UBC Theses and Dissertations

UBC Theses Logo

UBC Theses and Dissertations

A rule-based system for preliminary accident reconstruction Krajczar, Karoly William

Abstract

Expert systems are being used to solve a number of complex problems that conventional programming techniques have difficulty managing. Problems that are conceptual and cannot be reduced to numbers, can often be solved using expert system technology. This paper describes the development of a prototype rule-based expert system that can be used during the initial stages of a motor vehicle accident investigation. The program is capable of calculating vehicle speeds using any combination of the following techniques: skid, roll, overturn, yaw, vault, momentum and energy. Although the program's analytical capabilities are very comprehensive, the system's most notable feature is it's interpretive abilities. The program is able to determine how to solve the accident, and verifies the evidence before it is used in the calculations. Additionally, an interactive explanation facility allows the user to examine the program's reasoning. The existing knowledge base requires further development before it can achieve the level of performance expected from trained accident investigators. However, it demonstrates how expert system technology in conjunction with conventional techniques can be used to solve complex engineering problems.

Item Media

Item Citations and Data

Rights

For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.