Abstract
The aim of this thesis was to improve on the symbiotic agent. As highlighted in the section on future work for the symbiotic agent in the study, one goal was to increase the flexibility and adaptability of the model in “real time”. The need for improvement is further highlighted by the fact that information technology is constantly improving. Artificial intelligence algorithms and techniques in all areas need to be reviewed and adjusted if the new requirements of the environment are to be met. The thesis starts by considering which research methodology should be used to conduct the research. This is followed by an examination of artificial intelligence and agents. The section that then follows covers the field of computer games and artificial intelligence techniques and algorithms that have been used in the creation of computer games. After this, the original symbiotic agent model is examined along with all the components that make up the symbiotic agent model. The last section that is covered in the literature review is that of membranes, with a focus on biological membranes – in particular, the plasma membrane. The plasma membrane is considered in the context of the cell, where it functions to support the cell. With the literature review completed, the plasma membrane was used as the inspiration for the creation of the control membrane symbiotic agent model. Additional models were also developed and designed. These are the complex communication membranes, which are made up of the following membranes: stacked, semi-merged and unified communication membranes. Establishing the four models led to the fifth and final model, the complex control membrane symbiotic agent, which is a combination of the control membrane symbiotic agent and one of the complex communication membranes. The final step of the thesis was the implementation of the complex control membrane symbiotic agent as a proof of concept. All the variations of the complex control membrane symbiotic agent were implemented in a procedurally generated game environment. The result of the implementation provides some means to compare the various complex membranes that had been implemented inside the control membrane. The contribution of the thesis is not the implementation but the five different models of the symbiotic agents that have been developed to be flexible and adaptable in “real-time” situations.
Ph.D. (Computer Science)