Ambient Intelligence in Distributed Modular Systems

Analyzing adaptive possibilities of agents in multi-agents system, we have discovered new aspects of ambient intelligence in distributed modular systems using intelligent building blocks (I-BLOCKS) [1]. This paper describes early scientific researches related to technical design, applicable experiments and evaluation of adaptive processing and information interaction among I-BLOCKS allowing users to easily develop ambient intelligence applications. The processing technology presented in this paper is embedded inside each DUPLO1 brick by microprocessor as well as selected sensors and actuators in addition. Behaviors of an I-BLOCKS modular structure are defined by the internal processing functionality of each I-Blocks in such structure and communication capacities between I-BLOCKS. Users of the I-BLOCKS system can do 'programming by building' and thereby create specific functionalities of a modular structure of intelligent artefacts without the need to learn and use traditional programming language. From investigating different effects of modem artificial intelligence, I-BLOCKS we have developed might possibly contain potential possibilities for developing applications in ambient intelligence (AmI) environments. To illustrate these possibilities, the paper presents a range of different experimental scenarios in which I-BLOCKS have been used to set-up reconfigurable modular systems. The paper also reports briefly about earlier experiments of I-BLOCKS in different research fields, allowing users to construct AmI applications by a just defined concept of modular artefacts [3].