Search

Abstract: This paper introduces a declarative agent-oriented language for Ambient Intelligence – S-CLAIM – that allows programming reactive or cognitive mobile agents in a simple, easy-to-use manner while meeting AmI requirements. Based on a hierarchical representation of the agents, the language offers a natural solution to achieve context-sensitivity. S-CLAIM is light-weight and, being transparently underpinned by the JADE framework, allows deployment on mobile devices and easy interoperation with other components by means of web services. The usefulness of the proposed language for AmI is illustrated through a scenario and a demo featuring an AmI application in a Smart Room. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Persistent trends like quickly changing production programs, increasing customer individual manufacturing and Sustainable Manufacturing create complex systems of objectives in manufacturing control. Service-oriented manufacturing systems and self-optimizing manufacturing resources offer the required flexibility to consider these objectives in accordance with the current organizational and economical situation. On the downside, this increase in flexibility make the control of manufacturing systems more difficult and presents new challenges regarding the scheduling. To meet these challenges, we developed scheduling framework that supports alternative process plans and considers the internal states trajectories of resources. In order to support the user in a complex decision-making environment, evolutionary multi-objective optimization is used to generate a set of relevant schedules and an interface to select the most appropriate schedule is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A wireless sensor network (WSN) consists of spatially distributed nodes that monitor physical conditions. Thus far, WSNs have been constructed for specific applications. However, in the future, system operators may want an existing WSN to deploy simultaneous applications. Existing studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of applying mobile agents to enable simultaneous applications in WSNs. However, two problems make the present form of mobile agents impractical for applications involving cooperation and group migration by mobile agents. The first problem is the lack of a suitable architecture enabling cooperation and interaction between agents, and the second is the lack of an efficient way of achieving group migration by agents in WSNs. To address these problems, we propose an architecture organized by mobile agents that has specific functionalities and that enables group migration by multiple agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A hierarchical mobile agent is a model that extends the standard mobile agent. In this model it is possible for an agent to migrate inside another agent and parent–child relations can be constructed (the host agent being the parent). By means of such agent synthesis, it is possible to integrate different functionality and have agents interact with one another with no need for remote communications. Even when an agent migrates, it is possible to maintain the relations between parent and child stably over a long period of time. In this paper we focus on the task of controlling these parent–child relations and propose the MAFEH framework designed to simplify related tasks. This framework has two special characteristics. One consists of the parent–child agreement specification that expresses the agreement regarding the behavior between parent and child. The other consists of the interaction behavior description specification that facilitates the description of the processes by which individual interactive partners can be searched for, enter into combinations, and disassociate themselves from each other. In this paper we also present an application of the MAFEH framework demonstrating how an agent that encapsulates mobile contents can combine with other agents that provide different contents and services. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Comp Jpn, 38(1): 1–17, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/scj.20624 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes an application of artificial intelligence technology to the implementation of a rapid prototyping method in Object-Oriented Performance Design (OOPD) for real-time systems. OOPD consists of two prototyping phases for real-time systems. And each of these phases consists of three steps: prototype construction, prototype execution, and prototype evaluation. We present the following artificial intelligence based methods and toots to be applied to the individual steps. In the prototype construction step, a rapid construction mechanism using reusable software components is implemented based on planning. In the prototype execution step, a hybrid inference mechanism is used to execute the constructed prototype described in declarative knowledge representation. MENDEL, which is a Prolog based concurrent object-oriented language, can be used as a prototype construction tool and a prototype execution tool. In the prototype evaluation step, an expert system which is based on qualitative reasoning is implemented to detect and diagnose bottlenecks and generate an improvement plan for them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduces a series of articles which deals with the reliability and safety of real-time systems. Characteristics of a real-time system; Application of real-time systems; Differentiating factors of real-time software.

Focuses on a study which developed a method of object-oriented analysis (OOA). Requirements for the formalized OOA specification process; Effects of the implementation of the process; Data and activities involved in the OOA model. INSET: SPECIFICATION EXAMPLE: AUTOMATING HELICOPTER LANDINGS.

Presents a study which described the first stage of Omega, a model that lets developers adjust object-communication methods so that existing objects can exchange messages. How to determine the existence of suitable objects; Ways in changing a message format; Steps in method adaptation; Elements of Omega.

Our goal is to establish a flexible programming support for evolving systems that will enable us to modify programs using less labor, while maintaining good quality during service life. EVA (Evolution mechanism for flexible Agent) was developed to allow a flexible programming support system to be constructed based on our programming method for evolving systems. We consider that programming methods for evolving systems need to satisfy the following essential conditions. First, they need to make it easy to specify changes in a system in terms of new requirements. Second, they need to have a procedure for transmitting the new requirements to a program. Third, they need to be able to guarantee that the resultant program will meet the new requirements. Finally, because of the repetitive nature of much evolving systems work, they need to provide for the reuse of similar modifications during programming. In order to overcome limitations in program modification techniques which have only considered programming products, programming processes have been introduced into our method. To achieve our goal, we have formulated programming products and programming processes using such formal techniques as functional programming, type theory, modules, parameterized programming and natural deduction, and have constructed a mechanism of reusing these formal programming processes. This paper explains a case study which shows how to develop an evolving system using EVA and it discusses how we can use EVA's mechanism effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2001, Olivier Barreteau proposed to jointly use multi-agent systems and role-playing games for purposes of research, training and negotiation support in the field of renewable resource management. This joint use was later labeled the "MAS/RPG methodology" and this approach is one of the foundation stones of the ComMod movement. In this article, we present an alternative method called "agent-based participatory simulations". These simulations are multi-agent systems where human participants control some of the agents. The experiments we conducted prove that it is possible to successfully merge multi-agent systems and role-playing games. We argue that agent-based participatory simulations are also a significant improvement over the MAS/RPG approach, opening new perspectives and solving some of the problems generated by the joint use of role-playing games and multi-agent systems. The advantages are at least threefold. Because all interactions are computer mediated, they can be recorded and this record can be processed and used to improve the understanding of participants and organizers alike. Because of the merge, agent-based participatory simulations decrease the distance between the agent-based model and the behavior of participants. Agent-based participatory simulations allow for computer-based improvements such as the introduction of eliciting assistant agents with learning capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]