Structure and robustness of multi-agent systems operating in open world environments

Aim
To develop design approaches and functionality which configure the structural elements of distributed, autonomous, multi-agent systems to increase their robustness to environmental and agent variability.

High level description
This project considers robustness of complex systems with autonmy operating in the real world. Example systems could be autonomous transport networks, computer data centres or the Internet of Things. It aims to contribute to a design methodoly for such systems which minimises unwanted emergent behaviours.

The intended approach is to apply multi-agent modelling and analysis to complex systems, with a particular emphasis on systems which include autonomous and intelligent functionality. The latter creates the potential to extend the intended approach to include learning techniques such as artifical evolution. Activity is intended to be split between two bodies of work. The first is investigating the effect of homogenous vs heterogenious system elements on the emergence of unwanted behaviour. The second body of work focuses on the design of a compensating function.

To investigate the effect of heterogenious system elements, a series of complex system scenarios, linked to real world problems and existing literature, will be designed and simulated. These scenarios will be designed to encourage emergent behaviour. For example, sheep herding in which a shepherd, team of dogs and flock of sheep interact during a herding trial, or a sorting exercise in which teams of robots undertake roles, receive instructions and share information through a heirachy.

Research Questions
In the context of this project, a structural element is the building block of a multi-agent system. For example, communications, the role of an agent or the norms which govern the interaction between agents. These structual elements can be either the same for all agents (homogeneous) or vary between agents (heterogenious). This project hyptothosises that there are combinations of these elements which achieve the same goal but are less susceptable to unwanted system behaviour occuring from real world conditions. It asks the questions:
What is the link between the stuctual elements, heterogeniality and the robustness to environmental and agent variability?
How can these structual elements be chosen such that the MAS is robust to a wide range of variability?
How can behaviour at the agent level be modified such that the structual elements are reconfigured during run time to maintain positive, system level, functionality?

Objectives
1. Specify the interactions between agents in a multi-agent system using a bounded interface approach to infer where structural elements have the potential to influence unwanted behaviour.
2. Quantify the capability of multi-agent structures (for example, roles, hierarchies or norms) to reduce system level disruption caused by variability. This will be investigated using computer based multi-agent simulations.
3. Create dynamic, intelligent, behaviour at the agent level which reconfigures the system structure in response to negative emergent behaviour at the system level.

Motivation
Engineered autonomous multi-agent systems are becoming increasingly complex and relied upon for essential functionality. For example transport/social/financial networks and human-robot teams operating in warehouses or exploring unknown environments. Often in these multi-agent examples, the system evolves over time with inputs by multiple designers and engineers. There is not a single design authority and the operating conditions are not completely known at the design stage.

Existing work often focuses on the correct function of a single agent. There is a lack of work which considers the problem of ensuring the system as a whole works as intended. In particular, the effect of variability and how the structal elements can be designed to cope with unknown conditions.