Multi-Agent System Design for Safety-Critical Self-Optimizing Mechatronic Systems with UML

One of the concepts proposed for controlling and optimizing the complex mechatronic systems that will emerge when mechatronic components formerly operating in isolation become interconnected is agent-oriented software. As mechatronic systems are often safety-critical, the inherent flexibility of such software seems to be at odds with the need for thorough validation and verification, however. The presented approach resolves this conflict by means of a specific UML based design approach for safety-critical multi-agent macroand micro-architectures. The macro-architecture ensures that all local interactions between agents are governed by a set of social rules, termed as culture, specified by means of patterns and roles. Employing compositional verification techniques, we can then preclude hazards addressed by the cultures for the entire system. In the micro-architectural view, agents can then be specified by refining the verified roles. Within the scope of correct refinements, the agents may employ selfoptimization techniques without invalidating the guarantees about safe system behavior made by the patterns.