Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
95
11
Case Study 1: Baggage Handling System (BHS)
To give an example of the generality embedded in ontology-based messages, a
query to the RouteAgent could contain the following abstract referential expres-
sions:
(
iota
:Variable (Variable :Name
x
:ValueType set)
:Proposition (routeBetween
:origin (element :elementID DFB01.TLA001)
:destination (element :elementID DLA02.DIA023)
:viaPoints (Variable :Name
x
:ValueType set)
:numNodes 0
)
)
It is abstract because it contains the variable
x
that must be replaced by the
responder in a response to the query. In this case, the responder is a set of
points (identities of element agents between the given origin and destination).
The predicate iota is just one of three from the FIPA-SL specification, which
means exactly one object fulfills the expression, whereas the other predicates,
any
and
all
, would return any or all routes between the origin and destination,
respectively.
11.6
Internal Agent Reasoning
This section will present internal agent reasoning principles to optimize the flow
in the BHS in different ways to meet some of the performance parameters. Deep
reasoning and long-term goals are not currently pursued in the strategies, due to
the flow speed and high number of totes in the system. Instead, the intensions
behind the strategies are to optimize the situation for more than a single tote or
forthcoming actions.
Even though the agent design does not strictly follow the BDI architecture,
the behavior of the agents follows the same principle, with agents constantly
monitoring the environment, and it will change its actions according to the goal
it is design to achieve based on the current state of the environment.
Three different deliberate behaviors of agent will be described, which are part
of both necessary routing and optimizing strategies for the BHS. The deliberate
behaviors are included to exemplify how agents can have very diverse internal
reasoning, which would be very hard to combine in a central solution. Intuitively,
they are much easier to understand and implement when taking the perspective
a single agent, its environment, and the agents it has to collaborate with.
11.6.1 Returning Empty Totes
As already explained, the task of dischargers is more complicated than just emp-
tying the tote. The tote continues on the conveyors and should be routed back
to tote stackers located at the input facilities. The most important factor that
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