Invisible Helpers in the World of Networked Computers
Agent Technology Siemens Developments
They work quickly and efficiently and relieve their users of routine tasks. Siemens researchers are developing intelligent software units that can, for example, search for hard-to-find specialists or the best travel connections in a completely autonomous manner.
If Jörg Müller and Michael Berger have their way, everyone will one day have a whole slew of willing assistants to relieve them of tiresome tasks or the tedious search for information. The two scientists from Intelligent Autonomous Systems at Siemens Corporate Technology (CT) have very real plans for their vision. Together with eleven colleagues, they are working on creating an environment in which agents will be able to simplify our daily activities. "Agents are nothing more than software units that communicate autonomously with other agents in order to complete their assignments," says Müller. "The key difference between agents and conventional computer programs is that the former are equipped with a profile of their user's preferences and go into action on their own initiative." The researchers' goals are certainly ambitious. The programmable companions to James Bond have to be just as good as the original hero. They must be able to communicate and negotiate, take the initiative in difficult situations and make decisions autonomously.
The PTA is an electronic travel support program based on a multi-agent system. Different modes of transport and up-to-the-minute traffic, hotel and parking space information are linked via various agents and services in a manner that enables users to reach their destinations as efficiently and conveniently as possible
Nevertheless, Siemens' primary goal is not only to develop the necessary software but also the complete solutions that offer customers competitive advantages. There are already numerous application possibilitiesin telecommunications, for example, when it becomes necessary to circumvent over-burdened lines or search for the least expensive connections. Or in industry, where autonomous assistants could help out with inspections and maintenance, or take control of complex production processes. What Müller and Berger are attempting to build are modular platforms based on proven network technologies. In addition to services like the Yellow Pages, these platforms could contain tools for setting up agents and programming them. "The goal is to make available an open library of algorithms that can be used by programmers," says Berger. This would make it possible not only to link various agents together so that they can conduct specialized missions, but also to provide them with the equipment they need."
Characteristics of Agents
- Flexibility/mobility: They must be able to function on numerous platforms, networks and operating systems and be capable of solving technical problems without instructions from their users.
- Transparency/responsibility: If necessary, agents must be absolutely transparent for their users/owners and be equipped with the ability to document their actions (where they were, what they did, and with whom they communicated).
- Robustness/ability to react: They must be capable of dealing with errors, insufficient resources, low-performance servers and incomplete data as well as being able to solve as many problems as possible without human intervention. They must be able to react in a timely manner to changes in their environment.
- Autonomy: They must be able to autonomously initiate and conclude their assignments, regardless of whether such assignments are immediate, hourly, daily, weekly or monthly.
- User-focus: An agent must act in the interest of its owner and complete its tasks as instructed, without any deviations.
- Adaptability/ability to learn: An advanced agent must be able to change its behavior based on its experiences
- Communication: Agents communicate with other agents and, if necessary, directly with humans as well
A particularly successful example of the work along these lines is Siemens' HR (Human Resources) NetAgent for the labor market. The Federal Social Security Office in Berlin is currently testing the system in pilot operations, with the ultimate goal of using it to help recruit qualified personnel via the Internet in the future. NetAgent helps companies set up specific job profiles and then automatically searches various databases to find the right applicants. It not only compares job profiles with information on prospective applicants but also makes a preliminary selection and establishes a ranking of applicants.
Not only do employers benefit from digital headhuntersan adapted portal can also be used to help young people find an appropriate training program. Prospective trainees enter their professional goals and their resume into a server and are later informed of possibilities via SMS. With a WAP-enabled cell phone, they can also view the number of site hits, activate a job-application function and arrange for an interview.
But there are more complex tasks to be dealt with these days than simply finding a suitable candidate for a job vacancy. People are becoming more and more mobile and require tools to help them find the information they need in the shortest possible timeregardless of whether the issue is coordinating a service team or planning a trip. Here it makes sense to have several agents cooperate with one another. The Personal Travel Assistant (PTA) is a good example of an electronic travel support service based on a multi-agent system. PTA was developed on behalf of the German Ministry of Research by a group of partners from industry and the research community for use in the MOTIV (German acronym for Mobility and Transport in Intermodal Transportation) project. Siemens was responsible for developing the agents in the project.
The goal is to link transportation systems with travel information in a manner that provides users with optimal mobility. Travelers hook up to the PTA server via a PC with an ISDN connection, or through the Internet, a cell phone or a Palmtop with a mobile communications card. They then commission a special agent that does all the rest of the work. The agent searches for appropriate plane or train connections, makes hotel or restaurant reservations, continually provides its "customer" with the latest traffic information and adapts its activities to the user's needs and preferences. If, for example, the user does not have a driver's license, the PTA will offer him or her a train connection rather than a rental car possibility. Up to date information from traffic management centerse.g. concerning traffic jams, train or plane delaysis also provided, and parking guidance systems can be called up as well. All of this serves to help draw up an optimal route that takes into account all modes of transportation.
