Look, talk and do: a synchronization scheme for situated multi-agent systems

In this paper we present a syn hronization s heme for multiagent systems (MAS) that supports omplex forms of agent intera tion. Syn hronization in a MAS is ne essary whenever the agents of that MAS are able to a t simultaneously and it is essential to treat these a tions as if they happened together. We use the general model of a situated MAS where agents and obje ts have an expli it position in the environment. Existing syn hronization s hemes resolves the problem of simultaneity of a tion, but do not in lude ommuni ation in the model. The fo us of this paper is on the omplex problem onne ted with the syn hronization of situated a tions (i.e. a tions performed by the agents of a situated MAS) in relation to messages. The syn hronization s heme we present integrates ommuni ation with a tions. The s heme enables fun tionality for the agents (1) to oordinate their syn hronized a tions, i.e. to ommuni ate with one another in order to agree on a future ooperation and the point in time to a t simultaneously, and (2) ensures that simultaneously performed a tions are treated as su h. Throughout the text we use a simple multi-agent appli ation, i.e. the Pa ket{World, as a ase to illustrate the topi s dis ussed in the paper.