An animated metaphor for agent oriented programming

Abstract

The term Animated Systems has been introduced in the bibliography in reference to interactive dynarnic worlds simulations, composed of interacting independent objects [Tra96]. Simulation is a powerful tool because it allows the construction of virtual worlds that model a part of the real world. The laws of physics, the animal behavior patterns, are no longer abstract theories, and they transform into tangible realities. Through the creation, the observation and the modification of the virtual world it is possible to obtain an enhanced comprehension of the world that is being modeled. The most flexible way to create a simulation is by programming it [Cyp95]. The environments and languages of conventional programming allow the development of virtual worlds, but they are not adequate for this task. The conception of a program as a sequence of instructions, on what the procedural model is based, requires a considerable capacity for mental contortion. Even object oriented prograrnming, based on message passing, demands a strong level of abstraction. In particular, they are too complex for novice users. We cannot eliminate the inherent complexity of the problem of building a virtual world, but we can search for tools that are expressive enough so the task is not complicated any further. So, the construction of dynamic worlds requires paradigms, environments and prograrnming languages that provide a new way of thinking about programs [Cyp94]. This article proposes agent based prograrnming as a metaphor for building worlds of interactive autonomous objects. This alternative is attractive because it is natural to build animated systems on the base of a metaphor that takes elements of live agents of the real world to build a virtual world.