Information system architecture for intelligent manufacturing

Concurrent manufacturing requires the explicit interconnection of diverse systems. This must be accomplished within a clear requirement for complete systems integration. The most suitable organizational structures for concurrent manufacturing are identified as distributed heterogeneous systems. It is shown that intelligent agent systems provide the means to model and implement these systems. An intelligent agent based manufacturing system architecture is then proposed and conceptually developed. A compatible model for agent cooperative interaction and communication is also discussed.;The system development environment is recognized as one of the key factors to model intelligent agent systems. A new multi-paradigm programming language, Intelligent Agent Object (IAO), is therefore designed that integrates rule-based programming and procedural programming within a uniform object-oriented structure. A novel mechanism of rule base inferencing, the VOMM (Variable-Object-Manager-Messenger) generic framework, maintains a separation of variable processing and chaining processing during inference. This makes it possible for a variety of variable processing and/or chaining processing objects to be implemented independently and mixed in rule-base inference. This allows the IAO system to go well beyond a simple integration of rule-base programming and procedural programming.;Three novel message communication mechanisms are developed which include new concepts in propagation-oriented programming and group-oriented programming. All of these concepts are implemented as first class objects that can be attached to or detached from any host objects without interfering with the normal operations of the host objects. A new agent modelling procedure is then proposed which utilizes the above communication concepts. This allows knowledge modelling and communication modelling to be modelled and tested separately. A high level agent entity, the composite agent, has also been designed to have both high level and low level capabilities for decision and action within a simple but efficient pattern of communication connections.;An intelligent agent based prototype of an Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) operational control system is then implemented and tested to demonstrate the capabilities of the IAO development system and explore the characteristics of intelligent agent systems.