A Factor Graph Model of Trust for a Collaborative Multi-Agent System
This addresses trust management for collaborative multi-agent systems, particularly in dynamic and open environments, with an incremental approach building on existing graphical methods.
The paper tackles the problem of trust assessment in multi-agent systems by introducing a factor graph model that represents interdependent behaviors and trustworthiness among agents, validated through simulations and empirical tests with autonomous robots at unsignalized intersections.
In the field of Multi-Agent Systems (MAS), known for their openness, dynamism, and cooperative nature, the ability to trust the resources and services of other agents is crucial. Trust, in this setting, is the reliance and confidence an agent has in the information, behaviors, intentions, truthfulness, and capabilities of others within the system. Our paper introduces a new graphical approach that utilizes factor graphs to represent the interdependent behaviors and trustworthiness among agents. This includes modeling the behavior of robots as a trajectory of actions using a Gaussian process factor graph, which accounts for smoothness, obstacle avoidance, and trust-related factors. Our method for evaluating trust is decentralized and considers key interdependent sub-factors such as proximity safety, consistency, and cooperation. The overall system comprises a network of factor graphs that interact through trust-related factors and employs a Bayesian inference method to dynamically assess trust-based decisions with informed consent. The effectiveness of this method is validated via simulations and empirical tests with autonomous robots navigating unsignalized intersections.