The influence of platinum on the maintenance of α-Al2O3 as a protective scale

The influence of externally located platinum on the isothermal stability of -Al₂O₃ scales formed at high temperatures has been examined. It has been observed that a nickel-base alloy forms an external scale of -Al₂O₃ during oxidation at 1200°C, but this scale breaks down isothermally, enabling a faster-growing Cr₂O₃-rich scale to develop. However, in the presence of platinum metal alongside the specimen in the furnace hot zone, the breakdown of the -Al₂O₃ scale is postponed for a substantial period of time. It appears that platinum, as the volatile species PtO₂, is incorporated into the growing -Al₂O₃ scale where it either influences the stress relief mechanism at temperature or reduces oxidation growth stress generation and thus significantly enhances the isothermal stability of the scale.     

Semi‐global and global containment control of multi‐agent systems with second‐order dynamics and input saturation

This paper considers both semi‐global and global containment control for a second‐order multi‐agent system that is composed by a network of identical harmonic oscillators or double integrators with multiple leaders and input saturation. A distributed low gain feedback algorithm is proposed to solve the semi‐global containment control problem for the network whose topology is directed and initial condition is taken from any a priori given bounded set. In particular, by using a parametric Lyapunov equation approach, M‐matrix properties and algebraic graph theory, an upper bound of the low gain parameter is estimated such that the low gain feedback matrix can be analytically determined without involving numerical computation. Furthermore, under the assumption that the induced subgraph formed by the followers is strongly connected and detail balanced, two linear feedback protocols are designed for coupled harmonic oscillators and coupled double integrators, respectively, to asymptotically achieve the global containment control of the network with any initial condition. Finally, numerical examples are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the theoretical results. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Time Averaging Algorithms with Stopping Rules for Multi‐Agent Consensus with Noisy Measurements

A time averaging technique is introduced to consensus algorithms in networked multi‐agent systems under a noisy environment. Each agent communicates with its neighboring agents via a constant gain, while the time averaging states of the agents are considered as the values for agreement. The variation of the time averaging states then is evaluated at a specific number of iterations, where the number is given explicitly in terms of parameters related to the consensus accuracy and its probabilistic guarantee. This result establishes a rigorous stopping rule for the multi‐agent consensus with noisy measurements. Several results on this type of stopping rules are provided for undirected, directed, and time‐varying communication graphs. These theoretical results are illustrated through numerical examples.     

High‐precision formation control of nonlinear multi‐agent systems with switching topologies: A learning approach

Arbitrary high precision is considered one of the most desirable control objectives in the relative formation for many networked industrial applications, such as flying spacecrafts and mobile robots. The main purpose of this paper is to present design guidelines of applying the iterative schemes to develop distributed formation algorithms in order to achieve this control objective. If certain conditions are met, then the control input signals can be learned by the developed algorithms to accomplish the desired formations with arbitrary high precision. The systems under consideration are a class of multi‐agent systems under directed networks with switching topologies. The agents have discrete‐time affine nonlinear dynamics, but their state functions do not need to be identical. It is shown that the learning processes resulting from the relative output formation of multi‐agent systems can converge exponentially fast with the increase of the iteration number. In particular, this work induces a distributed algorithm that can simultaneously achieve the desired relative output formation between agents and regulate the movement of multi‐agent formations as desired along the time axis. The illustrative numerical simulations are finally performed to demonstrate the effectiveness and performance of the proposed distributed formation algorithms. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Networked Estimation of Multi‐Agent Systems Subject to Faults and Unreliable Information

In this paper, a novel framework for networked estimation of multi‐agent systems subject to presence of actuator faults is proposed. This framework is developed based on the notion of sub‐observers where within a group of sub‐observers each sub‐observer estimates certain states that are conditioned on a given input, output, and other state information. We model the overall estimation process by a weighted estimation (WE) digraph. By selecting an appropriate path in the WE digraph, an assigned supervisor can select and configure a set of sub‐observers to successfully estimate all the system states. In the presence of large intermittent disturbances, noise, and faults certain sub‐observers may become invalid, and consequently the supervisor reconfigures the set of sub‐observers by selecting a new path in the estimation digraph such that the impacts of these uncertainties are confined to only the local estimators. This will prevent the propagation of uncertainties on the estimation performance of the entire multi‐agent system. Simulation results provided for a five satellite formation flight system in deep space confirm the validity and applicability of our proposed analytical work.     

