The Influence of Communication Structure on Performance of an Agent-based Distributed Control System
Andreja Malus, Rok Vrabic, Dominik, Matjaz Gams
Electronic Devices, Vol. 7, No. 2, 2018.
DOI: 
Link: http://www.dline.info/ed/fulltext/v7n2/edv7n2_2.pdf
Abstract:
Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is a new concept denoting extensive use of ubiquitous connected devices on the manufacturing shop floor. While most recent research in this area focuses on the monitoring capabilities of IIoT and on the
resulting data analysis, IIoT also presents an opportunity from the perspective of distributed control. The paper suggests that
agent based control of an industrial process can be realized by a multiagent system in which each agent is able to learn the
influence of its actions on the behaviour of the system and to communicate with other agents in its proximity. Influence of the
communication structure on performance, robustness, and resilience are analysed for a case of an industrial compressed air
system. The simulation results suggest that in such systems, communication between the supply and the demand side improves resilience, while the robustness is improved through learning.