On designing migrating agents

Abstract

In the realm of multi-agent systems, migration refers to the ability of an agent to transfer itself from one embodiment such as a graphical avatar into different embodiments such as a robotic android. Embodied agents usually function in a dynamic, uncertain, and uncontrolled environment, and exploiting them is a chaotic and error-prone task which demands high-level behavioral controllers to be able to adapt to failure at lower levels of the system. The conditions in which space robotic systems such as spacecraft and rovers operate, inspire by necessity, the development of robust and adaptive control software. In this paper, we propose a generic architecture for migrating and autonomous agents inspired by onboard autonomy which enables the developers to tailor the agent's embodiment by defining a set of feasible actions and perceptions associated with the new body. Evaluation results suggest that the architecture supports migration by performing consistent deliberative and reactive behaviors.