Twenty years of artificial life art

This essay begins with discussion of four relatively recent works which are representative of major themes and preoccupations in Artificial Life Art: ‘Propagaciones’ by Leo Nuñez; ‘Sniff’ by Karolina Sobecka and Jim George; ‘Universal Whistling Machine’ by Marc Boehlen; and ‘Performative Ecologies’ by Ruari Glynn. This essay is an attempt to contextualise these works by providing an overview of the history and forms of Artificial Life Art as it has developed over two decades, along with some background in the ideas of the Artificial Life movement of the late 1980s and 1990s.1 A more extensive study of the theoretical history of Artificial Life can be found in my paper ‘Artificial Life Art—A Primer’, in the Proceedings of DAC09 and also at http://www.ace.uci.edu/Penny. Excerpts from that essay are included here.      

基于认知主导决策模型的陆军合同战术指挥员Agent建模策略

作战模拟系统中陆军指挥员模型建模十分重要,其决策不确定性强,功能实现复杂。针对这一问题,提出了基于认知主导决策模型的建模思想,并针对其计算机实现面临的决策者经验态势结构化描述、经验态势与当前态势自动匹配以及指挥员行为建模等重点难点问题提出了解决策略。     

Bounded Consensus Algorithms for Multi‐Agent Systems in Directed Networks

In this paper, the consensus problem is investigated via bounded controls for the multi‐agent systems with or without communication. Based on the nested saturation method, the saturated control laws are designed to solve the consensus problem. Under the designed saturated control laws, the transient performance of the closed‐loop system can be improved by tuning the saturation level. First of all, asymptotical consensus algorithms with bounded control inputs are proposed for the multi‐agent systems with or without communication delays. Under these consensus algorithms, the states’ consensus can be achieved asymptotically. Then, based on a kind of novel nonlinear saturation functions, bounded finite‐time consensus algorithms are further developed. It is shown that the states’ consensus can be achieved in finite time. Finally, two examples are given to verify the efficiency of the proposed methods.     

面向Agent的软件设计模式

设计模式针对一类在特定上下文中反复出现的问题给出了通用解决方案,模式的提取和重用有助于提高软件开发的效率和质量,其思想和方法已在面向对象软件工程中得到广泛应用和验证。我们认为同一问题采用不同的实现技术往往具有不同的设计形态,不同软件开发范型也有其各自不同的设计模式。作为一种新颖的软件开发范型,近年来面向Agent软件工程的研究取得了长足进展,如何提高软件Agent技术实用性,发挥其技术潜力,扩大其应用范围成为当前人们关注的焦点。本文将模式思想引入到面向Agent软件工程,针对软件Agent技术的特点,从组织结构、交互协作和个体Agent体系结构三个视点提出了一组面向Agent的软件设计模式,以支持多Agent系统的设计;并进一步给出了面向Agent设计模式的描述框架,进行了典型设计模式和应用案例的分析。     

一种基于移动代理的网络安全联合风险评估系统模型

本文建立了一种基于移动代理的网络安全联合风险评估系统模型(MAURA),分析了系统体系结构、各部分功能,并将合同网的协同方法应用到风险评估中,提出了联合风险评估的机制,研究了评估的具体过程,从构造上克服了Agent间分析经验难于共享借鉴的问题。通过自适应的算法调节策略,提高了系统的分析性能,增强了对于外界负载变换的适应能力。仿真实验结果验证了MAURA是一种具有较高分析性能、可自主适应环境变化的网络安全风险评估系统。