Towards automation in using multi-modal language resources: compatibility and interoperability for multi-modal features in Kachako

Use of language resources including annotated corpora and tools is not easy for users, as it requires expert knowledge to determine which resources are compatible and interoperable. Sometimes it requires programming skill in addition to the expert knowledge to make the resources compatible and interoperable when the resources are not created so. If a platform system could provide automation features for using language resources, users do not have to waste their time as the above issues are not necessarily essential for the users’ goals. While our system, Kachako, provides such automation features for single-modal resources, multi-modal resources are more difficult to combine automatically. In this paper, we discuss designs of multi-modal resource compatibility and interoperability from such an automation point of view in order for the Kachako system to provide automation features of multi-modal resources. Our discussion is based on the UIMA framework, and focuses on resource metadata description optimized for ideal automation features while harmonizing with the UIMA framework using other standards as well.