An open framework for cooperative problem solving

The Vital-KR, a software architecture for the development of hybrid knowledge-based applications, provides the basic substructure for integrating software and human agents in problem solving. The architecture provides implementation-level support in the Vital workbench, a methodology-based workbench covering the whole life-cycle of knowledge-based system (KBS) development, from requirements specification to implementation. The Vital-KR allows construction of modular KBSs, facilitates reuse of KBS modules, provides standard protocols for integrating software or human agents in an application, and supports experimentation in hybrid KBS design