How do you visualize a software agent? Maybe as a butler (Ask Jeeves), or a ghost. Or would you prefer a playful monkey (Bonzi-Buddy)?
Another complex procedure is to put together a mobile team to perform a range of tasks. Such applications could support telecommunications companies or energy providers in the event of emergencies, or when performing maintenance and inspections. After all, automated workforce management can save money and make work processes more efficient. Here, the experts at CT also have a solution, which was developed within the framework of the EU's project LEAP (Lightweight Extensible Agent Platform). "LEAP is based on a scalable platform that is designed for use with mobile terminals such as Palms, pocket PCs, personal digital assistants or cell phones," Berger explains. "The scalable platform was developed by Siemens."
This technology will now be put to the test. Siemens and several other companies, including Motorola and Telecom Italia Labs, will demonstrate how it can be used to coordinate virtual teams as well. Field tests are already being conducted with mobile service teams at British Telecom (in Great Britain) and the German automobile association (ADAC), which is using the system for its mobile service teams in the Munich region.
MAP users can delegate complex tasks to a software agent. Because agents complete their assignments autonomously, security considerations are crucial. After all, agents do their work on behalf of their owners, performing tasks such as closing contracts and conducting payment transactions
The management system is designed to autonomously register calls for assistance, such as in the case of a damaged cable or a car breakdown. It then organizes an appropriate team to deal with the specific problem. When doing this, the system must put together the right team, taking into account the skills that are needed, the distance of the specialists to the location of the problem, plus other factors such as overtime flexibility and general availability. Another pioneering project is MAP (German acronym for Multimedia Workplace of the Future), which is being funded by the German Ministry of Economic Affairs (BMWi). This pilot project, which began in March 2001 and incorporates 18 partners, involves the development of an assistance system for the working environment, with a focus on the building industry. MAP's main aim is to link all information in a user-friendly system. For example, users should be able to choose whether they wish to enter data via a keyboard, gesture or voice command. MAP also can be used anywhere, as it adapts itself to every environment and terminal.
Instead of endless blueprints and plans, architects and construction foremen can use a small laptop or electronic organizer to access or update the data they need. They are supported in their work by a personal software agent that glides through the network according to commands issued by its boss, and subsequently provides the results of its efforts. In the ideal situation, the orders issued by voice command should contain the entire chain of research tasksfrom the search for the least expensive supplier of concrete in the vicinity to the closing of a legally binding contract.
But the construction industry is just the beginning. MAP can also be used just as effectively in administrative departments and other areas. Regardless of where it is used, security is a top priority. After all, the agent performs its tasks on behalf of those who issue commands; it conducts negotiations, closes contracts and takes care of payments. Protective measures are therefore necessary to secure the integrity of the system and the data.
Siemens and the Institute for Graphic Data Processing at the Fraunhofer Society were commissioned by the consortium to develop the data security system, since "the usability and acceptance of MAP depends on this," as Kai Fischer, security expert at CT, points out. Fischer and his colleagues are currently setting up a special security architecture for mobile agents as part of a subprojectand they're venturing into new territory in the process. That's because no existing agent platform offers the necessary infrastructure for applications in an open network and electronic marketplaces. The goal of the research being conducted is thus to create tools and methods for analyzing security requirements and subsequently implement the appropriate measures. A range of questions have to be addressed here. For example, how can disruptive agents attempting to steal data be identified? How can you determine whether or not your own agent has been manipulated? How can you be sure that the actions taken are in accordance with data protection and digital signature law? What rights should be granted to mobile assistants? Should they have some of the rights of their ownersfor example, to check bank balances but not to conduct transactions?
Here, too, a modular platform will serve as the basis for mobile agents. This platform will be able to incorporate security measures and other functions (see above). "There is no standard procedure that can cover all the demands that will be made on mobile agents," says Fischer. "That means we have to further develop existing security protocols." And that's exactly what researchers at Siemens are doingby installing components such as cryptographic systems for use in authentication procedures for agents, and digital signature programs for users.
The process will involve the creation of a high-performance, SmartCard-based public key infrastructure with encryption systems and certificates. "Right now, we're studying various procedures and protocols, modifying them as needed and testing them," says Fischer. The security technology will be put through its paces until the end of this year, after which it will undergo a field test within the realm of a specially created scenario. The results of this test will then be incorporated into Version 2 of MAP.
