Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Institute

Introduction

The Software Agents Group at Carnegie Mellon University is building complex systems of interacting, semi-autonomous, and heterogeneous entities called software agents. These multi-agent systems are solving problems that are beyond the individual capacities or knowledge of each problem solver.

Our research addresses the problem of how to facilitate communication among agents of different types. We have proposed middle or matchmaker agents to serve as liasons between agents that request services and agents that provide services. To increase interagent communication, we have also developed an agent capability description language that allows otherwise incompatible agents to communicate.

As part of the RETSINA infrastructure of reusable agents, middle agents represent an important step in our ongoing effort to provide a foundation that will allow heterogeneous agent types and architectures to interoperate successfully. Each RETSINA agent has four reusable modules for communicating, planning, scheduling, and monitoring the execution of tasks and requests from other agents.

We are applying this research to everyday activity management and information problems. Specific applications include a multi-agent system for joint mission planning, personal calendar managers, web tour guides and personal digital assistants, a visitor hosting agent system that manages the process of connecting faculty members with campus visitors, a netnews reader that learns user reading interests, and a financial portfolio management agent system.