An agent methodology for processes, the environment, and services

Implementing and deploying a complete multi-agent system in whatever domain, especially those that are inherently complex and dynamic, is undoubtedly a very hard and time-consuming task. This paper analyzes the adequacy of traditional approaches in the field of Agent-Oriented Software Engineering to create adequate multi-agent systems applicable to the transportation domain. Our findings suggested that, albeit some approaches are intended to be generic enough to represent a wide range of different domains, intelligent transportation systems and more specifically the whole complexity of future urban transport are not totally supported. We propose a novel methodology where the concept of services is considered as peer of agents, ambient and processes. Also services rise as prominent elements in the modeling phase. The approach, illustrated as a typical scenario in the transport domain, is instantiated, which serves to clarify the whole process and main concepts in our modeling methodology.

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