Tendencies in Multi-Agent Systems: A Systematic Literature Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.19153/cleiej.23.1.1Keywords:
Systematic Literature Review, Multi-Agent Systems, MAS Research Gaps, AOSE componentsAbstract
The application of Artificial Intelligence mechanisms allows the development of systems capable to solve very complex engineering problems. Multi-agent systems (MAS) are one paradigm that allows an alternative way to design distributed control systems. While research in this area grew exponentially before 2009, there is a need to understand the status quo of the field from 2009 to June 2017. An extension of the results of a SLR related to Multi-Agent Systems, its applications and research gaps, following Kitchenham and Wholin guidelines are presented in this paper. From the analysis of 279 papers (out of 3522 candidates), our findings suggest that: a) there were 20 gaps related to agent-oriented methodologies; coordination, cooperation and negotiation; modelling, developing, testing and debugging; b) 24 gaps related to specific domains (recycling, dynamic evacuation, hazard management, health-care, industry, logistics and manufacturing, machine learning, ambient assisted living); and 14 gaps related to specific areas within MAS (A-Teams, dynamic MAS and mobile agents, ABMS, evolutionary MAS, and self-organizing MAS). These gaps specify lines of research where the MAS community must work to achieve the unification of the agent-oriented paradigm; as well as strengthen ties with the industry.
References
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[28] M. Dastani, “A survey of multi-agent programming languages and frameworks”, Agent-Oriented Software Engineering, Springer Berlin Heidelberg, pp. 213-233, 2014.
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[31] A. Sturm, D. Dori and O. Shehory, “An object-process-based modeling language for multiagent systems”, IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, Part C (Applications and Reviews), 40(2), pp. 227-241, 2010.
[32] J. Zhang, L. Cheng and H. Wang, “A multi-agent-based decision support system for bankruptcy contagion effects”, Expert Systems with Applications, 39(5), pp. 5920-5934, 2012.
[33] R. Schumann, “Engineering Coordination”, KI-Künstliche Intelligenz, 26(1), Springer, pp. 87-90, 2012.
[34] P. Leitão and P. Vrba, “Recent developments and future trends of industrial agents”, Holonic and Multi-Agent Systems for Manufacturing, Springer, pp. 15-28, 2011.
[35] S. Karnouskos and P. Leitão, “Key Contributing Factors to the Acceptance of Agents in Industrial Environments”, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics, 13(2), pp. 696-703, 2017.
[36] Guidelines for the Application of ISO 9001 to the Development, Supply and Maintenance of Software, ISO/IEC, June 1991.
[37] F. B. e Abreu and R. Carapuça, Candidate metrics for object-oriented software within a taxonomy framework. Journal of Systems and Software, 26(1), pp. 87-96, 1994.
[38] I. Czarnowski and P. J?drzejowicz, “Machine Learning and Multiagent Systems as Interrelated Technologies”, Agent-Based Optimization, Springer Berlin Heidelberg, pp. 1-28, 2013.
[39] P. G. Balaji and D. Srinivasan, “An introduction to multi-agent systems”, Innovations in multi-agent systems and applications-1, Springer Berlin Heidelberg, pp.1-27, 2010.
[40] N. Dawson-Díaz and V. Vega-Zepeda, Lifecycle coverage analysis via multi-agent system methodology. In 6th International Conference on Software Process Improvement (CIMPS), pp. 1-7, IEEE, 2017, October.
[2] M. Wooldridge, An introduction to multiagent systems, 2nd ed. John Wiley & Sons, 2009.
[3] K. Hindriks, "The shaping of the agent-oriented mindset.” International Workshop on Engineering Multi-Agent Systems, pp. 1-14, 2014.
[4] Ferber, J., & Weiss, G. (1999). Multi-agent systems: an introduction to distributed artificial intelligence (Vol. 1). Reading: Addison-Wesley.
[5] Q. Bai and N. Fukuta, Advances in Practical Multi-Agent Systems, Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag, 2011.
[6] M. Aulinas, C. Turon and M. Sànchez-Marrè, "Agents as a decision support tool in environmental processes: the state of the art", Advanced Agent-Based Environmental Management Systems, U. Cortés and M. Poch, Ed. Birkhäuser Basel, pp. 5-35, 2018.
[7] O. Shehory and A. Sturm, “A brief introduction to agents”, Agent-Oriented Software Engineering, Springer Berlin Heidelberg, pp. 3-11, 2014.
[8] A. Sturm and O. Shehory, “The landscape of agent-oriented methodologies”, Agent-Oriented Software Engineering, Springer Berlin Heidelberg, pp. 137-154, 2014.
[9] J. P. Müller and K. Fischer, “Application Impact of Multi-Agent Systems and Technologies: A Survey”, Agent-Oriented Software Engineering: Reflections on Architectures, Methodologies, Languages, and Frameworks. Springer, pp. 27-53, 2014.
[10] D. Isern and A. Moreno, “A systematic literature review of agents applied in healthcare”, Journal of medical systems, 40(2), 43, 2016.
[11] Ge, X., Han, Q. L., Ding, D., Zhang, X. M., & Ning, B. (2018). A survey on recent advances in distributed sampled-data cooperative control of multi-agent systems. Neurocomputing, 275, 1684-1701.
[12] B. Kitchenham and S. Charters, Guidelines for Performing Systematic Literature Reviews in Software Engineering, version 2.3, Technical Report, 2007.
[13] C. Wohlin, “Guidelines for snowballing in systematic literature studies and a replication in software engineering”, 18th International Conference on Evaluation and Assessment in Software Engineering, ACM, p. 38, 2014.
