Multi-agent Systems in Industry: Current Trends & Future Challenges

The application of artificial intelligence (AI) mechanisms allows the development of intelligent machines/systems capable to solve very complex engineering problems. Multi-agent systems is one paradigm, derived from the distributed artificial intelligence and artificial life fields, that allows an alternative way to design distributed control systems based on autonomous and cooperative agents, exhibiting modularity, robustness, flexibility, adaptability and re-configurability. This paper introduces the multi-agent systems paradigm and presents some industrial applications of this AI approach, namely in manufacturing, handling and logistics domains. The road-blockers for the current weak adoption of this technology in industry are also discussed, and finally the current trends and several future challenges are pointed out to increase the wider dissemination and acceptance of the multi-agent technology in industry.