The evolutionary nature of humans requires agent systems to be continuously replaced due to their inability to meet or adapt to our changing needs. Therefore, to eliminate the need for a human to continuously adapt an agent, evolutionary agents are required [Chu04, Ore99, Rak02, Syc96]. This dissertation develops a feasible option to ensuring that agents continuously develop desirable behaviour. The solution is a specialized architecture that embeds self-evolvement into a target agent. The specialized architecture ensures that desirable behaviour emerges from any agent, as it is embedded between the target agent and the target agent’s environment and therefore is able to obtain domain- and hardwarespecific information from the target agent. The specialized architecture is a comprehensive methodology that incorporates all agents with the ability to embed the required self-evolvement enhancements as domain- and hardwarespecific information is obtained from the target agent. The specialized architecture responsible for embedding self-evolvement into an agent is the generic self-evolvement effecting evolutionary agent (GSEEA). The GSEEA is developed with a single goal, which is to ensure that the target agent meets the requirements of a changing environment. Changing environmental conditions can include different network conditions and different platforms. The GSEEA’s goal is accomplished by embedding the required self-evolvement enhancements into the target agent to produce a self-evolvement enhanced agent. In this dissertation the GSEEA is implemented to demonstrate its feasibility and problem-solving accuracy. In the GSEEA implementation the target agent is a puzzle-solving agent and the self-evolvement enhanced agent is the selfevolvement enhanced puzzle-solving agent. The GSEEA’s deliberative component consists of two algorithms, namely a genetic algorithm and a learning algorithm. The GSEEA’s genetic algorithm develops knowledge base rules (selfContents III evolvement enhancements) that modify actuator information. The GSEEA’s learning algorithm updates developed knowledge base rules by modifying sensor information. The GSEEA tests the developed self-evolvement enhancements by embedding them into the target agent through the target agent’s knowledge base manager, evaluating the developed self-evolvement enhancements and deleting those which do not enhance the target agent. The target agent achieves selfevolvement as additional enhancements required by the self-evolvement enhanced agent can be achieved by applying the same process followed to enhance the target agent which was discussed previously. The evaluation of the GSEEA implementation demonstrated that the GSEEA was implemented successfully based on feasibility and problem-solving accuracy as the self-evolvement enhanced puzzle-solver agent outperformed the puzzlesolver agent. / Prof. E.M. Ehlers
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uj/uj:7683 |
| Date | 13 August 2008 |
| Creators | Ferreira, Chantelle Saraiva |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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