NIAD

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• NIADR is a member of LIACC
• Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science
  Laboratory
• University of Porto
• Overview of NIADR
• Coordinator Eugénio Oliveira
• http//www.fe.up.pt/eol/MEMBERS/eco_html

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• OUTLINE

• LIACC overview
• NIADR main Goals
• NIADR through Numbers

• Main research lines
• 1 Models for Agents interaction
• 2 Advanced features for Autonomous Agents
• 3 Coordination of Agent-based teamwork
• 4 Agent-based Applications

• Projects
• Conclusions
• Future work

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50
LIACC
NCC F. Sciences
23
NIADR F. Engineering
University of Porto
27
NIAAD F. Economics
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LIACC
Existe desde 1988. No fim de 2003 incluía 34
pessoas com doutoramento, 40 outros membros
(estudantes de doutoramento, bolseiros, etc.)
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LIACC

• Nos últimos 5 anos (99 03) foram publicados
• 30 artigos publicados em Revistas Internacionais
  submetidos a avaliação independente (13 em 2003)
• 105 artigos em livros publicados pelas editoras
• reconhecidas (ex. Springer), submetidos a
  avaliação independente, e com entrada no
  Science citation index
• 1 livro (editado)
• 16 capitulos de livros
• 133 outros artigos in actas de Congressos /
  Workshops
• 9 actas de congressos ou Workshops editadas

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LIACC

• (99 - 03) foram orientadas e concluídas
• 18 Teses de Doutoramento,
• 34 Teses de Mestrado.
• Em 2004 estão a ser orientadas
• 21 Teses de Doutoramento,
• 37 Teses de Mestrado.

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LIACC

• Nos últimos 5 anos (99 - 03) foram organizados
• 19 congressos / workshops
• Em 2003 os membros do LIACC participaram em
• 22 comissões de programa
• 6 editorial boards de revistas

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LIACC
NCC - Declarative programming Logic
Programming Systems Parallel Execution of Logic
Programs Constraint Programming
- Parallel and Distributed Systems
Concurrency, Distribution and Mobility OO
Languages for Distributed Environments Parallel
Programming Environments - Logic, Language and
Computation Formal Systems Logic and
Grammars Complexity - Automatic Evaluation of
Students Exercises - Geo-Referenced Data
Processing
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LIACC
NIAAD Data Mining and Decision Support
Collaborative methodologies for DM DS.
Recommendation tools for the selection of DA
methods Modeling Dynamic Systems Modelling
complex dynamic systems,
Advanced Techniques in Data Mining and
DA Modelling higher order concepts using
ILP Statistical methods for classification. App.
to the recognition of multi-spectral images and
bioinformatics. Data Mining for Text and Web
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• NIADR Main Objectives

• To develop
• Models for inter-operability in Agent-based
  Systems
• Agent-based Software for practical Applications
  in DDD
• To help young researchers in preparing their
  thesis

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• Distributed
• Reactive and Communicative
• Pro-Active
• Autonomous

• Other capabilities
• Mentalistic capabilities
• Beliefs, Desires, Intentions, Emotions
• Multi-Agent Systems

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What is the rationale behind our research?
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Nr. of Researchers
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 Senior
Res. 1 1 1 1 1 PhDs 1 2 21-1 4 4 Res.Ass. 5 6
8-1 13 13 Ext.Coll. 2 2 2 3 3 TOTAL 9 12 11 20
21 Tech. _ _ _ _ _ Adm. ½ ½ ½ (shared) ½
(shared) ½ (shared)
14
Scientific production 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 C
hap. in Books 1 1 4 1 Journ
Series 13 4 13 25 19 Proceed
TRep 151 46 39 138 94 Total
Publications 20 (1) 9 (6) 11 (9) 20(8) 20(4)
(without Tech. Reports)
PhD Thesis approved 1 2 1(1) 1 1 MSc.Thesis
approved 4 1 2 1 2 Theses in prep(PhDM) 44 3
8 56 Total (Theses appr.) 5 3 4 2 3
Interview to TRN- Technical Research News
Magazine
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Scientific production 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 P
rototypes (rev) 2(3) 2(2) 3(1) 4(2) 2(4) Co
nf. Org.PCs 4 5 35 110 111 Ed.Boards 1
1 2 2 2 P.g.CoursesInv. Sem. 2 34 14 7 Aw
ards (prizes) - 2 3 2 1 Plus one nomination
for the best paper at CIA03
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• Main Research lines

• Flexible and trustful tools and platforms for
  agents interaction
• Electronic Institutions for B2B
• Automatic negotiation
• Distributed Belief Revision

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Electronic Institution

1. Flexible and trustful environments for agents
   interaction

V.O dissolution
V.O. formation
V.O. operation
Norms Rules
Q-Negotiation

• Monitoring

links to other Institutions
Ana Paula Rocha Henrique Andreia ECO
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• Negotiation and Electronic Institutions

• Q-negotiation protocol
• Multi-Attribute bid Evaluation
• Qualitative feedback
• Adaptive bid formation
• Distributed dependencies resolution
• FOREV implementation (V.E. formation platform)
• Electronic Contracts (in progress)
• Ontology Services (in progress)

