Field-Based Coordination for Pervasive Multiagent Systems

Marco Mamei is research associate at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, where he received the PhD in computer science in 2004. His current research interests include distributed and pervasive computing, swarm intelligence, and multiagent systems. He is a member of the IEEE, AIIA and TABOO. Franco Zambonelli is professor in Computer Science at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia since 2001. He obtained the Laurea degree in Electronic Engineering in 1992, and the PhD in Computer Science in 1997, both from the University of Bologna. His current research interests include: distributed and pervasive computing, agent-oriented software engineering, self-organization in distributed systems engineering. In these areas, he has published over 120 papers in international fora, co-edited 7 books, received several best paper awards, and has been invited speaker and tutorialist in several international conferences and workshops. He is a member of IEEE, ACM, AIIA, and TABOO.

From the reviews: "This volume is an excellent summary of the state of research to date; a concise guide for new adopters of field-based coordination; and a stimulating survey of potential research areas. It will be valuable both as a textbook for advanced undergraduate courses in multiagent systems and as a reference for active researchers in the field." (H. Van Dyke Parunak, ACM Computing Reviews, November, 2011)

• The Scenario.- Upcoming Information Technology Scenarios.- The Role of Coordination and the Inadequacy of Current Approaches.- Modeling Field-based Coordination.- Field-Based Coordination.- Co-Fields and Motion Coordination.- Implementing Field-based Coordination.- Commercial Off-The-Shelf Implementations.- Tuples On The Air (TOTA).- Advanced Applications.- Content-Based Information Access and Coordination.- Self-Assembly in Mobile and Modular Robots.- The Cloak of Invisibility.- Conclusions.