Abstract
This paper deals with the synchronous implementation of situated Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) in order to have no execution bias and to ease their programming on massively parallel computing devices. For this purpose we investigate the translation of discrete MAS into Cellular Automata (CA). Contrarily to the sequential scheduling generally used in MAS simulations, CA are a model for massively parallel computing where the updating of the components is synchronous.
However, CA expressiveness is limited and not always adapted to all types of modeling situations, especially when independent entities move in space. After illustrating these issues on a simple example, we propose a generic method to translate a discrete MAS into a CA, called a transactional CA. Our approach consists in using the influence-reaction model to perform this translation.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Chopard, B., Droz, M.: Cellular Automata Modeling of Physical Systems. Collection Alea-Saclay: Monographs and Texts in Statistical Physics. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (2005)
Deutsch, A., Dormann, S.: Cellular Automaton Modeling of Biological Pattern Formation Characterization, Applications, and Analysis. Modeling and Simulation in Science, Engineering and Technology, vol. 26. Birkhäuser, Basel (2005)
Adamatzky, A.: Computing in Nonlinear Media and Automata Collectives. Institute of Physics Publishing (2001)
Ferber, J.: Multi-Agent Systems, an Introduction to Distributed Artificial Intelligence. Addison-Wesley, Reading (1999)
Resnick, M.: Turtles, termites, and traffic jams: explorations in massively parallel microworlds. MIT Press, Cambridge (1994)
Regelous, S.: MASSIVE: Multiple agent simulation system in virtual environnement (2004), http://www.massivesoftware.com/
Simonin, O., Grunder, O.: A cooperative multi-robot architecture for moving a paralyzed robot. International Journal Mechatronics, The Science of Intelligent Machines (2009)
Halbach, M., Hoffmann, R.: Implementing cellular automata in FPGA logic. In: Parallel and Distributed Processing Symposium, International (2004)
Witten, T., Sanders, L.: Diffusion-limited aggregation, a kinetic critical phenomena. Phys. Rev. Lett. 47(19), 1400–1403 (1981)
Brooks, R.: A robust layered control system for a mobile robot. IEEE Journal of Robotics and Automation 2(1), 14–23 (1986)
Michel, F., Beurier, G., Gouaîch, A., Ferber, J.: The turtlekit platform: Application to multi-level emergence. In: ABS 4 Agent-Based Simulation 4 (2003)
Fatès, N.: Fiatlux CA simulator in Java (2008), http://webloria.loria.fr/~fates/fiatlux.html
Ferber, J., Muller, J.P.: Influences and reaction: a model of situated multiagent systems. In: Proc. of the 2nd Int. Conf. on MAS, pp. 72–79 (1996)
Chevrier, V., Fatès, N.: Multi-agent systems as discrete dynamical systems: Influences and reactions as a modelling principle. Technical report, INRIA - LORIA (2009), http://hal.inria.fr/inria-00345954
Hochberger, C., Hoffman, R., Waldschmidt, S.: CDL++ for the description of moving objects in cellular automata. In: Malyshkin, V.E. (ed.) PaCT 1999. LNCS, vol. 1662. Springer, Heidelberg (1999)
Nishidate, K., Baba, M., Gaylord, R.J.: Cellular automaton model for random walkers. Phys. Rev. Lett. 77(9), 1675–1678 (1996)
Fatès, N.: Decentralised gathering on a discrete field. Technical report, INRIA (2008), http://hal.inria.fr/inria-00132266/
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Spicher, A., Fatès, N., Simonin, O. (2010). Translating Discrete Multi-Agents Systems into Cellular Automata: Application to Diffusion-Limited Aggregation. In: Filipe, J., Fred, A., Sharp, B. (eds) Agents and Artificial Intelligence. ICAART 2009. Communications in Computer and Information Science, vol 67. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-11819-7_21
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-11819-7_21
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-11818-0
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-11819-7
eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)