• Protocols for both inter and intra coalition
  negotiation for Distributed Resources management
• MACIV (MAS for Civil Construction)

ECO JMFonseca-UNL
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• Agent-based System for EC

• MAS architecture suitable for
• B2C interaction

Finished

• Agent Tactics and Strategies for Negotiation
• Adaptive to the market dynamics (Q learning)
• SMACE prototype available through the WEB

Henrique Cardoso ECO
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Finished
JMFonseca ECO
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• Multi-agent systems dealing with Conflict
  resolution

Finished
M.Benedita Malheiro ECO
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(No Transcript)
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6. DOMÍNIO DE APLICAÇÃO
DiPLoMAT
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• Main Research lines

• Advanced features for Autonomous Agents
• Agents and MAS Learning capabilities
• Learning marketing strategies
• Emotion-based" agents architectures

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• Advanced features for Autonomous Agents
• Agents and MAS Learning capabilities

• How can Heterogeneous Agents interactively
  learn and influence each other in their
  learning process?
• Non-deterministic, partially observable, Non-
  supervised environment- Traffic Lights Control

Luis Nunes ECO
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• Traffic Light Control
• Simulation based on real data
• Simplified car movement
• 1, 2 and 4 crossings scenarios x 3 teams (GA, QL,
  Heuristic)

Luis Nunes ECO
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Exchanging Advice

• Learning for Multi-Agent Systems

• Use communication to improve learning performance
• Environments
• Multiple agents dealing with similar problems
• Agents use different learning techniques

• Expected features
• Improved resistance to local minima
• No pre-selection of the best algorithm
• Group performs better than the best of its
  individuals

Luis Nunes ECO
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The process of advice-exchange
Environment
3.To whom ?
TA,Ar PAr(S) gt TA,O PO(S)
7. Integrate advice
Advisee
1. Observed State
4. State (observed by the Advisee)
8. Choose action and act
Concepts Self-confidence Performance State Trust
Actors Advisee Advisor Other agents
2. Should I request advice ?
ScA PA lt PO or ConfusedAbout(State)
6. Advised action (a)
Advisor
5. Best guess is (a)
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• Emotion-based agent architectures
• based on neuro-science (cognition-emotion
  relationship)
• How to escape from traditional utility-based
  functions?
• Agents new features valence-based memory,
• ltV,I,E,Ggt associating Valence with
• Goals and both internal and external sources

Luis Sarmento Daniel MouraECO
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The Emotional Mechanism

• Emotional Elicitation
• Process of evaluating the chances (V) of
  achieving a given goal (G) upon the state of the
  environment (ltEgt) and the agent internal state
  (ltIgt).
• V EEFG(ltEgt,ltIgt)
• Emotion Accumulators
• Enable to model emotions behavior through time
  (t)
• Consumes a percentage (PInput) of an EEFG
• Value decays according to a decay constant (Td).
• EAG(t,PInput ,Td)
• Basic Emotional Mechanism

EEFG(ltEgt,ltIgt)
EAG(t,PInput ,Td)
Luis Sarmento Daniel MouraECO
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• Main Research lines

• Coordination of Agent-based teams
• Coordination policies in adversarial environments

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• Coordination of Agent-based teams

• agent-based common framework suitable for
  controlling teams of cooperative robots (either
  physical or simulated)
• Techniques distinction between active and
  strategic situations
• Agents Coordination mechanisms
  Situation-basedSP, DPRExchange, ADVCOM, SLM, MM.
• New team strategies (tactics, formations, player
  types)

• COACH UNILANG general language to enable a
  special
• agent ("coach") to supervise a team of
  co-operative robots.

Luis Paulo Reis
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Flexible Strategies
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• Constraint Satisfaction in a distributed
  environment

• UNIPS - University Planning and Scheduling
• to reach mutual agreement in distributed
  multi-agent system applications

• UniLang language for representing timetabling
  problems

Luis Paulo Reis
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• Main Research lines

• Application oriented
• Proof of intelligent agent concept in specific
  application domains
• Elec. Market, Mob.Comm.Networks, Brokering,
• 3D Visualisation, Traffic Control management

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1. Application oriented work

• Intelligent Brokering for the Insurance domain
  (BeeGent) LNogueira
• ILP for Time Series Analysis. Optimal traffic
  control in multi-class packet switched networks
  Alex Alves
• MAS platform for Electrical Energy e-Market -
  JLPinto
• Agent-based framework making available security
  mechanisms and negotiation algorithms tuned for
  this EE-market

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2-BIAS (Brokerage in Insurance an Agent-based
System)
Luis NogueiraECO
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• Traffic Engineering of Data CommunicationsNetwork

Time Series Forecasting

• To assess the adequacy of ILP for Time Series
  Analysis automation

Alex AlvesRCECO
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Multi-agent Platform for Electricity E-Market

• Agents interaction using XML and HTTPS (or SOAP?)
• Intra-platform communications with XML-RPC
• Market Operator acts as a message router
  Auctions.
• Agents authenticate through digital certificates
• Messages between the Market Operator and the
  Market Agents are digitally signed

