Pekka Appelqvist

A Novel Marsupial Robot Society: Towards Long-Term Autonomy

Within this paper a novel marsupial multi-robot system intended for long-term operation, the Marsubot Society, is introduced. The Marsubot Society is a platform for robotics and multi-robot system algorithm development. In a system that needs to operate autonomously for extended periods of time, energy is of the essence. The challenges that lie in the energy economy are how to distribute and access energy and what the system can do with the resources. The multi-robot system’s capabilities and limitations are discussed. Results of preliminary tests are presented and ideas for future work introduced.

A concept of an agent-augmented process automation system

This paper studies issues concerning the application of agent technology to process automation systems. We present an approach to achieve increased flexibility and fault-tolerance in process control operations, as well as enhanced systems configuration and maintenance. A functional specification of an agent based system as an extension to traditional process automation systems is described. The software architecture for the implementation of the required functionality is also presented. Furthermore, the connection of a novel type of mobile instrumentation to this concept is presented.

Generic control architecture for a cooperative robot system

A generic control architecture for cooperative robot systems is introduced. Functioning of this architecture is evaluated with underwater robots performing exploring and exploiting task in process environment. This has been performed in simulator and partly by real robots. The results allow optimization of resources in the given task.

An Application Concept of an Underwater Robot Society

Cooperation as a mean to adapt to dynamic environments is well known in animal world from the social insects up to primates. But similar behavior seems to exist also in simple unicellular microbes. In this paper a novel approach for a very application oriented multi-agent system is taken. The principles of this robot society are derived from bacteria, which are here considered as multicellurar organisms. The analogy from Nature includes bacteria’s ability to communicate through chemical substances, to form a colony (a society) and to act as a predator hunting for food. The concept is tested in simulations, where the behavior of the society is used to demonstrate how the extensive use of chemical in a closed water circuit for algae removal could be minimized with a collective cooperation of mobile underwater robots. Additionally, some early tests with the first generation society member will be shown in order to validate some of the simulation results including a simple topological mapping and navigation method.

Bacterium Robot Society-A biologically inspired multi-agent concept for internal monitoring and controlling of processes

Societies are formed as collaborative structures to execute tasks that are not possible or are difficult for individuals alone. There are many types of biological societies formed by animals, but societies formed by machines or robots are still rare. This paper introduces the concept of an application oriented robot society formed by autonomous underwater robots. The Bacterium Robot Society is a generic concept with many potential applications. As an example of such application a scenario, where robot society serves as a mobile distributed sensor instrument inside a process plant, is presented.

Agent-Based Architecture for Information Handling in Automation Systems

This paper studies issues concerning the application of cooperative information agents to information handling in automation systems. The suggested approach utilizes agent-based layer as an extension to ordinary automation system, thus offering new functions without the need of replacing the existing a utomation system. The proposed architecture u ses a gent-based cooperation methods to enable flexible integration of heterogeneous and distributed data sources and functional or spatial hierarchical division for data abstraction and information filtering. In this case, information agents use BDI-model based manager and data handling modules for information processing. The approach is described with real-life inspired test scenario.

Reactive and deliberative control and cooperation in multi-agent system based process automation

An approach to intelligent process automation based on a society of BDI-agents is presented in this paper. According to this approach a higher-level multi-agent systems based automation layer supervises an ordinary process automation system. The purpose of the agent layer is to monitor the operation of the lower-level automation system and semi-autonomously reconfigure its control logic when needed. The agent layer operates as a multi-agent system consisting of BDI-agents, which cooperatively create and run reconfiguration sequences on the ordinary automation system in order to adapt its control logic to various situations. The adaptation process may take place both in reactive and deliberative fashion. In this way the approach aims to increase the flexibility and responsiveness properties of the automation system. The approach is demonstrated with a laboratory test process where process startup and fault recovery experiments have been performed. Results from the experiments are described.

Modelling cooperative control in process automation with multi-agent systems

An approach to modeling cooperative control systems and their operation in process automation is presented in this paper. In this approach agent-oriented software engineering techniques are used throughout the design of cooperative control systems both as modeling method and as implementation technology. A part of a process automation system is modeled as a multi-agent society, which adhere to goal-oriented behavior both in their internal and cooperative operations. Another idea in the approach is to use qualitative process modeling in planning of control operations. The approach outlines a generic process automation agent system, which can be applied to building cooperative control applications. Sequential and supervisory control are presented as example applications. The approach is illustrated with examples from a prototype control system build for a laboratory test process

An Approach to Process Automation Based on Cooperating Subprocess Agents

An approach to extend process automation systems with cooperating subprocess agents is presented in this paper. According to this approach a society of subprocess agents supervises an ordinary process automation system. The functionality of this agent layer includes supervising the lower-level automation system, semi-autonomous reconfiguration of its control logic when needed and query processing for external systems. In this way the approach aims for enhancing the operational flexibility of the automation system. The subprocess agents utilize several agent-based cooperation mechanisms in order to be able to perform their tasks. The approach is demonstrated with a laboratory test process where process startup and fault-recovery scenarios have been imitated. Experiences from initial test runs are described, too.

Distributed planning agents for intelligent process automation

An approach to intelligent process automation based on distributed planning agents is presented in this paper. According to this approach a higher-level agent-based automation layer supervises an ordinary process automation system. The purpose of the agent layer is to monitor the operation of the lower-level automation system and semi-autonomously reconfigure its control logic when needed. The agent layer operates as a distributed planning and plan execution system, which creates and runs reconfiguration sequences on the ordinary automation system in order to adapt it to various situations. In this way the approach aims to increase the operational flexibility of the whole automation system. The approach is demonstrated with a laboratory test process where process startup scenarios have been imitated. Experiences from the initial test runs are also described.