Multi-agent framework for distributed geographic information services

Current on-line Geographic Information Services (GIServices) are inappropriate for modern distributed, heterogeneous network environments as Internet due to their closed architecture, and their lack of interoperability, reusability, and flexibility. The need of an intelligent architecture that can operate in complicated mapping situations and new/unknown environments is becoming manifest. Intelligent agent is the rational entity with big granularity, high-intelligence and autonomy characteristics, and Multi-agent system (MAS) is composed of a number of agents capable of communicating, coordinating, cooperating and even competing with each other. It provides a new approach to implement large-scale, distributed, self-adaptable and complicated software system. In this paper, a multi-agent framework is presented to facilitate constructing intelligent distributed GIServices, which is applied in a real project successfully.