Cooperation mechanisms in multi-agent robotic systems and their use in distributed manufacturing control: Issues and literature review

This paper provides a brief overview of recent cooperation mechanisms in multi-agent systems in order to establish a starting point for a new framework based on multi-agent systems in manufacturing systems and robotics. The relationships and possibilities of cross-fertilization between robotics and manufacturing systems are presented, and several issues concerning cooperation mechanisms introduced. A literature review is provided and some future prospects proposed.