Integrating Industrial Artifacts and Agents Through Apache Camel

TL;DR

This paper presents a method for integrating factory resources using Multi-Agent Systems and Apache Camel middleware, enhancing interoperability in smart factory environments.

Contribution

It introduces a novel Camel component for artifacts, facilitating seamless integration of diverse factory resources within a CPS framework.

Findings

Successful modeling of factory resources as agents and artifacts.

Effective use of Apache Camel to improve interoperability.

Prototype implementation demonstrating practical integration.

Abstract

There are many challenges for building up the smart factory, among them to deal with distributed data, high volume of information, and wide diversity of devices and applications. In this sense, Cyber-Physical System (CPS) concept emerges to virtualize and integrate factory resources. Based on studies that use Multi-Agent System as the core of a CPS, in this paper, we show that many resources of the factories can be modelled following the well-known Agents and Artifacts method of integrating agents and their environment. To enhance the interoperability of this system, we use Apache Camel framework, a middleware to define routes allowing the integration with a wide range of endpoints using different protocols. Finally, we present a Camel component for artifacts, designed in this research, illustrating its use.