A study of Multiagent System operation within dynamic ad hoc networks

Two enabling technologies for envisioned tactical network systems are mobile ad hoc network (MANET) routing and collaborative multiagent systems (MAS). Despite their respective technical value in enabling more distributed, autonomous networking, open research and engineering questions remain regarding robust interoperation, standardization, and design of these two technologies. Little work has been done to date to examine the interaction and performance of distributed agent designs within MANET environments. This paper examines the interactions and effects of running a team of belief-desire-intention (BDI) agents within a wireless network using emerging MANET protocol frameworks. The focus of the interagent communication model applied in this study is a form of MANET multicast routing and is aimed at improving group-based agent collaboration. The developed simulation testing environment is specified and results from various experiments are discussed. We present recent results examining overall MAS task performance vs. related knowledge loss induced by the underlying MANET network disruptions. We conclude by outlining several open issues and areas of further work.