Control apparatus, control system, control method, and program

A control system configured to control a plurality of agents in a distributed manner, each of the plurality of agents being configured to perform a task, wherein

• the larger a number of agents that perform the task is, the greater a possibility that a target for the task will be achieved increases;
• and there are a plurality of tasks in an environment,
• the control system comprises a plurality of control apparatuses, each of the plurality of control apparatuses being configured to control a respective one of the plurality of agents, and
• each of the plurality of control apparatuses comprises:
• hardware, including at least one memory configured to store a computer program and at least one processor configured to execute the computer program;
• a request response processing unit, implemented by the hardware, configured to calculate, based on observation information about the agent controlled by that control apparatus, at least one other agent near the agent, and the task, a request parameter as to whether or not to request help, and a response parameter as to whether or not to respond to a request from the at least one other agent;
• an importance processing unit, implemented by the hardware, configured to perform processing for calculating, based on at least the request parameter of the at least one other agent and the response parameter of the agent, importance of each of the tasks for the agent;
• a task selection unit, implemented by the hardware, configured to select the task to be performed by the agent according to the importance;
• and
• a task execution unit, implemented by the hardware, configured to control the agent so that it performs the selected task.

A control method for controlling an agent configured to perform a task, wherein

• the larger a number of agents that perform the task is, the greater a possibility that a target for the task will be achieved increases;
• and there are a plurality of tasks in an environment, and
• the control method comprises:
• calculating, based on observation information about the agent, at least one other agent near the agent, and the task, a request parameter as to whether or not to request help, and a response parameter as to whether or not to respond to a request from the at least one other agent;
• performing processing for calculating, based on at least the request parameter of the at least one other agent and the response parameter of the agent, importance of each of the tasks for the agent;
• selecting the task to be performed by the agent according to the importance;
• and
• controlling the agent so that it performs the selected task.