Event Tracking in Complex Multi-agent Environments

exercises, the automated pilots must act in a Abstract realistic manner, i.e., like trained human pilots. Otherwise, both the training and tactics The Soar-IFOR project is aimed at developing development in these environments will not be intelligent automated pilots for simulated tactical realistic. air-combat. One key requirement for an automated To act in a realistic manner, an automated pilot pilot in this environment is event tracking: the must, among other things, be responsive to events ability to monitor or track events instigated by in its environment  it must modify and adapt its opponents, so as to respond to them appropriately. own maneuvers in response to relevant events. These events include the opponents’ low level These events may correspond to simple actions of actions, which the automated pilot may directly other pilots, such as changes in heading or altitude, observe, as well as opponents’ high level plans and which the automated pilot may directly observe on actions, which the automated pilot can not observe its radar. Alternatively, these events may involve (but only infer). This paper analyzes the challenges the execution of complex, high-level actions or that an automated pilots must face when tracking plans of other pilots, which the automated pilot can events in this environment. This analysis reveals not directly observe. For instance, one crucial some novel constraints on event tracking that arise event is an opponent’s firing a missile at an from the dynamic multi-agent interactions in this automated pilot’s aircraft, threatening its very environment. In previous work on event tracking, survival. Yet, the automated pilot cannot directly which is primarily based on single-agent see the missile until it is too late to evade it. environments, these constraints have not been Fortunately, the automated pilot can monitor the addressed. This paper proposes one solution for opponent’s sequence of maneuvers, and infer the event tracking that appears better suited for possibility of a missile firing based on them, as addressing these constraints. The solution is shown in Figure 1. The automated pilot is in the demonstrated via a simple re-implementation of an dark-shaded aircraft, and its opponent is in the existing automated pilot agent for air-combat light-shaded one. 1 simulation .