An AgentOriented Software Architecture for Teams of Robots

An Agent-Oriented Software Architecture for Teams of Robots. RESCUE PROJECT João Frazão

Context • A team of heterogeneous robots • Rescue and Search • Outdoor environments • Multidisciplinary project that joins the following research groups: – Intelligent Systems Lab – Mobile Robotics Lab – Vis. Lab João Frazão

Agent Hierarchy João Frazão

Architecture Elements • Agents – Live objects – Memory – Hierarchy • Blackboard • Standard Communication – Ports – Well defined functions João Frazão

Agent Types The supported agents are: • Concurrent Agent • Planning Agent • Agent guided by a state machine • Agent guided by table • Control loop • Team Agent • Robot Agent • Cooperative Agent • Custom Agents – Sensor Agent – Actuator Agent – Sensor Fusion Agents João Frazão

Example A robot with 3 agents: • Mapping • Position • Navigation Blackboard João Frazão

Example • Navigation Further decomposing: – Wander – Path Follow – Blimp Follow • How to assemble? Composition – FSM – Planning – Custom João Frazão

Execution Modes • • • Control Design Calibration Supervisory Control and monitoring Data logging and Debug João Frazão

System João Frazão

Conclusions • Distributed system for heterogeneous robots: – Easier to manage the team – Easier to handle the robots – Easier to test • Real time performance – parallel processing, event driven, performance libraries • Easier to develop - Agent-Oriented João Frazão