0000000000099226
AUTHOR
V. Seidita
Metrics for evaluating modularity and extensibility in HMAS systems
Nowadays, software systems are more and more frequently designed in order to realize complex dynamical behavior for solving complicated problems. Holonic Multi Agent Systems (HMAS) is spreading for the development of such systems since they allow to manage system requirements in terms of behaviors and organizational patterns. Traditional software engineering metrics are not useful for measuring HMAS ar- chitectures since they do not consider different nested levels of organizational structures. We want to contribute to this issue proposing some metrics for evaluating modularity and extensibility of HMAS architectures.
A UML-based notation for representing MAS organizations
A notation for representing agents' organizations to be implemented using Moise+ and Jason is proposed. For this purpose a UML profile was defined for representing the elements of Moise+ organizational model such as role, mission and group. The proposed notation will be fully illustrated and applied to the classical example provided by the J-Moise+ team.
MetaMeth: A tool for process definition and execution
Nowadays, several different tools are used in Software Engineering; in this work we are mainly interested to those supporting the design phases. These are usually classified in three categories: CASE, CAME, CAPE tools. MetaMeth is a CAME and a CAPE tool at the same time
Towards The Adoption of a Perception-Driven Perspective in the Design of Complex Robotic Systems
Awareness and autonomous interaction with the environment in a robotic system is the base of the new discipline of machine consciousness. In this paper we present the results of a first attempt in order to engineer these robotic systems by applying a Situational Method Engineering approach that extends PASSI and to create a model for conscious systems.
A repository of fragments for agent systems design
The creation of a new design process for a specific situation using the method engineering approach is based on the composition of a set of reusable method fragments. The request for these reusable method fragments leads to the need for a repository containing standardized fragments that can be easily selected and assembled in new design processes. In this work we present a definition of method fragment coming from the work of the FIPA Technical Committee Methodology and a repository where fragments are classified according to the specific process component (activity, process role, and work product) they underpin and on the specific MAS Metamodel element(s) they work on.
Ontology and goal model in designing BDI multi-agent systems
Nowadays several methodological approaches exist, each of them tightly tied up with the implementation platform supporting it. In this paper we propose an intermediate step toward the definition of a methodological approach for supporting the JACAMO framework. This paper resumes a previous work, focused on modeling BDI organizations, and we now address the requirements analysis phase. In particular, we propose the use of an ontological model and a goal model for representing requirements and the domain formalization respectively. The two portions of design process are connected by a heuristic process that allows to extract goals from the ontological model. The resulting models are also used…
A comparison of deontic matrices, maps and activity diagrams for the construction of situational methods
Several approaches have been proposed to support situational method engineering (SME), each of them providing different techniques and using different basic concepts. In this work, we propose a framework for comparing SME approaches based on a generic SME process model. Three approaches are presented and compared by using this framework.
Metamodel-based metrics for agent-oriented methodologies
A great number of methodologies has been already intro duced in the agent-oriented software engineering field. Recently many of the authors of these methodologies also worked on their fragmentation thus obtaining portions (often called method or process fragments) that may be composed into new methodologies. The great advancement in this field, however does not correspond to equivalent results in the evaluation of the methodologies and their fragments. It is, for instance, difficult to select a fragment in the composition of a new methodology and to predict the methodology’s resulting features. This work introduces a suite of metrics for evaluating and comparing entire methodologies but als…
A method for identifying objectives and metrics of agent-based simulation studies
Agent-Based Modeling and Simulation (ABMS) is a promising approach for effectively analyzing, and under- standing complex systems. To date, only few method- ological approaches have been proposed in order to de- sign credible and correct simulation studies. Each of them commits the identification of objectives and met- rics of the simulation study to the expertise of the de- signer. In this paper, we propose a GQM-based heuris- tic for overcoming the lack of appropriate guidelines able to lead designers in properly capturing and representing the simulation objectives and metrics. Such a heuris- tic exploits the power of an ontological representation of the problem domain to highlight key el…
From PASSI to agile PASSI: Tailoring a design process to meet new needs
From several years we are developing robotic multiagent systems according to well defined design methodologies. These methodologies evolved over time because of the changes in the operating environments (robotic hardware and software platforms) and specific missions accomplished by our robots. In the last four years we used PASSI (Process for Agent Societies Specification and Implementation) obtaining good results but, the growing experience and day by day accelerating changes in requirements suggested us to find a new and more versatile approach. In this context we developed the Agile PASSI methodology discussed in this paper; it is an agile process built up capitalizing all the experience…
A possible approach for implementing self-awareness in JASON
In Philosophy, the term awareness is often associated to theories of consciousness and self-referential behavior. In computer science, the awareness is a topic of increasing relevance in both Software Engineering and Artificial Intelligence, being closely related to autonomy and proactiveness.,We can distinguish two orders of awareness: the first order is the awareness of the environment also known as context-awareness; conversely, self-awareness is a higher order awareness (knowledge about one's own mental states).,Nowadays, many agent oriented languages offer native instruments to implement context-awareness. However, self-awareness is not adequately supported and it requires further cons…
A metamodelling-based approach for method fragment comparison
Several different approaches to Situational Method Engineering exist. They differ in terms of the primary element of the paradigm: the method fragment definition. Here, we introduce four method fragment definitions from the literature and compare their metamodels according to structural and functional criteria. The structural comparison showed a general alignment of some concepts that are sometimes referred with different names while the study of the compositional aspects results in evidence of substantial differences.
Towards a Methodology for Designing Artificial Conscious Robotic Systems
Engineering artificial conscious robotic systems, able to perceive, think and act in an unstructured environment is a very challenging issue. Basing on the results of the experiences made in the latest years about modeling the perception loop of a robot and about the creation of ad-hoc methodologies for engineering complex systems, we developed an initial model of an artificial conscious system and extended a well known methodology (PASSI) for engineering the elements we identified as composing such a system. Copyright © 2009, Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence. All rights reserved.
Towards an approach for engineering complex systems: Agents and agility
The way in which we use and conceive modern software systems is changing. Humans/users are becoming more and more immersed in today complex systems operation, systems interact in a dynamic fashion with the users and with changing and dynamic environments. New design paradigms are necessary. In this paper we propose a first insight to engineering complex physical systems by employing agility and a framework for self- adaptive service composition.
Inner speech for a self-conscious robot
The experience self-conscious thinking in the verbose form of inner speech is a common one. Such a covert dialogue accompanies the introspection of mental life and fulfills important roles in our cognition, such as self-regulation, self-restructuring, and re-focusing on attentional resources. Although the functional underpinning and the phenomenology of inner speech are largely investigated in psychological and philosophical fields, robotic research generally does not address such a form of self-conscious behavior. Existing models of inner speech inspire computational tools to provide the robot with a form of self-consciousness. Here, the most widespread psychological models of inner speech…
Agile PASSI: An agile process for designing agents
We have been developing robotic multi-agent systems for several years according to a well defined methodology (PASSI) obtaining good results, but day by day needs of a more versatile approach for designing software in a research context suggested us to find out a new methodology. A solution to our problems is represented by the Agile version of the PASSI methodology we present in this paper. We built this agile methodology by exploiting all the experiences done with conventional PASSI; it is supported by specific tools allowing patterns reuse and automatic production of some design documentation.