In multi-agent systems, limited resources must be shared by individuals during missions to maximize the group utility of the system in the field. In this paper, we present a generalized adaptive self-organization process for multi-agent systems featuring fast and efficient distribution of a consumable and refillable on-board resource throughout the group. An adaptive inter-agent spacing (AIS) controller based on individual resource levels is proposed that spaces out high resource bearing agents throughout the group including the group boundary extrema, and allows low resource bearing agents to adaptively occupy the in-between spaces receiving resource from the high resource bearing agents without over-crowding. Experimental results for cases with and without the proposed AIS controller validate faster convergence of individual resource levels to the group mean resource level using the proposed AIS controller. The generalized approach of the self-organizing process allows flexibility in adapting the proposed AIS controller for various multi-agent applications.
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Using functional decomposition to bridge the design gap between desired emergent multi‐agent‐system resilience and individual agent design
Increasing the resilience of modern infrastructure systems is recognized as a priority by both the International Council on Systems Engineering and the National Academy of Engineering. Resilience answers the key stakeholder need for a stable and predictable system by withstanding, adapting to, and recovering from unexpected faults. Increasing resilience in multi‐agent systems is especially challenging because resilience is an emergent system‐level property rather than the sum of individual agent functions. This paper uses biological systems as a source of inspiration for resilient functions, examining the central question
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10539129
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Systems Engineering
- Volume:
- 27
- Issue:
- 5
- ISSN:
- 1098-1241
- Format(s):
- Medium: X Size: p. 911-930
- Size(s):
- p. 911-930
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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