Model-driven engineering (MDE), implicitly based upon meta-model principles, is gaining more and more attention in software systems due to its inherent benefits. Its use normally improves the quality of the developed systems in terms of productivity, portability, inter-operability and maintenance. Therefore, its exploitation for the development of multi-agent systems (MAS) emerges in a natural way. In this paper, agent-oriented software development (AOSD) and MDE paradigms are fully integrated for the development of MAS. Meta-modeling techniques are explicitly used to speed up several phases of the process. The Prometheus methodology is used for the purpose of validating the proposal. The metaobject facility (MOF) architecture is used as a guideline for developing a MAS editor according to the language provided by Prometheus methodology. Firstly, an Ecore meta-model for Prometheus language is developed. Ecore is a powerful tool for designing model-driven architectures (MDA). Next, facilities provided by the Graphical Modeling Framework (GMF) are used to generate the graphical editor. It offers support to develop agent models conform to the meta-model specified. Afterwards, it is also described how an agent code generator can be developed. In this way, code is automatically generated using as input the model specified with the graphical editor. A case of study validates the method put in practice for the development of a multi-agent surveillance system.

This article revises the state of the art of the application of agent technology within the scope of surveillance systems. Thus, the potential of the practical use of the concepts and technologies of the agent paradigm can be identified and evaluated in this domain. Current surveillance systems are noted for using several devices, heterogeneous in many instances, distributed along the observed scenario, while incorporating a certain degree of intelligence to alert the operator proactively to what is going on in the observed scenario and prevent the operator from having to observe the monitors continuously. The basic characteristics of the agents (autonomy, reactivity, proactiveness and social ability), along with multiagent systems' characteristics (distributed data management, low coupling, robustness, communication and coordination between autonomous entities), suggest that the agency is a good choice for solving problems which appear and are dealt with in surveillance systems.

This paper introduces a multi-agent system (MAS) approach using the detailed process provided by Prometheus methodology for the design of a moving robot application for the detection and following of humans. Our conjecture is that complex autonomous robotic systems have to be fully modeled in their initial design stages by means of agent-based technology. The application has been completely modeled with the Prometheus Design Tool (PDT), which offers full support to Prometheus methodology. Code has been generated in the agent-oriented programming language JACK.

Abstract