Multi-agent behavior composition through adaptable software architectures and tangible interfaces

Cooperative behavior realization is an important aspect of Multi-Agent Systems, and it has been widely addressed by the robotics community. However, the interaction among multiple robots and a human operator still requires a non-negligible effort to be effective. The availability of modern input devices can ease the behavior composition process, allowing a user to train Multi-Agent Systems by using alternative methods. In this paper, we introduce a novel approach to integrate Tangible User Interfaces within a reconfigurable software architecture, for cooperative Multi-Robot Systems. To address a real test case, we implemented a strategy training system for a humanoid RoboCup soccer team. Such a system allows a human coach to train several robotic players by using multiple input interfaces, directly onto the application field. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.