, which includes on-line estimation of the system parameters and self-tuning of the control algorithm. The modern control theory concepts (Bishop, 1997) are combined with fuzzy sets and neural network ideas and results. Neural networks and fuzzy techniques (Kecman, 2001) are among the most promising approaches to machine learning. The last one is of great importance in many aspects of information technologies, especially human-computer interactions and adaptive interfaces. The paper is aimed on one hand at application of the control theory principles and of neural network and fuzzy sets concepts, and on the other hand at adaptation and optimization of the system interaction structure, as well as its investigation by simulation. Main goal of the present work is further decomposition and refinement of the control structure for adaptive interactive systems (Nikov et al., 1999) (cf. Figure 1). In the following its neuro-fuzzy adaptive feedback control is detailed presented and studied by a web-based interactive system. 2. NEURO-FUZZY-BASED ADAPTATION FEEDBACK CONTROL The synthesis of control algorithms is based on an adequate description of the plant of control (real life system). Let present the interactive system and its users as a plant of control. For modelling of this plant logfile data from real-life interactive system can be used. This data includes information about initial interaction structure and about user's work with the system. The initial interaction structure can take the form of a selection tree as shown on Figure 3. Detailed description of the control structure for adaptive interactive systems (cf. Figure 1) is given in (Nikov et al., 1999). The neuro-fuzzy-based feedback control contains the following blocks:

460

Disurbances , Env ironmental Influences

Modification
Control Action

Plant of Control
Interactive System

User
User Set Point + User Action

Neuro-fuzzy adaptive feedback control

Neuro- Fuzzy -Based Control Identification

Control Decision

Neuro -Fuzzy Adaptation

Decision Criteria

Software Sensor

System Developer

Figure 1. Control structure for adaptive interactive systems. 2.1 Identification The basic module of the block "Identification" is a Software Sensor. This block determines the transition matrices

m = m . Each element of these matrices m contains the frequencies of transitions between the different ij ij interaction points ( i and j ) during user's work with the interactive system. The following operator presents the
software sensor as

{ }

S : Lf m ,
where

m = 1,2,... ,

(1)

Lf is a set of logfile data and m m the transition matrix.

2.2 Neuro-Fuzzy-Based Adaptive Control Algorithm The neuro-fuzzy-based control algorithm is presented by the blocks: Decision Criteria, Neuro-Fuzzy Adaptation and Control Decision. The aim of this control algorithm is to adapt the interactive system (part of the plant) based on user's work with it.

461

The block Decision Criteria builds the training patterns for the block Neuro-Fuzzy Adaptation. The training patterns include the input and target values for learning of neural network. The operator P describes the algorithm of training patterns building as follows

P : m Pim ,
where

(2)

Pim is training patterns matrix; i th row of matrix.

The block Neuro-Fuzzy Adaptation presents the kernel of adaptive control. Here a fuzzy neural network (Nikov & Georgiev, 1999) is learned by (2). The neural network structure is determined based on user's work with the interactive system (plant). A fuzzy set

P is defined on the space Z as a set of ordered pairs ( z , P ( z )) , where P ( z ) denotes the value of

the membership function

P ( z ) : 2 [0,1] at a given point p Z .

P

The fuzzyfication operator (constructor of the fuzzy set) is presented as

f N (Z ) : Z 2 Z ,
where

(3)

2 Z denotes the set on all subsets of the set Z.

A fuzzy neural network can be defined as

Z(i ) = R N (f N (Z(i 1)), f N (W (i ))) W(i ) = R L (Z(i ), W(i ), W (i 1)) Z(i ) and Z(i 1) are fuzzy sets. W (i ) presents network weights on the ith learning step.

(4)

where

Fuzzy relation RN describes the activation function of the neurons and RL is a fuzzy relation describing the learning algorithm. The learned weights are used on next step of the control algorithm in the module Control Decision. This module determines a new adapted interactive structure of the interactive system (part of the plant) by an optimisation algorithm. 2.3 Control action The change of interaction structure is carried out by block Control Action. This module sets the new adapted interactive structure of the system. 2.4 System Developer Block System Developer models the actions of the developer of system. His/her role is especially important at the development stage of an interactive system. The block has the following functions: Supervisor control of the parameters and the rules of the control algorithm and Tuning of the control algorithm. 3. MATLAB BASED SIMULATION MATLAB is an interactive software product (Prt-Enander and Sjberg, 1999), in which a large number of technical and mathematical procedures are available. It supports object-oriented programming enabling the use of classes and objects. The proposed "Neuro-Fuzzy Adaptation Algorithm" is presented and investigated within MATLAB environment SIMULINK (Singh and Agnihotri, 2000). The basic element of the proposed adaptation is the fuzzy neural network. A SIMULINK program is used for this investigation. The SIMULINK diagram of the control system structure is shown on Figure 2.