João Luis Pinto
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• MAS for 3D visualisation of RoboCup games

• For the RoboCup Simulation League
• Agent-based control Cameras deciding on the best
  perspective on the situation Director agent

Sérgio LouroLPRECO
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• Agent-based Robotics control

• Hybrid layered architecture
• Reactive Agents for immediate action

• Deliberative agents responsible for advising
  about the plan to be execute

Finished

• Learning basic competencies
• Simple neural networks,
• Fuzzy rules

• 1 PhD Thesis submitted and several papers
  produced

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• Agent-based Robotics control

Finished
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• Projects (1999-2001)

• AVOEC Agent-based platform for VE formation and
  B2B EC fundingFCTFEDER finished 2001
• MACIVMulti-Agent System for Distributed
  resource management fundingFCTFEDER finished
  2000
• AgentLink I (98-00) AMEC SIG finished 2000
• AgentLink II (00-02) AMEC ALAD SIGs
• funding European Union
• FINESSE Formalisation of Institutions and Norms
  for Electronic Social Structures for Exchange
  submitted
• Inter-Network (EUNET, ILPNET, AgentLinkII) SIG
  on "Agents that Learn, Adapt and Discover
  fundingE.U.

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• Projects (2002-2004)

• LEMAS Learning in MASystems in the RoboCup
  SLLeague
• Funding FCTFEDER(03-04)
• FCPortugal New Coordination Methodologies
  applied to the Simulation League Funding
  FCTFEDER(03-04)
• AgentLink III AMEC ALAD SIGs Funding
  European U. (03-)
• PORTUS A common framework for cooperation in
  Mobile Robotics Funding FCTFEDER(02-05)
• OPEN Open Platform for Enterprise Network
  submitted to E.U.

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• International links

• Member of the Editorial Board of the AAMAS
  Journal ed. Kluwer AP, (EO)
• Member of the European Board of IOS Press and
  Omsha Ltd Frontiers in AI and Applications
  Series for European dissertations (EO)
• Member of Technical Committee of the RoboCup
  Simulation League (LPR)
• Exchange of studentsresearchers under Socrates
  Program (U.Trier/G, Imperial College/UK, City
  College/UK, ENM SaintEtienne/Fr)
• Research Evaluation at Univ. J.Fourrier-Grenoble/
  Fr
• Coordination and Cooperation in MAS Robo
  Cup-SIG

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• International links

• DFKI-Germany (KlausFisher, Mathias Klush)
• Imperial College/Univ.London (A.Mamdani)
• Czech Technical University (V.Marik,
  O.Stepankova)
• U.Southampton (N.Jennings, M.Luck)
• Lab. Leibnitz- IMAG (Dr. Y.Demazeau)
• Univ. Utrecht (F.Dignum)
• Université de Technologie de Compiègne
  (J.P.Barthés)
• École National des Mines Saint-Etienne
  (O.Boissier)
• Institut Inteligencia Artificial, Barcelona
  (C.Sierra)
• QMWC/U.London (N.Jennings)

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• International links

• Univ. São Paulo (J.Sichman)
• Pontifícia Univ. Católica Paraná (M.Schmeil)
• Univ. Bath (J.Padget)
• Univ. Federal Rio Grande do Sul (A.Bazzan)
• Univ. of Trier/Germany (N.Kuhn)
• Xerox Research Centre in Europe, (J.M.Andreolli)
• Achmea, Netherlands (V.Dignum)

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• National links

• Faculdade de Ciências Univ. Lisboa
  (Prof.H.Coelho)
• Instituto Superior Técnico, U.T.Lisboa (Drª.
  A.Paiva)
• FCT- Univ. Nova de Lisboa (Prof. A.Garção)
• IEETA- Univ. Aveiro (Dr. L.Seabra Lopes, Dr.
  N.Lau)
• INESCPorto (Prof.M.Matos)

• ISR Porto (Dr.A.PMoreira, Dr. P.Costa)
• CEMAS-C.Modelação e Análise Sistemas Ambientais
  (Prof. P.Duarte)
• I2S- Integrated Systems Software
  Company(A.Lhamas)
• Guião (J.A.Alves)
• MotaCompanhia (Civil Construction)
• Univ. Beira Interior (DrªP.Prata)

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• Difficult to keep fruitful links with industry
• Not enough publications in Journals
• Robotics not enough attractive for software
  people

• EI and Agent-based Negotiation for EC and VO
• Sophisticated prototypes have been released
• Good results in competitions by using
  agent-based team coordination
• New research directions like emotion-based
  agents
• and MAS Learning

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• Future Directions

• More efforts on
• Multi-agent Learning
• Emotion-like Agents Architectures
• General framework for Electronic Institutions
  including
• Ontology related Services and Electronic Contracts

• More efforts on the Applications
• Adaptive Negotiation Electricity e-Market
• Simulation Tool for fire-combat training
• Application of EI to a real-life domain

• To keep a fair balance between Research and
  Applications