Improving plan execution robustness through capability aware maintenance of plans by BDI agents. (2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: White, Alan; Tate, Austin; Rovatsos, Michael
• Is Part Of: International journal of agent-oriented software engineering. Volume 5:Number 4(2017)
• Page Start: 306
• Page End: 335
• Publication Date: 2017
• Subjects: multi-agent teamwork -- belief-desire-intention -- BDI -- planning -- capability -- robustness; Intelligent agents (Computer software) -- Periodicals; Software engineering -- Periodicals; Systems software -- Periodicals; 005.12
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1746-1375

Abstract

In a realistic environment, intentions of belief-desire-intention (BDI) agents may be threatened by exogenous change. Subsequent activity failure may incur debilitative consequences that hinder both recovery and subsequent goal achievement. Capability aware, maintaining plans (CAMP-BDI) embodies BDI agents with capability knowledge, allowing anticipation of threats to activity success and stimulating the proactive, preventative modification of intended plans. We describe resultant agent-level algorithms and supporting architecture, including extension to provide decentralised, distributed maintenance through structured messaging. Our results show superior goal achievement to a reactive equivalent in a stochastic environment, increasing with the likelihood of debilitative failure effects. We suggest CAMP-BDI offers a valuable approach towards robustness, particularly in tandem with reactive recovery methods.