Distributed intelligence for plant automation based on multi-agent systems: the PABADIS approach

To manage the emerging problems of companies in today's economical surroundings a new thinking in control is required. On the level of field control a step to distributed systems based on distributed intelligence is the state of the art. But on the above levels of control, central and therefore inflexible systems are predominant. This leads to rigid control structures unable to react on system changes with respect to machinery and product programme in a fast and cost-saving way. The PABADIS approach aims in solving the mentioned problems by introduction of horizontal as well as vertical flexibility into the control structure. This flexibility is reached by using mobile and residential agents to establish distributed intelligence on the level of manufacturing execution systems and integration of distributed intelligence on the field control level.