Towards an architecture for self-regulating agents: A case study in international trade

Abstract

Norm-enforcement models applied in human societies may serve as an inspiration for the design of multi-agent systems. Models for norm-enforcement in multi-agent systems often focus either on the intra- or interagent level. We propose a combined approach to identify objectives for an architecture for self-regulating agents. In this paper we assess how changes on the inter-agent level affect the intra-agent level and how a generic BDI architecture IRMA can be adapted for self-regulation. The approach is validated with a case study of AEO certification, a European wide customs initiative to secure the supply chain while facilitating international trade. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2010.