X-MAS ALFA PROJECT

Exchanging Multi-Agent Systems Technology

X-MAS is a network of six partners from both, Europe and Latin America, which is funded for the year 1996 by the European Union through the ALFA European Program.
X-MAS Project has already finished. A complete report assembling all the contributions have been produced and sent to the ALFA Program secretariat in Brussels. As a consequence of the technology transfer one PhD has started (from TecPar/Curitiba) and another has been finished (UFRGS). Moreover one Masters Thesis (from CEFET/Curitiba) has also been presented based on the precise topic that had been selected by the consortium as illustrative of the Multi-Agent Systems technology (Decentralized Corrosion Control in oil refineries). 

X-MAS Partners

of five different countries are the following: Coordinator is

Eugenio C. Oliveira

who is Professor at the University of Oporto, Department of Computing and Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, and the responsible for the NIAD&R-Distributed Artificial Intelligence & Robotics Laboratory.
E-mail: [email protected]

Mail: Faculdade de Engenharia, Rua dos Bragas, 4099 PORTO codex, PORTUGAL
Fax: (351) 2 319280

X-MAS OBJECTIVES

The main objectives of X_MAS is the transference of know-how, both methods and techniques in the field of Distributed Artificial Intelligence in general and of Multi-Agent Systems in particular to interested Latin American partners. More specificaly, what has to be achieved is the identification of classes of relevant problems in Brasil and/or Argentina Industry and/or Services that can benefit from the Multi-Agent Systems approach. Activities that are envisaged include meetings and workshops open to representatives of potential application domains, in Latin America. It is foreseen that Energy distribution, oil refinaries, banks could be important sectors that could be receptive to Multi-Agent Systems technology. It is expected that Latin American partners will be able to be in close touch with these application fields in order to raise their interest on future projects. Moreover, one of the Brasilian partners (CEFET) will make the interface with TECPAR, a technological Institute from Parana' which is directly working with industry. UTC has also experience on collecting problems from industry, as well as to select and present to them possible solutions. Jean-Paul Barthes is the head of IIIA, the Institut International d'Intelligence Artificielle, sponsored by several important European companies. FEUP and QMWC will be more on the theoretical side, due to their know-how on Agents architecture, Agents Cooperation (including both, Negotiation and Conflict Resolution), and other advanced features like Truth Maintenance and Agents intensionality. FEUP is also in charge of the project coordination. It is also expected some contribution on Agents communication languages by the UFRG partner. At the end of the project we intend to deliver descriptions of possible solutions for relevant problems through the use of Multi-Agent Systems Technology. 

X-MAS MEETINGS

Relevant BIBLIOGRAPHY

Papers from Nick Jennings are directly available in Post-script (and zipped) format, from the following address:


Papers from Eugenio Oliveira are directly available in Post-script format, by clicking the following link: