Goal-based communication using BDI agents as virtual humans in training: an ontology driven dialogue system

Simulations for training can greatly benefit from BDI agents as virtual humans playing the role of key players. Learning to communicate effectively is a key aspect of training to command a team that is managing a crisis. In this paper, we present a goal-based dialogue system which has been applied to a navy fire-fighting incident simulation, training the commanding officer. The system enables more natural training of communication because agents utilize specialized communication goals. Communication is data-driven where the content is defined by a shared ontology of domain knowledge and tasks. The use of this ontology enables reuse of agent capabilities within the system and enables a tight coupling between the agents and the simulation.