MAP users will get much more than just another anonymous software program. In fact, the agent will have a face. But what should it look like? Should it have the appearance of a cartoon character or should it be more human-like? Should the agent be something like an advisor or more like a colleague? Humble or domineering? Nina Sandweg from the User Interface Design Center (UID, see The Fine Art of Listening to the Customer) is addressing such questions. "Since the agent will be equipped with the ability to think, decide, react and learn, it will also have to be convincing," she says. "A personified agent would certainly simplify interaction, but if it becomes too human, users will at some point come to believe that they are dealing with a real person and will begin to overestimate the abilities of their electronic assistants."
Avatars ...
... are incarnations of Hindu gods: The word "avatar" comes from the ancient Indian language Sanskrit. In Hindu mythology, avatars are incarnations of gods that come down to earth to join humans. These days, avatars refer to virtual creatures whose appearance is based on living people or the imagination of programmers. They normally serve as game figures used by players in cyberspace. However, they are increasingly being used by private companies as salespersons and consultants in online shops, and for e-banking applications.
MAP agents are therefore put through extensive testing at the Siemens UID lab. That's because the success of the technology will depend to a great extent on its user-friendliness and the level of acceptance it receives. After all, it represents the interface between the user and the system as a whole. One of the ways Sandweg was able to determine the demands that will be placed on agents was through a series of customer surveys. These revealed the most important issues to be:
- Control: Users must be able to "override" the agent at any time.
- Predictability: Users must be aware of the rules according to which the agent operates.
Laws for robots
Scientist and science fiction author Isaac Asimov formulated the famous three laws of robotics, which, according to the computer experts and authors Richard Murch and Tony Johnson "at some point, probably all agents will be programmed to obey," The laws are as follows:
First law: A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
Second law: A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the first law.
Third law: A robot must protect its own existence, except where such protection would conflict with the first or second law.
In certain areas, it may be useful to not only lend the agent a face, but also a bodyin the form of an avatar, for example (see avatar). These creatures made out of bits and bytes will be an indispensable part of the virtual world. They will show users exactly where in cyberspace they happen to be at a given time and provide information on other Internet surfers at that location. Avatars will play with children and negotiate with business partners. They will sing and read out news. Under such circumstances, surfers may well forget that the avatar agent is ultimately just a robot whose behavior and reactions can be programmed, and may start to believe they are dealing with a real person.
Don't laugh. Advanced avatars are already capable of depicting voices, gestures and facial expressions, as well as communicating through "blurbs," as in a comic strips. And as young people grow up with artificial stars like Lara Croft or the Japanese pop icon Kyoko Date, it is conceivable that avatars may one day become virtual versions of the users themselves. This would make it possible to conduct international conferences, business negotiations and presentations on an almost completely virtual levelas soon as gesturing and multimedia animation techniques are sufficiently advanced.
Agents can provide assistance to young people who are looking for a job, and even organize interviews
The challenge here is to make the avatars as simple as possible while at the same time ensuring the efficient transmission of data. The MPEG-4 standard could be of assistance here. "This coding procedure makes it possible to transfer multimedia data like video, audio, text or pictures much more rapidly over the Internet," says Siemens researcher Thomas Riegel. He and his colleagues have developed an application known as "talking heads," which is based on the MPEG-4 standard. The "talking heads" are actually avatar models that take the form of human heads and are capable of speech and movement. With MPEG-4, a data transfer rate of only 4 kbit/s is adequate to control the heads. This means such depictions can be displayed on today's GSM cell phones, provided the receiver is already equipped with a model head. The only problem is that there is still no universal browser with which all possible MPEG-4 components of a multimedia signal can be depicted in any combination. Moreover, holding a virtual video conference, for example, would require real time analysis of the animation parameters for the facesomething current systems are far from being able to deal with.
"Talking heads" technology puts speaking avatars on every cell phone. Data transmission rates of just a few kilobits per second suffice
There are, however, already many application areas for these animated heads where real time processes are not important. These include e-shops, personalized portals and call centers. The majority of the costs at such facilities are generated through the processing of standard inquiries, and in most cases, an agent or avatar with "average intelligence" would be able to solve problems or provide the correct answers.
Riegel and his colleagues have already improved their application. Their "basic face" can now express emotions such as happiness, anger, surprise, pleasantness, annoyance and sadness. These "preprogrammed" gestures would make real time systems unnecessary, since developers can easily adapt the agent's facial expression to any given mood. "This means we can gradually implement a system that incorporates human communicative behavior," says Riegel.
However, higher transmission capacities are required for downloading 3D scenarios with authentically designed figures. The researchers can only hope that UMTS will soon be introduced on a wide scale. The third-generation mobile communications standard provides for a considerably higher data transfer rate than GSM. Riegel believes that, "in a few years, you'll be seeing 3D depictions on cell phone displays." Paying a visit to a virtual chat room or e-shop with a cell phone will then no longer be a problem. Users will be able to decide for themselves the form they assume in the virtual world and the face their agents will wear. Maybe Emma Peel or Hercule Poirotor better yet, James Bond.
Evdoxia Tsakiridou