Simulation of cooperative control system tasks using hedonistic multi-agents

As control system complexity increases, scalability often becomes a limiting constraint. Distributed systems and multi-agent systems are useful approaches in designing complex systems, but communications for coordination are often a limiting factor as systems scale up. Colonies of social insects achieve synergistic results beneficial to the entire colony even though their individual behaviors can be described by simple hedonistic algorithms, and their available communications are very limited. Cooperative actions emerge from simple fixed action patterns in these insects. Complex control systems formed from a multitude of simpler agents or subsystems, with constrained and limited communications channels may also achieve emergent cooperation. Advantages of such systems are reduced communications complexity, and reduced complexity in any single element of the systems, as well as improved robustness.