Multi-agent architecture for self-configuring modular assembly systems

Assembly systems today require an increasingly higher level of physical and logical adaptability. Methods and tools are needed to adapt assembly systems to market changes in a timely and cost effective manner. The requirement for increased responsiveness has led to the development of new modular concepts which provide the bases for achieving higher system adaptability through increased component/module interchangeability and reusability. The modularization of physical and control infrastructure does, however, only address one aspect of the issue and there is still a lack of appropriate tools and methods to support the rapid configuration and re-configuration of such systems for changing sets of requirements. This paper proposes an agent architecture for the self-configuration and reconfiguration of equipment modules into systems based on a given set of requirements. A new agent model has been developed which addresses the specific needs of modular assembly systems catering both for physical and logical constraints of the modules as well as their joint emergent behaviour.