1. Robotic telescope networks, agent architectures and event messaging Alasdair Allan Tim Naylor Eric Saunders University of Exeter Iain Steele Chris Mottram Liverpool John Moores University Tim Jenness Frossie Economou Brad Cavanagh Andy Adamson Joint Astronomy Centre, Hawaii

2. VOEvent Workshop, Apr 2005 1 What is an agent anyway? An agent is just software not magic Loosely, an agent is a computational entity which: Acts on behalf of another entity in an autonomous fashion Performs its actions with some level of proactivity and/or responsiveness Exhibits some level of the key attributes of learning, co-operation and mobility

3. VOEvent Workshop, Apr 2005 2 Agents as architecture From a developers perspective there are five major trends which are evident from the history of computing. These are, –ubiquity –interconnection –intelligence –delegation –human-orientation Agent architectures are the next paradigm shift following these trends.

4. VOEvent Workshop, Apr 2005 3 The intelligence thing… The complexity of tasks that we are capable of automating and delegating to computers has grown steadily If you dont feel comfortable with this definition of intelligence, its probably because youre human

5. VOEvent Workshop, Apr 2005 4 The delegation thing… Computers are doing more for us – without our intervention We are giving control to computers, even in safety critical tasks One example: fly-by-wire aircraft, where the machines judgment may be trusted more than an experienced pilot

6. VOEvent Workshop, Apr 2005 5 Multi-agent systems A multi-agent system is one that consists of a number of agents, which interact with one-another. In the most general case, agents will be acting on behalf of users with different goals and motivations. To successfully interact, they will require the ability to cooperate, coordinate, and negotiate with each other, much as people do…

7. VOEvent Workshop, Apr 2005 6 Barriers and Flatness If you put barriers in the way of people who want to do something, they will find ways around these barriers. The real world does not operate in a hierarchical manner. In the real world you usually know someone, who knows someone, who knows what you want.

8. VOEvent Workshop, Apr 2005 7 Peer-to-Peer Agents operate in a peer-to-peer manner and can make use of these interconnections between people and data. Carrying out intelligent resource discovery could mean that your agent looks to your collaborators agent for data and expertise before it looks to central sources.

9. VOEvent Workshop, Apr 2005 8 The world is flat… The world is small and flat, but it is none the less still very complex. Architectures which take account of this are intuitive, and will map well into the real world. Those that do not will have problems. © Terry Pratchett

10. VOEvent Workshop, Apr 2005 9 The eSTAR concept Two fundamental ideas behind the project which makes it unique: Treat telescopes and databases in a similar manner, both being made available on the Observational Grid. The main user of the Grid and the Virtual Observatories (VO) should not be humans, but autonomous intelligent agents.

11. VOEvent Workshop, Apr 2005 10 Multi-agent systems for eSTAR The eSTAR uses the collaborative agent paradigm, with a flat peer-to- peer network topology. A hierarchical system would not be robust, or scale well, and its not the way the real world operates. Weve built the first agent based astronomical system, and it was clearly the correct choice of architecture.

12. VOEvent Workshop, Apr 2005 11 We are not alone… The Thinking Telescope System (Los Alamos) www.thinkingtelescopes.lanl.gov www.thinkingtelescopes.lanl.gov

13. VOEvent Workshop, Apr 2005 12 The short term plan… We have an exciting time ahead: Currently deploying on UKIRT in collaboration with the JAC to do real time GRB follow-up [APR] Deploy eSTAR onto Robonet-1.0 to allow it to carry out observations using adaptive dataset planning and do micro- lensing work this summer [MAY] Finish work on the WFCAM/eSTAR Transient Object Detection Agent in collaboration with the JAC [JULY]

14. VOEvent Workshop, Apr 2005 13 eSTAR and UKIRT All aspects of an observation programme at the JAC are either software readable or software controllable To the agent its irrelevant thats there is a human in the loop Agents now being deployed to carry out GRB follow-up © Nik Szymanek

15. VOEvent Workshop, Apr 2005 14 eSTAR and Robonet-1.0 Searching for extra-Solar planets using gravitational microlensing in the galactic bulge Real time GRB follow-up using the same agent software as UKIRT Consortium open time, a testbed for our adaptive dataset planning work

16. VOEvent Workshop, Apr 2005 15 The eSTAR network © Nik Szymanek UKIRT at JACH User Agents The Grid Embedded Agent Robonet-1.0 Embedded Agent OGLE Observations Alert Agent GCN Alerts Alert Agent Alert Agent WFCAM The VO

17. VOEvent Workshop, Apr 2005 16 In the longer term… Adding more telescopes, means the network becomes heterogeneous. Does that mean more complexity? What about the existing proprietary networks? Need to establish interoperability between the existing networks. Standards based, using RTML over SOAP (and VOEvent for notification?)

18. VOEvent Workshop, Apr 2005 17 The eSTAR meta-network User Agents The Grid Broker Service Proprietary Telescope Network Alert Agent

19. VOEvent Workshop, Apr 2005 18 A Grid Market User Agents The Grid Grid Market Broker Service Proprietary Telescope Network Broker Service Proprietary Telescope Network The Virtual Observatory Broker Service

20. VOEvent Workshop, Apr 2005 19 What about event notification Needs to be, –light-weight, so easily implemented –extensible, so easily modified –built to be interpreted by software, not humans Must take the peer-to-peer nature of agent architectures into account, there will be more parsing of messages going on than you might expect.

21. VOEvent Workshop, Apr 2005 20 What is the minimal specification? Probably needs to specify, –What –Where –When –Who But can get away without, –What –Who

22. VOEvent Workshop, Apr 2005 21 What is a minimal VOEvent?..........

23. VOEvent Workshop, Apr 2005 22 Coordinate representation The following will handle most cases, 24 00 00.0 +45 00 00.0 2004.34 J2000 2005-03-18T12:36:19.619.

24. VOEvent Workshop, Apr 2005 23 More complex cases? But the more complex cases may need STC, http://some.host.ac.uk/documents/event_001.xml 2005-03-18T12:36:19.619.

25. VOEvent Workshop, Apr 2005 24 Instrument representation Can be inline, or you should be able to point to a URI,. http://some.host.ac.uk/document/instrument_description.xml

26. VOEvent Workshop, Apr 2005 25 Pointers to documents? Or perhaps even this, http://some.host.ac.uk/document/rtml_document.xml In some cases you could actually do this, http://some.host.ac.uk/document/voevent_document.xml

27. VOEvent Workshop, Apr 2005 26 Summary Events need to be passed through multiple systems, parsed, interpreted and routed. Need a light-weight standard that is easy to implement. The importance of being able to use URIs to point to (sub-)documents cant be overstressed. And finally, an invitation…

28. VOEvent Workshop, Apr 2005 27 The HTN Workshop July 18 -21 2005 Aims Establish the standards for interoperability between robotic telescope networks Work towards the establishment of an e-market for the exchange of telescope time Establish the standards for interoperability with the Virtual Observatory (VO) for event notification See htn-workshop2005.ex.ac.ukhtn-workshop2005.ex.ac.uk Science Goal Monitor