Author(s)

F. M. Rachel & P. S. Cugnasca

Abstract

As railway signalling systems hardware improved from mechanical switches and electrical relays to electronic tubes and semiconductors, the software improved from direct control and event-driven approach to object and agent-oriented programming. This paper aims at the use of agent-oriented programming for railway applications. In order to do that some agent basic concepts such as organizations (reactive and cognitive), models (beliefs/desires/intentions and social) and interactions (independent and collaborative) between agents are presented. The AOSE (Agent Oriented System Engineering), as OOSE (Object Oriented System Engineering) some time ago, is a paradigm on multi-agent programming. The main difference between an agent and an object is that the agent must have autonomy while an object must not. An object property is only activated when a control program asks for that property. An agent, instead, must start and manage its own properties in order to perform its objectives. Therefore, a model proposal for train control systems is presented based on multi-agent programming paradigm. In this proposal, trains and stations are modelled as interacting agents, working together in order to achieve a common goal: an optimized train traffic control. Some profits and drawbacks of this approach are also addressed, detaching the importance of multi-agent approach characteristics for railway and train control applications. The AOSE supplies many tools for multi-agent systems design and programming. Keywords: railway signalling systems, train control, multi-agent systems, multiagent programming, multi-agent programming paradigm, AOSE (Agent Oriented System Engineering).

Keywords

railway signalling systems, train control, multi-agent systems, multiagent programming, multi-agent programming paradigm, AOSE (Agent Oriented System Engineering).