Biologisch-geïnspireerde coördinatie en sturing in grootschalige dynamische systemen (BioCo3).

This interdisciplinary project (involving computer science, biology, operations research and logistics expertise) studies decentralized approaches for controlling large-scale, dynamic systems - e.g. for controlling a large number of vehicles that need to accomplish transport tasks for clients (package delivery service). Achieving efficient and effective collective behavior is known to be quite a challenge, esp. if the systems are large in scale and submitted to changing operating conditions. Complex collective behaviour occurs in many socio-biological systems. Social insects, e.g., are able to find the shortest path to food sources without any central control, or can build enormously complex nests with built-in ventilation systems, or divide the work such that the chances of survival are optimal. Some socio-biological mechanisms for collective behavior have already been studied in the context of computing (e.g. stigmergy and digital pheromones, or in discrete optimization techniques, such as ant colony optimization, artificial immune systems, genetic algorithms). It becomes apparent, however, that (1) large-scale and dynamic systems still hold major challenges, and (2) many socio-biological concepts and techniques have been unexplored. The project therefore aims to study advanced concepts and mechanisms, known from social biological systems, and their applicability in decentralized control systems. To guide the research, the project will use concrete application scenarios, based on decentralized control in pickup-and-delivery problems (PDPs).

Trefwoorden:Bio-inspired, Distributed software, Coordination, Large-scale dynamic systems, Delegate MAS, Pickup and delivery

Disciplines:Dierkundige biologie, Genetica, Toegepaste wiskunde, Statistische en numerieke methoden, Computerarchitectuur en -netwerken, Distributed computing, Informatiewetenschappen, Informatiesystemen, Programmeertalen, Scientific computing, Theoretische informatica, Visual computing, Andere informatie- en computerwetenschappen, Infrastructuur, transport en mobiliteitsingenieurswetenschappen, Andere mechanische en productie ingenieurswetenschappen