Automation 2001 Workshop,
Vienna, June 12-14, 1997


Intelligent Measurement Control
(Using Agents in Measurement Systems)


T. Mészáros, T.P. Dobrowiecki
Dept. of Measurement and Instrument Eng., Technical University of Budapest
Muegyetem rkp. 9., Budapest, H-1521
Phone (+36)-1-166-4938


Absract

Recent trends both in Measurement and Artificial Intelligence suggest that they
should be in tune with each other, however, they are not. Increasing demands
amplified the Computer- based control and information processing components of
instruments; expert systems became accepted and common parts of measurement
systems.
It became clear that measurement is an extremely knowledge intensive area which
requires innovative and joint usage of a number of AI and traditional methods.

Numerous classes of complex problems cannot be solved in isolation, they also
require interacting problem solving entities.  Several industrial applications
show the benefit of using distributed artificial intelligence (DAI) methods,
however, they are not broadly appeared in measuring systems.

As part of a project supported by the Hungarian Scientific Grant and Belgian
Federal Government program authors aim to conceptualize an intelligent
measurement workstation (IMWS), which is capable of designing and performing
complex measurement tasks autonomously.

Authors investigated practical examples of using DAI techniques in this
context. Two specific areas are described in detail: blackboard systems and
coordination of intelligent agents.