Chapter 6
The research prototype was called truckTown. TruckTown is a demonstration project
that illustrates the use of a series of simulated personalities to guide customers to a purchase
decision on a new pickup truck. The prospective customer gets information from and answers
posed by one of several "personalities" (e g _one of the personalities is "Craig Lynch, owner
of Hillside Garage"). An algorithm based on Bayesian statistics continuously narrows the list
of candidate trucks by asking relevant questions, Check boxes and trade-off sliders let each
customer describe how he or she will he using his or her truck and what features are most
important. Ultimately, the advisor provides recommended truck model, During the research
project. the vast majority of test subjects who have used the advisor ascribed a high l of
trust to it and even indicated that they would be willing to pay about 5100 for such an advisory service.