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An Agent Approach to Data Sharing in Virtual Worlds and CAD

This paper explores the use of rational agents to enable autonomous data sharing between virtual worlds and CAD systems, specifically focusing on object-based virtual worlds. The approach involves the use of sensors, effectors, and perception to understand the environment and take appropriate actions. The paper provides an example of using interface agents and object agents to facilitate information flows between ArchiCAD and Active Worlds.

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An Agent Approach to Data Sharing in Virtual Worlds and CAD

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  1. An Agent Approach to Data Sharing in Virtual Worlds and CAD Mary Lou Maher, Pak-San Liew, John S Gero Key Centre of Design Computing and Cognition, University of Sydney

  2. Collaborative Virtual Worlds

  3. Object-Based Virtual Worlds

  4. sensors percepts ? environment actions agent effectors Autonomous Agents

  5. Rational Agents Sensors Agent What the world is like now Environment What action I should do now Condition-action rules Effectors

  6. Virtual World Agent Model The World Perception Sensors Conception Hypothesizer Effectors Action

  7. Agents as a Production System Facts Perception Sensors Conception Hypothesizer Effectors Action Controller

  8. : Building Monitor Agents to Support Data Sharing Virtual World (Active World) Application #1 data I n t e r f a c e S P F Object Database (EDM) CAD #1 S P F CAD #2 … Society of Agents data Application #2 … SPF: STEP Physical File

  9. AX Sensor AX Effector Procedural Memory Semantic Memory DB Sensor DB Effector Application X Virtual World (Active World) Working Memory action data push data pull Interface Agent X VR Sensor VR Effector Facade S P F data push F a c a d e Object Database (EDM) CAD #1 Working Memory Procedural Memory DB Sensor data pull S P F DB Effector CAD #2 action … Semantic Memory SPF: STEP Physical File Interface Agent

  10. data path data push data pull action Virtual World (Active World) VR Sensor VR Effector VR Perceptor Conceptor F a c a d e Object Database (EDM) DB Effector Working Memory Procedural Memory DB Perceptor DB Sensor Semantic Memory Memory System Interface Agent

  11. Virtual World (Active World) Interface Agent VR Sensor VR Effector CAD System #1 Reasoning Component Agent Representation Of Model Perception STEP Physical File Object Database (EDM) F a c a d e Conception DB Effector Hypothesizer DB Sensor Action STEP Physical File Controller CAD System #2 …

  12. Virtual World (Active World) Object Agent VR Sensor DB Effector VR Effector Interface Agent VR Sensor VR Effector CAD System #1 Reasoning Component Agent Representation Of Model Perception STEP Physical File Object Database (EDM) F a c a d e Conception DB Effector Hypothesizer DB Sensor Action STEP Physical File Controller CAD System #2 …

  13. Example: Agents for information Flows between ArchiCAD and Active Worlds Walls as defined in ArchiCAD Walls for collaborative design in Active Worlds

  14. Roles of Walls Agent: An Example of an Interface Agent • Maintains consistency of geometrical data between EDM database and AW. • Controls two reversible processes of information flow. • Creates wall agents.

  15. Roles of Wall Agents: An Example of an Object Agent • Assist walls agent to complete the information flow from EDM database to AW. • Build wall objects in AW. • Provide intelligent reasoning to the wall objects in AW.

  16. Walls Agent Controls Info Flows Society of Agents Object Database Wall Agent Virtual World • From EDM database: senses a wall assembly of four separated walls. • To AW: create four wall agents and passes the EDM wall sense data to the wall agents. Walls Agent Wall Agent Wall Agent Wall Agent

  17. Wall Agents Assist Info Flows Society of Agents Object Database Virtual World • From walls agent: each wall agent receives the EDM sense data of a specific wall. • To AW: each wall agent creates a wall object based on the EDM sense data. • In AW: each wall agent provide a kind of intelligent agency to the wall it builds. Walls Agent Wall Agent

  18. Walls Agent Controls Info Flows Society of Agents Object Database Virtual World • From AW: senses the changes of the wall objects built by the wall agents, during design collaborations. • To EDM database: update the EDM database to reflect the above changes. Walls Agent

  19. Walls Agent and Wall Agents • Hierarchical: walls agent creates wall agents. • Walls agent communicates with both EDM database and AW. • Wall agents focus on supporting intelligent agencies in AW. Any communication with EDM database is through walls agent.

  20. Behaviours of Walls Agent • Maintain consistency of geometrical data between EDM database and AW. • Allows querying on non-geometrical information (regarding the whole wall assembly) specified in EDM database from AW.

  21. Behaviours of Wall Agents • Allow querying on non-geometrical information (regarding one specific wall each of the wall agent represents) specified in EDM database from AW. • Reflexive and reflective behaviours during design collaborations: justify issues like fire rating, acoustics, disability control and etc.

  22. Summary • Object-based Virtual Worlds support synchronous collaborative design • Rational agents provide autonomous and proactive data sharing capability between Virtual World platform and CAD • Rational agents support modifications during a collaborative design session

  23. Acknowledgements • Coauthors: Pak-San Liew, John S Gero • Ning Gu for development of wall agent behaviours • Greg Smith for development of agent package for Active Worlds • Funded by the CRC for Construction Innovation in Australia

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