462

A simulation of the Electronic Funding Information server ELFI [http://www.elfi.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/elfi/] illustrates the neuro-fuzzy-based adaptive control proposed. ELFI provides web-based access to information on research funding. Detailed descriptions of funding programs are maintained in a central database. The user retrieves the information needed from this database using selection trees. When a tree item is selected, appropriate funding information is displayed. All user interactions with ELFI are recorded into a logfile, which provides the basic information for adaptation.

Figure 2. SIMULINK diagram of the control system structure. The Interactive System block is used to present information from logfile derived from user's work with the interactive system. The block User presented as a signal noise generator models user actions. Both blocks are an appropriate simulation tool for description of the plant of control. The block Sensor determines the transition matrices derived from the logfile. An appropriate set of training patterns is obtained by the block Criteria. The target of the learning process is determined by System Developer block. The fuzzy neural network is learned by the Neuro Fuzzy Adaptation block. The interaction structure is optimised by the Control Decision block. The Control Action block sets the new adapted interaction structure of the interactive system. Based on the learned weights of the fuzzy neural network a new structure of the interactive system is derived. (cf. Figure 4). This structure is obtained by optimisation at maximal four interaction points in a group. 4. CONCLUSIONS The neuro-fuzzy-based adaptive feedback control of the control structure for adaptive interactive systems (Nikov et al., 1999) is further decomposed and refined. By logfile data from a web-based interactive system the feasibility and functioning of control structure are illustrated and confirmed.

463

Travel costs grant Printing costs grant Grants Conference costs grant

Projects

Travel costs grant Printing costs grant

Other funding Conference costs grant Grants Other grants Funding type Junior scientists award Awards Other awards

Other grants

Junior scientists award Awards Other awards Funding type Projects Scholarships for undergraduated Scholarships for graduated Scholarships Scholarships for postdocs Study Scholarships for higher qualified
New interaction point

Scholarships for undergraduated Scholarships for graduated Scholarships Scholarships for postdocs Study Scholarships for higher qualified

Other funding

Investment credits

Investment credits

Figure 4. Part of ELFI final adapted interaction structure.

Figure 3. Part of ELFI initial interaction structure. The advantages of such presentation are: 1) investigation and design of optimal interaction structure of adaptive interactive systems; 2) optimization of parameters of interactive systems; 3) design of stable interactive systems; 4) introduction of novel neuro-fuzzy adaptation approach. The further developments of the fuzzy adaptive control structure proposed concern: 1) further decomposition and refining of control system modules; 2) application to WWW personalization (Fink and Kobsa, 2000), i.e. automatic adaptation of information to the individual user according his/her personal needs, knowledge, preferences or cognitive abilities; 3) support the development of dynamic personalization server (cf. http://www.humanit.de/de/products/dps/index.html). REFERENCES Bishop, R. H. "Modern Control Systems Analysis and Design Using Matlab and Simulink". Addison-Wesley, 1997. Fink, J., and Kobsa, A. "A review and analysis of commercial user modeling servers for personalization on the World Wide Web". User Modeling and User-Adapted Interaction, 2000, 10, 209-249. Kecman, V. "Learning and Soft Computing: Support Vector Machines, Neural Networks, and Fuzzy Logic Models (Complex Adaptive Systems)". MIT Press, 2001. Nikov, A. and Georgiev, T. "A fuzzy neural network and its MATLAB simulation". Proc. of ITI99 21 International Conference on Information Technology Interfaces, Pula, Croatia, 1999, 413-418. Nikov, A., Lindner, H. -G., and Georgiev, T. "A control structure for adaptive interactive systems". In H. -J. Bullinger and J. Ziegler (Eds.) Human-Computer Interaction: Ergonomics and User Interfaces. London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1999, 351-356. Prt-Enander, E. and Sjberg, A. "The MATLAB 5 Handbook", Addison-Wesley, 1999. Singh, K. K. and Agnihotri, G. "System Design Through MATLAB, Control Toolbox and SIMULINK". SpringerVerlag, 2000. Vidyasagar, M. "Nonlinear System Analysis". Prentice - Hall, 1995.

464