Catálogo de publicaciones - libros

This paper describes methodology, toolset and case studies of adaptive planning for supply chain networks based on the holistic approach, multi-agent technology and ontological modeling. The set of tools for the development of adaptive planners can be used for a wide range of applications. Case studies are included describing applications inr adaptive airport logistics, factory planning, laundry scheduling and pharmaceutical logistics.

Many planning problems are influenced by stochastical environmental factors. There are several planning algorithms from various application domains which are able to handle stochastic parameters. Correct information about these stochastic parameters has impact on the quality of plans. There is a lack of sufficient research on how to obtain this information. In this paper, we introduce a Multiagent System (MAS) that is able to model stochastic parameters and to provide up-to-date information about these parameters. Due to their access to locally available informations expert agents are used, which apply the paradigm of Bayesian Thinking in order to provide high quality information to planning agents.

Holonic multiagent systems () offers a promising software engineering approach for developing applications in complex domains characterized by a hierarchical structure. However the process of building s and s is mostly different from the process of building more traditional software systems and it introduces new design and development issues. Against this background, this paper introduces organization-oriented abstractions for agent-oriented software engineering. We propose a complete organizational meta-model as the basis of a future complete methodology that will spread from requirements analysis to code production. In addition to dealing with this last aspect, we introduce our platform, called Janus, that we specifically designed to implement and deploy holonic multiagent systems by adopting concepts like role and organization as the leading issues of the analysis-development process.

In this paper we apply Adaptable Design (AD) theory to the problem of fault monitoring and recovery in real-time distributed control systems. The approach draws on the close match between the functional architecture of a modular mechanical design and the functional architecture of distributed mechatronic systems and is based on the classification of interactions between the modules in these systems. The results of this work show that AD theory is applicable to fault monitoring and recovery in real-time distributed control and also has the potential for broader applications in the design of distributed mechatronic systems.

Design of a multidisciplinary project is a complicated process requiring cooperation of different designers specialized in particular branches of engineering. The paper proposes a holonic approach to testify that a solution of distributed control systems is compliant with dynamically changing technology rules with ontology-based decomposition. The proposed holarchy includes a multi-agent system considering also its hybrid control architecture connected with a self-organization database. The proposed approach was implemented for a biotechnological pilot-plant continuously working as a platform for several process investigations.

In this paper, we extend the Product-Resource-Order-Staff-Architecture (PROSA) for holonic manufacturing systems towards ensuring adaptive behavior of agent-based manufacturing control systems. PROSA suggests the usage of decision-making and staff agents. Staff agents support the decision-making agents. We introduce adaptive staff agents. Adaptive staff agents make sure that the parameters of production control algorithms are adjusted properly in a situation-dependent manner. We describe the architecture of adaptive staff agents and their interaction with the other agents of the manufacturing control system. We present an example for using adaptive staff agents in the semiconductor manufacturing domain.

There are three main contributions of the work presented in this paper. First, a particular approach to develop and manage multi-agent environments is presented. It is based on so called agent clusters which group agents that mutually cooperate to perform a particular mission, e.g. to build and manage supply chains, to negotiate details of order. Second contribution is the presentation of public registry model. Authors have widened RosettaNet approach to public registries. Third, the integration of agent cluster model and public registry model is presented. New approach shows how agent technology can automate information exchange process within public registry.

Current globalization associated to new customers’ needs are decreasing products’ life-cycle and pushing researchers to find new ways to provide shop floor assembly systems with agility to adapt to this new volatile reality. This document describes a multiagent implementation to control a shop floor system, with increased plug and play capabilities and providing fast system (re)configuration. In this approach, each shop floor component was agentified enhancing its adaptability and interaction competences to respond to environmental requests. Each agent representing a shop floor component can be aggregated to form a coalition that coordinates higher level processes (complex skills) based on the ones available in its members. An ontology is used to ensure an accurate information exchange, as well as to define the domain and relations between entities. This approach also shows how to adapt legacy systems to support innovative approaches.

MagentaToolkit is a set of multi-agent tools based on the adaptive problem solving method, which is capable of solving complex problems characterized by a large number of variables of high variety and dynamics caused by the occurrence of unpredictable events.The Toolkit comprises a Multi-Agent Engine, Virtual Market and Ontology Editor. The Toolkit speeds up substantially the application development process and can be used by programmers without expertise in multi-agent technology. The paper contains the description of MagentaToolkit, outlines principles of application design and operation and presents examples of adaptive applications developed for clients.

IEC 61499 Functional Blocks is an upcoming architectural framework for the design of complete distributed industrial automation systems and their reusable components. This paper presents a multi-agent distributed control approach for a baggage handling system using IEC 61499 Functional Blocks. In particular, it focuses on demonstrating a distributed control system that is scalable, reconfigurable and fault tolerant. The design follows the Automation Object approach, which ends up in a functional block representing a single section of conveyor, such that the structure (and consequently the behaviour) of the conveyor network is entirely defined by the interconnection of these blocks within the IEC 61499 design environment. The use of distributed simulation to achieve predictive control is demonstrated as a part of the control system design.