Agent-Based Architecture for Information Handling in Automation Systems

This paper studies issues concerning the application of cooperative information agents to information handling in automation systems. The suggested approach utilizes agent-based layer as an extension to ordinary automation system, thus offering new functions without the need of replacing the existing automation system. The proposed architecture uses agent-based cooperation methods to enable flexible integration of heterogeneous and distributed data sources and functional or spatial hierarchical division for data abstraction and information filtering. In this case, information agents use BDI-model based manager and data handling modules for information processing. The approach is described with real-life inspired test scenario.