Table 2 The multi-agent system agents
From: Flexible context aware interface for ambient assisted living
Agent | Role | Details |
|---|---|---|
Sensor data agent | The sensor data agent is responsible for consuming and processing the sensor data and generating a sensor data message for the sensor agent | These two agents have been implemented as in the future the sensor data agent may be installed on a separate linked computer so that the data processing does not slow down the rest of the agent platform. This will allow AALFI to handle a greater volume of sensor data while helping to ensure the user experience through the interface is not affected by increased processing requirements. |
Sensor agent | The sensor agent receives the sensor event messages and determines the sensor event message that is sent to the context agent. | The sensor agent has been implemented to receive sensor event data messages and determine what sensor event has occurred. This is important as without a properly formed sensor event message, the other agents in the MAS are not able to determine what has occurred and what needs to be carried out. |
Context agent | The context agent determines how the context has changed and what has occurred in the environment. | Context that is processed including the time an event occurred, the type of event, how many times the event has occurred and the location of an event. Context is determined based on the sensors in the environment that have been triggered and how these correspond to the activity or event that has occurred. |
Intervention agent | The intervention agent chooses the correct intervention for the event or activity that has been detected. | An intervention agent has been implemented for determining the correct intervention that should occur. This can include a textual message based intervention, playing calming music or displaying pictures. The intervention agent handles the intervention side of the assistance strategy; interventions correspond to activities and events that have just occurred. |
Feedback agent | The feedback agent determines the appropriate feedback to provide to the person through the interface | The feedback agent is designed to offer the feedback side of the assistance strategy. Feedback is different to intervention assistance as it is formed based on historical activities, events, and offered interventions. For this reason feedback assistance functionally has been kept separate from the intervention functionally. |
Graphical User Interface (GUI) agent | The GUI agent is responsible for choosing the correct interface features and functionality | The GUI agent controls and drives AALFI. This agent has been implemented to adapt the interface that the older person interacts with according to the assistance that is chosen and offered. |
Profile agent | The profile agent manages and stores the current person interaction requirements profile. | The profile agent enables the people profile requirements to be set and updated. The profile requirements may be set by the administrator of AALFI prior to AALFI being used according to the older person’s interaction requirements. The interaction requirements may be updated by the older person or a care provider so that changing requirements may be accounted for. |