A Methodology to Extend Imperative Languages with AgentSpeak Declarative Constructs

Abstract

Abstract—This paper presents a novel technique for the support of declarative constructs of AgentSpeak in a imperative language. Starting from an analysis of the characteristics and semantics of AgentSpeak, as well as the requirements of an AgentSpeak implementation, the paper proposes a framework which, by exploiting object-orientation and operator overload-ing, is able to enrich an imperative language with declarative constructs suitable to represent and write AgentSpeak programs. A concrete implementation of the proposed framework is then given by presenting PROFETA (Python RObotic Framework for dEsigning sTrAtegies), a tool written in Python which adds to this language the capability to write and execute AgentSpeak plans. A case-study shows how PROFETA can be used to easily write strategies for an autonomous mobile robot, designed by the authors for the “Eurobot 2010 ” international robotic competition. I.