Motion Plan Explanations for Transparent Automated Decisions
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Automated systems lack transparency in decision-making processes, making it difficult for users to understand the reasoning behind their actions, particularly in complex environments with multiple inputs and constraints.
Innovation Solution
A method that determines and presents motion plans for mobile electronic devices based on inputs, identifies sensitive inputs affecting the preference between plans, and explains the reasoning through text or icons, allowing users to understand the system's intended actions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If automated systems make decisions based on multiple inputs and constraints, then the decision-making capability is improved, but the transparency of the decision process deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary explanation module that translates complex automated decisions into human-understandable narratives. This mediator connects the automated decision-making system with users, providing transparent explanations about why certain decisions were made based on sensor inputs, environmental factors, and system constraints, thereby resolving the contradiction between automation capability and decision transparency
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously presenting explanations to users about the reasoning behind automated decisions. This feedback loop allows users to understand the connection between inputs (sensor data, environmental conditions) and outputs (system actions), maintaining transparency while preserving automated decision-making functionality
2Reliability
If the system provides detailed explanations for motion plans, then user confidence is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The explanation generation process is segmented into distinct modules: input analysis module, decision evaluation module, and narrative generation module. Each segment handles a specific aspect of explanation creation, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining comprehensive explanation capabilities that boost user confidence
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses its existing decision-making infrastructure to generate explanations, leveraging already-computed information about inputs, constraints, and motion plans. Rather than adding separate complex explanation systems, the existing system serves dual purposes: making decisions and explaining those decisions, thereby reducing additional complexity while improving user confidence
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes determining a first motion plan and a second motion plan based on inputs and determining a preference for the first motion plan relative to the second motion plan. The method also includes identifying one of the inputs as a sensitive input that causes the preference for the first motion plan over the second motion plan, and presenting, using a display, information that describes the first motion plan. The information includes an explanation indicating the sensitive input as a reason why the first motion plan is preferred over the second motion plan. The method also includes communicating and initiating the preferred motion plan.