OpenBrolly and Robert Gordon University have agreed to take forward a research project which could transform search and information delivery.

Robert Gordon University has developed expertise in Case Based Reasoning. CBR adds “intelligence” to the process of searching for information and making recommendations. Through a sophisticated process the system looks at past solutions to a problem and applies this knowledge to the current problem. We are now looking at ways our clients can take advantage of this in their own business applications.

For example a web site visitor may be looking for a Castle in St. Andrews with Disabled Access. Let’s assume that no properties match this criteria. Traditional web systems will return a message saying nothing can be found. CBR takes a different approach, similar to that which humans use every day:  we can probably conclude that a Mansion in Leuchars (not too far from St. Andrews) with Disabled Access may well do just as well in the absence of an exact match. However, a Castle in St. Andrews with No Disabled Access might be completely unacceptable. This ability to find the “next best solution” and understand the importance of specific search criteria is crucial to make successful recommendations. Additionally by remembering the proposed solution to the original query, which in this case is “a Castle in St Andrews with disabled Access”, and solving future queries that are similar makes this a transformational technology.

We will be providing more comprehensive information later as part of this project. However, in the meantime, please contact david.sim@openbrolly.com / Twitter: davidrsim if you are interested in finding out more.

Image by Kyle Simourd.