Implementing agent teams in dynamic multiagent environments

Abstract

Teamwork is becoming increasingly critical in multi-agent environments ranging from virtual environments for training and education, to information integration on the internet, to potential multi-robotic space missions. Teamwork in such complex, dynamic environments is more than a simple union of simultaneous individual activity, even if supplemented with preplanned coordination. Indeed in these dynamic environments, unanticipated events can easily cause a breakdown in such preplanned coordination. The central hypothesis in this article is that for effective teamwork, agents should be provided explicit representation of team goals and plans, as well as an explicit representation of a model of teamwork to support the execution of team plans. In our work, this model of teamwork takes the form of a set of domain independent rules that clearly outline an agent's commitments and responsibilities as a participant in team activities, and thus guide the agent's social activities while executin...