Issues in Multiagent Design Systems

Knowledge based design integrates a broad range of highly specialized knowledge from expert sources to synthesize or refine a design. Knowledge-based design systems automate at least some of these knowledge sources. However, the constant evolution of standards, technologies, and a dynamic marketplace demands a high degree of adaptability in both design expertise and in the process of applying that expertise. The need for diverse, highly sophisticated, and rapidly changing skills and knowledge makes the multiagent paradigm particularly appropriate for knowledge-based design. As researchers apply multiagent technologies to design domains, challenges include supporting interoperability among heterogeneous agents on diverse platforms, coordinating the design process, and managing conflict. This article surveys the state of the art in multiagent systems, through examples of projects and techniques, and then presents several questions that elicit the requirements and goals of a proposed multiagent design application.