Location Awareness of Information Agents

This paper discusses the use of generic geospatial agents (provided by agent development environment KRATT) for collecting and processing location aware information. The approach is essentially based on agent-based digital map processing software that is capable of handling raster or vector maps, and maps with different colour schemes, with different packing methods, with different systems of signs, etc. Each application can be configured and reconfigured dynamically. Agents, and the applications that use services provided by agents, are not in one-to-one relationship; one agent can simultaneously work with many applications. Also, an agent may use services from different agents in different situations. The approach is illustrated by pilot applications, such as participatory GIS, tracking of active objects, information collection and navigation in a sensor network with beacons.