Enhancing Products by Embedding Agents: Adding an Agent to a Robot for Monitoring, Maintenance and Disaster Prevention

Abstract

Monitoring of computer networks, complex technical systems like aeroplanes is common practice. In this article the use of a monitoring agent in an arbitrary product is discussed. The product itself could be any product with sufficient hardware capabilities. The focus is on the product enhancement by adding an embedded agent. This so-called product agent can represent the product in the internet of things and it can also be a member of a multiagent system. In this way exchange of parts and subsystems is possible. The possibilities and advantages of this concept are discussed as well as a more elaborate example of the implementation in an experimental discovery robot.