[14] M. Falco and G. Robiolo, “A Systematic Literature Review in Multi-Agent Systems: Patterns and Trends”, XLV Conferencia Latinoamericana de Informática, Centro Latinoamericano de Estudios de Informática (CLEI), Panamá. 30 Septiembre - 4 Octubre 2019, IEEE. http://clei2019.utp.ac.pa/storage/app/uploads/public/5d8/cf6/967/5d8cf69670cdc021709763.pdf
[15] A. Carrera and C. A. Iglesias, “A systematic review of argumentation techniques for multi-agent systems research”, Artificial Intelligence Review, 44(4), pp. 509-535, 2015.
[16] S. A. Mostafa, M. S. Ahmad and A. Mustapha, “Adjustable autonomy: a systematic literature review”, Artificial Intelligence Review, pp. 1-38, 2017.
[17] J. L. Morales, P. Sánchez and D. Alonso, “A systematic literature review of the teleo-reactive paradigm”, Artificial Intelligence Review, 42(4), pp. 945-964, 2014.
[18] D. Blanes, E. Insfran and S. Abrahão, “Requirements engineering in the development of multi-agent systems: a systematic review”, International Conference on Intelligent Data Engineering and Automated Learning, Springer Berlin Heidelberg, pp. 510-517, 2009.
[19] J. Juziuk, D. Weyns and T. Holvoet, “Design patterns for multi-agent systems: a systematic literature Review”, Agent-Oriented Software Engineering, Springer Berlin Heidelberg, pp. 79-99, 2014.
[20] A. Negahban and L. Yilmaz, “Agent-based simulation applications in marketing research: an integrated review”, Journal of Simulation, 8(2), pp. 129-142, 2014.
[21] M. Wooldridge and N. R. Jennings, N.R., “Agent theories, architectures, and languages: A survey”, in M. J. Wooldridge and N.R. Jennings (eds) Intelligent Agents. ATAL 1994. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence), vol. 890, Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, 1995.
[22] J. Cohen, “Weighted Kappa: Nominal Scale Agreement Provision for Scaled Disagreement or Partial Credit,” Psychological Bulletin, vol. 70, no. 4, p. 213, 1968.
[23] D. Giustini and M. N. K. Boulos, “Google Scholar is not Enough to be Used Alone for Systematic Reviews,” Online journal of public health informatics, vol. 5, no. 2, p. 214, 2013.
[24] T. Balke, B. Hirsch and M. Lützenberger, “Assessing agent applications—r&D vs. R&d”, Multiagent systems and applications, Springer Berlin Heidelberg, pp. 1-20, 2013.
[25] Y. Abushark, T. Miller, J. Thangarajah, M. Winikoff and J. Harland, “Requirements specification via activity diagrams for agent-based systems”, Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems, 31(3), pp. 423-468, 2017.
[26] V. Gorodetsky, O. Karsaev, V. Samoylov and V. Konushy, “Support for analysis, design, and implementation stages with MASDK”, International Workshop on Agent-Oriented Software Engineering, Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, pp. 272-287, 2008.
[27] Y. Hedin and E. Moradian, “Security in Multi-Agent Systems”, Procedia Computer Science, 60, pp. 1604-1612, 2015.
[28] M. Dastani, “A survey of multi-agent programming languages and frameworks”, Agent-Oriented Software Engineering, Springer Berlin Heidelberg, pp. 213-233, 2014.
[29] M. Falco, L. Bauret and G. Robiolo, “HeartCare: an Agent Oriented Architecture Implemented with Actors”, XXV Congreso Argentino de Ciencias de la Computación (CACIC 2019). Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, 14 al 18 de Octubre de 2019. Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina.
[30] N. R. Jennings, K. Sycara and M. J. Wooldridge, “A Roadmap of Agent Research and Development”, Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems 1, 1, ACM, pp. 7-38, 1998.
[31] A. Sturm, D. Dori and O. Shehory, “An object-process-based modeling language for multiagent systems”, IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, Part C (Applications and Reviews), 40(2), pp. 227-241, 2010.
[32] J. Zhang, L. Cheng and H. Wang, “A multi-agent-based decision support system for bankruptcy contagion effects”, Expert Systems with Applications, 39(5), pp. 5920-5934, 2012.
[33] R. Schumann, “Engineering Coordination”, KI-Künstliche Intelligenz, 26(1), Springer, pp. 87-90, 2012.
[34] P. Leitão and P. Vrba, “Recent developments and future trends of industrial agents”, Holonic and Multi-Agent Systems for Manufacturing, Springer, pp. 15-28, 2011.
[35] S. Karnouskos and P. Leitão, “Key Contributing Factors to the Acceptance of Agents in Industrial Environments”, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics, 13(2), pp. 696-703, 2017.
[36] Guidelines for the Application of ISO 9001 to the Development, Supply and Maintenance of Software, ISO/IEC, June 1991.
[37] F. B. e Abreu and R. Carapuça, Candidate metrics for object-oriented software within a taxonomy framework. Journal of Systems and Software, 26(1), pp. 87-96, 1994.
[38] I. Czarnowski and P. J?drzejowicz, “Machine Learning and Multiagent Systems as Interrelated Technologies”, Agent-Based Optimization, Springer Berlin Heidelberg, pp. 1-28, 2013.
[39] P. G. Balaji and D. Srinivasan, “An introduction to multi-agent systems”, Innovations in multi-agent systems and applications-1, Springer Berlin Heidelberg, pp.1-27, 2010.
[40] N. Dawson-Díaz and V. Vega-Zepeda, Lifecycle coverage analysis via multi-agent system methodology. In 6th International Conference on Software Process Improvement (CIMPS), pp. 1-7, IEEE, 2017, October.
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