Multi-agent systems in construction–state of the art and prospects

This paper provides an overview of the research and development of multi-agent systems (MAS) in construction. It identifies the key issues in the development and deployment of agent-based systems, and indicates how these issues should be addressed in the construction domain. To do so, this paper first reviews the notions of MAS; discusses agent collaboration mechanisms, and highlights the advantages that MAS could provide to collaborative engineering activities. It then discusses the MAS models developed for different construction problems where agents interact in various ways to solve construction problems. Finally, a number of important issues in the application of agent-based approaches in construction (e.g., potential application areas, development method, and difficulties) are outlined and further analysed.