Multiagent Systems

A good example of a company that is putting multiagent techniques to work in a robotic domain is Kiva Systems. They design and sell automated robots that handle the task of finding items in a warehouse and bringing them to the front to be shipped. Their robots cooperate with each other and stay out of each other's way. Their company history summarizes their motivations well:

Founded in 2003, Kiva is focused on solving real problems in the supply chain. Founder and CEO Mick Mountz experienced the challenges of existing material handling systems firsthand while working at online grocer Webvan. The complexity of existing equipment and processes and the resulting high cost of filling orders ultimately was the downfall of Webvan. It occurred to Mick that there must be a better way to accomplish pick, pack and ship.

Mick then asked himself the simple question, "What if all the products in the warehouse could walk and talk on their own, couldn't they just come to me when I need to fill an order?" To pursue this idea, he sought the help of two experts in the area of complex multi-agent systems, Professors Peter Wurman and Raffaello D'Andrea, and together they began to develop the Kiva concept.

Today, Kiva applies the concepts of "distributed intelligence" to inventory management. Inspired by ant colonies capable of performing large and complex tasks with limited central control, the Kiva system allows inventory to organize itself, adapting to conditions as they change. The resulting solution combines store, move and sort functions into one simple system that can now deliver any item to any operator at any time.

If you are a new graduate, note that the are hiring.