Formalizing tool use in intelligent environments

Abstract

A concept of capability in multi-agent systems that incorporates a notion of tools that are available to an agent in the environment is formalised. Using tools as the realisation of external capability requires less theoretical apparatus than modelling the interaction between agents. The contribution of this paper is a formal BDI logic for expressing and manipulating properties of rational tool-using agents, termed here as extrospective agents. The logic is based on separating the agent actions and tool operations to manage the complexity of agent-agent and agent-environment interactions.