Low-code from frontend to backend: Connecting conversational user interfaces to backend services via a low-code IoT platform

TL;DR

This paper presents a low-code approach that integrates chatbots with backend services using an IoT platform, simplifying development and reducing manual coding efforts.

Contribution

It introduces an architecture combining Rasa chatbots with Node-RED to enable low-code development of conversational interfaces connected to backend services.

Findings

Demonstrates integration of Rasa with Node-RED for low-code development.

Shows reduced manual coding in chatbot-backend connections.

Provides a practical architecture for transactional conversational UIs.

Abstract

Current chatbot development platforms and frameworks facilitate setting up the language and dialog part of chatbots, while connecting it to backend services and business functions requires substantial manual coding effort and programming skills. This paper proposes an approach to overcome this situation. It proposes an architecture with a chatbot as frontend using an IoT (Internet of Things) platform as a middleware for connections to backend services. Specifically, it elaborates and demonstrates how to combine a chatbot developed on the open source development platform Rasa with the open source platform Node-RED, allowing low-code or no-code development of a transactional conversational user interface from frontend to backend.