Exploring Heritage Locations Based on Multi-Agent Systems رسالة ماجستير

Abstract

This thesis presents a forward step in modeling digital heritage system from Multi-Agent System (MAS) perspectives in the heritage locations. Furthermore, it presents the relations and interactions between the main actors; visitors, location and content in the digital heritage domain. It focuses on delivering the content to the visitors at the right time, appropriate method and the changing behavior of the visitor. Our approach considers the cultural heritage as a field of application, where visitors of heritage locations can explore information in real-time and contribute in providing content to enhance the available information. In this work we deal with heritage locations environment as a complex adaptive system (CAS). The complexity of such systems raises from the diversity of the visitor’s communities and their dynamic behavior inside the location. In addition, in this environment the set of visitors changes dynamically over time and many users may be viewing the same Point of Interest (PoI) at the same time. Finally the complexity expands due to the process of delivering the right content to these visitors according to their individual characteristics and preferences, in addition to the changes in their behaviors. 5 We use Multi-Agent System (MAS) as a tool to reduce the complexity in the environment, and we propose a model which is composed of a set of agents that interact and collaborate to 1) Create visitor’s profile and track his dynamic behavior in the physical space of the heritage location. 2) Plan a personalized tour according to the visitor’s profile. 3) Detect and solve conflicts in the planned tours in real time. 4) Simplify the visitor’s interaction between the physical environment (heritage location) and the virtual system (application). We build a prototype based on JDAE platform which demonstrates our model with proposed agents and the interactions between them. The process of choosing the tours, adapt the changes, and deliver information has also been considered.