Multi-agent Communication And Collaboration Technology And Its Application In The Preliminary Design Of Complex Products In The Collaborative Platform

In this paper, we researched and developed a Complex Products Oriented Cooperation Platform. It is a kind of Multi-Agent supported, distributed software system. This platform can be used to design a Virtual Prototype for many Complex Products. Based on Multiple Agent System, we researched the theory model of Agent. Using the method of system analyzes, we applied the mechanism of multi-point communication and cooperation to the practical product design environment. And using this mechanism, we implemented the software system .Firstly, BDI model was introduced and analyzed. Based on the basic elements belief, desire and intention, and melted into deliberative-agent and reactive-agent, initiated the internal mechanism and structure of Agent, including the execution flow of task and the divide of functional layers, such as communication layer. Also the single Agent model was created. Then, the system model of Multi-Agent was introduced and researched. We established the communication mode for Multi-Agent, the communication language standard FTPA-ACL, and cooperation mode Contract Net. Secondly, aiming at the application background and the characteristic of the environment of Cooperation Design, we researched the classification of role and modeling, including applicability, friendly-to-user, management, their functional classification and the software design classification. Also, we analyzed the Agent services based on distributed environment, established centralized management services, system framework, and the distribution structure of agents. Finally, from the point of software design, we introduced the mechanism of communication and cooperation among Multiple Agents, and how they applied to the platform of the Complex Products design. And summarized the main objects we used in the design, some main GUIs of all kinds of feature. The practice indicates that it is reasonable and applicable of the research on cooperation model for the Complex Products design and the establishment of the modules of the system. This system satisfied the requirement of the Cooperation Design based on Multi-Agent. The system can be extended easily and it will be applied more widely if added more intelligent capability.