Layered multi-agent architecture with dynamic reconfigurability

This paper presents the software system architecture with the dynamic reconfigurability for highly autonomous systems. The proposed architecture is based on multi-agent model, which is suitable for autonomous, open and distributed systems. Since an agent is too sophisticated as the minimal component that we handle, we define a unit as a simple component of an agent. We present the advanced capability to dynamically reconfigure autonomous systems because their goals and environments vary frequently. We determine the specification of units and agents in order to analyze the behavior of overall system and to implement the dynamic reconfiguration as easy and simple as possible. In this paper, we also discuss the method to guarantee the system behavior during the dynamic reconfiguration in order to operate the robotic system without a hitch at any time, especially while reconfiguring.