The matrix auction : a mechanism for the market-based coordination of enterprise networks

We argue that a network of shipping companies, that cooperatively executes transportation tasks, can be viewed as a special instance of a virtual enterprise. We propose the matrix auction as an efficient, incentive compatible allocation mechanism for virtual transportation enterprises. The implementation of the matrix auction in a multi-agent fleet scheduling system is described, and we were able to observe a significant improvement of the task allocation.In diesem Beitrag wird ein Ansatz vorgestellt, die Matrix Auktion, einen effizienten, anreizkompatiblen Allokationsmechanismus, als Koordinationswerkzeug für einen Speditionsverbund einzusetzen. Einen Verbund von Speditionen, die ihre Transportressourcen bündeln, um gemeinsam kooperative Transportdienstleistungen zu erbringen, bezeichnen wir als ein Virtuelles Transportunternehmen. Wir beschreiben eine Implementierung der Matrix Auktion im Rahmen eines Multiagentensystems zum Flottenmanagement, die es ermöglicht, die Auftragsallokation signifikant zu verbessern

Holonic multi-agent systems

A holonic multi-agent paradigm is proposed, where agents give up parts of their autonomy and merge into a super-agent"(a holon), that acts - when seen from the outside - just as a single agent again. We explore the spectrum of this new paradigm, ranging from definitorial issues over classification of possible application domains, an algebraic characterization of the merge operation, to implementational aspects: We propose algorithms for holon formation and on-line re-configuration. Based on some general criteria for the distinction between holonic and non-holonic domains, we examine domains suitable for holonic agents and sketch the implementation of holonic agents in these scenarios. Finally, a case study of a holonic agent system is presented in detail: TELETRUCK system is a fleet management system in the transportation domain

TeleTruck : a holonic fleet management system

In this paper we describe TeleTruck, a multiagent dispatching system that was developed in close cooperation with a forwarding company and that is capable of handling real-world requirements like dynamics and uncertainty. The main idea underlying the TeleTruck approach is the usage of holonic agents, i.e. agents composed of subagents that act in a corporated way. We describe the implementation in detail and point out the advantages of the holonic paradigm

An intercompany dispatch support system for intermodal transport chains

A critical problem in an intermodal transport chain is the direct meet at the transhipment nodes. This requires information technology and modern communication facilities as well as much closer collaboration between all the concerned transport operators in the chain. The TELETRUCK system - currently under development at the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Künstliche Intelligenz DFKI GmbH) - is a dispatch support system that tackles those problems. Intercompany planning, scheduling, and monitoring of intermodal transport chains will be supported by our system. It aims at providing smooth access to railway time tables and rail-based transport services and - much more important - at allowing for the planning of both, exclusively road-based and combined journeys and showing their cost-effectiveness, where- and whenever possible. We will describe our approach - based on intelligent agent technology - both the current state of implementation and our goal of the very next future

Empfindlichkeitseinstellung und Echohöhenbewertung von Prüfköpfen mit schmalen rechteckigen Schwingern

In der Ultraschallprüfung ist nach DIN-EN 583-2 die AVG-Methode ein bewährtes Verfahren zur reproduzierbaren Echohöhenbewertung von Reflektoren. In der Fachliteratur finden sich wissenschaftliche Arbeiten, welche die Anwendung dieser Methode bei Winkelprüfköpfen mit rechteckförmigen Schwingern bis zu einem Seitenverhältnis von a/b ≥ 0,5 absichern. In dieser Diplomarbeit wird gezeigt, dass auch mit sehr schmalen rechteckigen Schwingern, deren Seitenverhältnisse a/b 0.5, in respect to rectangular transducers for angle beam probes. This work provides measurements and computations based on a semi analytical model, which shows under which conditions and limits the DGS-method is still applicable for transducers with a rectangle side ratio of a/b < 0.5

Swahili-Forum

At the core of this special issue lies an apparently simple question: What is Swahili Studies? The “critical” perspective entails a question about both epistemological foundations and different versions or notions of “Swahili Studies” – also mirrored in the many institutions teaching Swahili all over the globe. In the same vein, this special issue shows Swahili Studies not as a fixed discipline delimited by geographical, historical, and disciplinary boundaries, and defined canons, but as a subject of an ongoing conversation. The twelve contributions of this special issue deliberately take different perspectives on Swahili Studies: 1. Swahili Studies as mirrored in a variety of different global histories of institutionalization; 2. Critically reflecting upon the notion of “Swahili”, its problematic geographical and linguistic fixations; and 3. Considering the specifically critical role of Uswahili/Mswahili. The aim of this special issue is to hint at the dynamic notions of Swahili – difficult to delimit in clear-cut terms of geography, culture or linguistic parameters. The issue does not give fixed answers or definitions, rather it opens up the multiple possibilities that are of, and from within, Swahili Studies