Interactive mechanism for cooperative design in web environment based on multi-agent technology

Considering the low efficient of resource reuse for lack of consideration of user´s role, team, design stage, and individuation in design activity, an agent-based interactive mechanism is proposed to build CSCW supported environment. Firstly, an interactive agent model is used to describe user feature in CSCW design activity. The definition of role, people preference, ability description as well as the definition of action, mental state, and other descriptions is formally represented in ABI agent structure. Then, based on analysis of design activity, a general design meta-resource (DMR) structure is constructed as the basic meta-unit to extract, organize, manage, and operate resources. Therefore, by combining user feature with design resource feature into resource matching calculation, design resources are accessed and pushed to the people with more pertinence. A practical resource-based system has been implemented for a jewel design enterprise. The result shows that the system makes design activity more effectively by pushing design resources with a high precision