17,122 research outputs found
Designinig Coordination among Human and Software Agents
The goal of this paper is to propose a new methodology for designing coordination between human angents and software agents and, ultimately, among software agents. The methodology is based on two key ideas. The first is that coordination should be designed in steps, according to a precise software engineering methodology, and starting from the specification of early requirements. The second is that coordination should be modeled as dependency between actors. Two actors may depend on one another because they want to achieve goals, acquire resources or execute a plan. The methodology used is based on Tropos, an agent oriented software engineering methodology presented in earlier papers. The methodology is presented with the help of a case study
Norm-based crisis and Deceitful firms
The aim of this paper is to provide an explanation of recent corporate malpractices in terms of individualsâ norm-based behaviour. In particular, it suggests that corporate misbehaviour could be understood in terms of a system-wide explanation grounded in the way in which the market itself operates and the endogenous norms which regulate its operation.Accounting misbehaviour, Deception, Economic crisis, Invisible-hand explanation, Norm.
The imperfect hiding : some introductory concepts and preliminary issues on modularity
In this work we present a critical assessment of some problems and open questions on the debated notion of modularity. Modularity is greatly in fashion nowadays, being often proposed as the new approach to complex artefact production that enables to combine fast innovation pace, enhanced product variety and reduced need for co-ordination. In line with recent critical assessments of the managerial literature on modularity, we sustain that modularity is only one among several arrangements to cope with the complexity inherent in most high-technology artefact production, and by no means the best one. We first discuss relations between modularity and the broader (and much older within economics) notion of division of labour. Then we sustain that a modular approach to labour division aimed at eliminating technological interdependencies between components or phases of a complex production process may have, as a by-product, the creation of other types of interdependencies which may subsequently result in inefficiencies of various types. Hence, the choice of a modular design strategy implies the resolution of various tradeoffs. Depending on how such tradeoffs are solved, different organisational arrangements may be created to cope with âresidualâ interdependencies. Hence, there is no need to postulate a perfect isomorphism, as some recent literature has proposed, between modularity at the product level and modularity at the organisational level
From techno-scientific grammar to organizational syntax. New production insights on the nature of the firm
The paper aims at providing the conceptual building blocks of a theory of the firm which addresses its "ontological questions" (existence,boundaries and organization) by placing production at its core. We draw on engineering for a more accurate description of the production process itself, highlighting its inner complexity and potentially chaotic nature, and on computational linguistics for a production-based account of the nature of economic agents and of the mechanisms through which they build ordered production sets. In so doing, we give a "more appropriate" production basis to the crucial issues of how firm's boundaries are set, how its organisational structure is defined, and how it changes over time. In particular, we show how economic agents select some tasks to be performed internally, while leaving some other to external suppliers, on the basis of criteria based on both the different degrees of internal congruence of the tasks to be performed (i.e. the internal environment), and on the outer relationships carried out with other agents (i.e. the external environment)
Governing of agrarian innovations
This paper adapts the principles of the new developing New Institutional and Transaction Cost Economics (integrating Economics, Organization, Law, Political and Behavioral Sciences) to the area of agrarian research and innovations. The major institutional, behavioral, dimensional, technological and transaction costs factors for governing research and innovation activities are determined. The specific market, private, public and hybrid modes for organization of agrarian innovations are specified. The effective boundaries of different governing modes are assessed, and needs and forms for public intervention in agrarian research and innovation are clarified.governance, agrarian research and innovation, research and innovation institutions, new institutional economics, public, private and hybrid organizations
An agent-based architecture for managing the provision of community care - the INCA (Intelligent Community Alarm) experience
Community Care is an area that requires extensive cooperation
between independent agencies, each of which needs to meet its own objectives and targets. None are engaged solely in the delivery of community care, and need to integrate the service with their other responsibilities in a coherent and efficient manner. Agent technology provides the means by which effective cooperation can take place without compromising the essential security of both the client and the
agencies involved as the appropriate set of responses can be generated through negotiation between the parties without the need for access to the main information repositories that would be necessary with conventional collaboration models. The autonomous nature of agents also means that a variety of agents can cooperate
together with various local capabilities, so long as they conform to the relevant messaging requirements. This allows a variety of agents, with capabilities tailored to the carers to which they are attached to be developed so that cost-effective solutions can be provided.
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Towards adaptive multi-robot systems: self-organization and self-adaptation
Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugÀnglich.This publication is with permission of the rights owner freely accessible due to an Alliance licence and a national licence (funded by the DFG, German Research Foundation) respectively.The development of complex systems ensembles that operate in uncertain environments is a major challenge. The reason for this is that system designers are not able to fully specify the system during specification and development and before it is being deployed. Natural swarm systems enjoy similar characteristics, yet, being self-adaptive and being able to self-organize, these systems show beneficial emergent behaviour. Similar concepts can be extremely helpful for artificial systems, especially when it comes to multi-robot scenarios, which require such solution in order to be applicable to highly uncertain real world application. In this article, we present a comprehensive overview over state-of-the-art solutions in emergent systems, self-organization, self-adaptation, and robotics. We discuss these approaches in the light of a framework for multi-robot systems and identify similarities, differences missing links and open gaps that have to be addressed in order to make this framework possible
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Actions and Agents
In this chapter the notion of agency in AI is presented..It has been argued that in order to behave rationally in prevalent software applications artificial entities would have to be autonomous and adaptive. Besides, rather than working with single, isolated systems the new trend in AI would need to focus on inherently social entities in the form of multi-agent systems.
The chapter begins by introducing the notion of action in traditional AI systems, deliberative and reactive. Next, the idea of agency is presented as complementary to classical AI approaches to action as well as a key factor in the development of applications and services that currently rely on technologies where software systems execute instructions automatically. In particular, the chapter highlights the importance of developing theories of action and learning in multi-agent scenarios such as the Internet. This introduction shall conclude with some considerations about the research areas that need to be targeted if the agent paradigm is to become the standard in the design, specification and implementation of intelligent systems
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