41 Beyond Objects: Unleashing the Power of Adaptive Agents

James J. Odell, Consultant and Roger M. Burkhart, John Deere

Pan Pacific Hotel
Pavilion A

This tutorial explores a future in which objects come alive as active and mobile agents inside the information networks of an enterprise. It proposes that we think beyond specific assigned roles of intelligent agents to think about entire systems of agents that adapt and evolve to meet larger goals. This tutorial surveys a wide range of agent-based systems, both natural and artificial, that are being studied within the emerging field of research known as Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS), and considers the lessons they offer for the engineering of autonomous object systems. These naturally decentralized systems offer an inherently parallel and scaleable approach to problem solving, along with a robustness of response to complex environments.

Participants will be encouraged to think about objects in entirely new ways, as active, autonomous elements that can integrate with the operation of a business.

Attendee Background: No specific requirements other than basic familiarity with object-oriented concepts, and a willingness to expand them.

James Odell is an IT consultant and practitioner specializing in the object-oriented approach. He was one of the early innovators of data and process modeling, and information engineering methodologies. He is the author of four books on OO and has also written numerous papers and articles on the subject. He is also the co-chair of the OMG's OO A&D Task Force.

Roger Burkhart is a developer and senior architect at John Deere in Moline, IL, where he explores the use of information technology in new business roles. Over the past four years he helped design and build the Swarm simulation system at the Santa Fe Institute. He has been involved in development of object tools since the mid-1980's, and is currently involved in the development of shared information networks for site-specific agriculture.

Tutorials
by Title

Tutorials by
Category

Tutorials
by Thread

Full Description
of all Tutorials

Tutorial
Availability

Last edited 22 September 1998 14:44:05