Multi-level agent-based modeling - A literature survey

During last decade, multi-level agent-based modeling has received significant and dramatically increasing interest. In this article we present a comprehensive and structured review of literature on the subject. We present the main theoretical contributions and application domains of this concept, with an emphasis on social, flow, biological and biomedical models.Comment: v2. Ref 102 added. v3-4 Many refs and text added v5-6 bibliographic statistics updated. v7 Change of the name of the paper to reflect what it became, many refs and text added, bibliographic statistics update

Dynamic self-organization in holonic multi-agent manufacturing systems: The ADACOR evolution

Nowadays, systems are becoming increasingly complex, mainly due to an exponential increase in the number of entities and their interconnections. Examples of these complex systems can be found in manufacturing, smart-grids, traffic control, logistics, economics and biology, among others. Due to this complexity, particularly in manufacturing, a lack of responsiveness in coping with demand for higher quality products, the drastic reduction in product lifecycles and the increasing need for product customization are being observed. Traditional solutions, based on central monolithic control structures, are becoming obsolete as they are not suitable for reacting and adapting to these perturbations. The decentralization of the complexity problem through simple, intelligent and autonomous entities, such as those found in multi-agent systems, is seen as a suitable methodology for tackling this challenge in industrial scenarios. Additionally, the use of biologically inspired self-organization concepts has proved to be suitable for being embedded in these approaches enabling better performances to be achieved. According to these principals, several approaches have been proposed but none can be truly embedded and extract all the potential of self-organization mechanisms. This paper proposes an evolution to the ADACOR holonic control architecture inspired by biological and evolutionary theories. In particular, a two-dimension al self-organization mechanism was designed taking the behavioural and structural vectors into consideration, thus allowing truly evolutionary and reconfigurable systems to be achieved that can cope with emergent requirements. The approach proposed is validated with two simulation use cases.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

New Solution of Abstract Architecture for Control and Coordination Decentralized Systems

This paper contains a new approach that combines the advantages and disadvantages of suppressing hierarchical and heterarchical control architectures, creating a semi-heterarchical (holonic) control architecture. The degree of subordinate unit autonomy changes dynamically, depending on the presence of a system disruption, and its scope allows for a smooth transition from hierarchical to heterarchic control architecture in subordinate units. We have proposed a representation of the dynamic degree of autonomy and its possible application to subordinate units, which are, in our case, one-directional Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) and are guided by magnetic tape. In order to achieve such a semi-heterarchic management architecture with a dynamic degree of autonomy, approaches such as smart product, stymergic (indirect) communication, or basic principles of holon approach have been implemented

Multi-Agent Systems and Complex Networks: Review and Applications in Systems Engineering

Systems engineering is an ubiquitous discipline of Engineering overlapping industrial, chemical, mechanical, manufacturing, control, software, electrical, and civil engineering. It provides tools for dealing with the complexity and dynamics related to the optimisation of physical, natural, and virtual systems management. This paper presents a review of how multi-agent systems and complex networks theory are brought together to address systems engineering and management problems. The review also encompasses current and future research directions both for theoretical fundamentals and applications in the industry. This is made by considering trends such as mesoscale, multiscale, and multilayer networks along with the state-of-art analysis on network dynamics and intelligent networks. Critical and smart infrastructure, manufacturing processes, and supply chain networks are instances of research topics for which this literature review is highly relevant

Engineering complex systems with multigroup agents

Doctor of PhilosophyComputing and Information SciencesScott A. DeLoachAs sensor prices drop and computing devices continue to become more compact and powerful, computing capabilities are being embedded throughout our physical environment. Connecting these devices in cyber-physical systems (CPS) enables applications with significant societal impact and economic benefit. However, engineering CPS poses modeling, architecture, and engineering challenges and, to fully realize the desired benefits, many outstanding challenges must be addressed. For the cyber parts of CPS, two decades of work in the design of autonomous agents and multiagent systems (MAS) offers design principles for distributed intelligent systems and formalizations for agent-oriented software engineering (AOSE). MAS foundations offer a natural fit for enabling distributed interacting devices. In some cases, complex control structures such as holarchies can be advantageous. These can motivate complex organizational strategies when implementing such systems with a MAS, and some designs may require agents to act in multiple groups simultaneously. Such agents must be able to manage their multiple associations and assignments in a consistent and unambiguous way. This thesis shows how designing agents as systems of intelligent subagents offers a reusable and practical approach to designing complex systems. It presents a set of flexible, reusable components developed for OBAA++, an organization-based architecture for single-group MAS, and shows how these components were used to develop the Adaptive Architecture for Systems of Intelligent Systems (AASIS) to enable multigroup agents suitable for complex, multigroup MAS. This work illustrates the reusability and flexibility of the approach by using AASIS to simulate a CPS for an intelligent power distribution system (IPDS) operating two multigroup MAS concurrently: one providing continuous voltage control and a second conducting discrete power auctions near sources of distributed generation

Coordination Of Hierarchical Command And Control Services

The purpose of this program is to show emerging information technologies can significantly improve key areas of tactical operations, resulting in the conversion of software developed under the ATO to existing battlefield systems. One such key area is Information Dissemination and Management (ID&M). The key software that will be developed under the ID&M portion requires a collection of agent-based software services that will collaborate during tactical mission planning and execution