Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 5
The Examples of Applications of the Agent
Systems
Abstract This chapter is concerned with further solutions that are responsible
indicating the domains that are particularly predisposed to the application of agent
systems. It illustrates mainly of the fact that the agent system is not a universal
solution, and operates in certain characteristic situations. The role of the designer
is to make a decision on whether the agent approach should be applied to a given
solution and in what way.
5.1 Agents in Cooperative Mobile Robots Management
In this chapter, we discuss the application of agents in the control of mobile robots
which cooperate in the realization of tasks.
The development of cyberspace which emerged from the connection of operation
systems of individual computers by means of the network of significant and even
global range, created the ideal environment for the existence and the activity of
agents. The fact that realspace and cyberspace exist next to each other has opened up
the possibility of gaining a new perspective on an agent and a robot, and further have
given new possibilities of robot management. In effect, there has been the need for
the new tools and methods of realization of the management systems for cooperation
of robots. The application of agents in the mobile robots management seems to be
of particular interest.
In the previous approach, a mobile robot was equipped with a computer placed on
a robot (most frequently referred to as the onboard computer or embedded computer).
With the use of the radio connection the onboard computer could communicate with
computers of other robots as well as with a desktop. The role of a desktop was
data sharing, and in some cases, computing power sharing, and generally speak-
ing resources sharing with onboard computers of individual robots. However, the
decision-making role concerning the activity of a given robot remained in the area
of systems operating on the onboard computers.
Using the concept of an agent and cyberspace, we may suggest a new approach
to the problem of the mobile robots management. In this case, the decision-making
role is transferred to agents acting in cyberspace. It resulted in the need for creating
a model of the real environment in cyberspace [168].
 
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