MovAgent

GCAI, Grup de Conducta Adaptativa i Interacció, Adaptive Behavior and Interaction Research Group.

Universitat de Barcelona, Spain.

MovAgent Project - PSI 2009-09075

Graphical Windows interface: Axel Guillaumet

MovAgent is an agent-based simulation program that generates flocks in a 2D or 3D virtual world. The program computes indices at each time step of the simulation to quantify the extent to which the group of agents moves in a coordinated way (index of flocking or schooling behavior) and the extent to which specific individuals lead the group (index of hierarchical leadership).

The program implements simple dyadic interaction rules: ideal distances between agents vary as a consequence of the outcomes of their interactions, according to a set of reward rules (Flock Synthesis Rules). A flock or school may emerge (depending on the parameters set by user) when those rules are applied locally, massively and repeatedly. See References for details about the model.

3D simulation sample:

2D simulation sample:

Program history:

• P-SPACE, agent-based simulation of spatial behavior in 2D. 1996-2002. C for MS-DOS.

• P-FLOCK, agent-based synthesis of flocking behavior in 2D. 2003-2008. C for MS-DOS and Windows.

• MovAgent, agent-based synthesis of flocking behavior in 2D and 3D. 2009-2012. C, Delphi and OpenGL for Windows.

References:

• Quera, V., Beltran, F.S., & Dolado, R. (2011). Determining shoal membership: A comparison between momentary and trajectory-based methods. Behavioural Brain Research, 225, 363-366. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2011.07.017

• Quera, V., Beltran, F.S., & Dolado, R. (2010). Flocking behaviour: Agent-based simulation and hierarchical leadership. Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, 13 (2), 8. Online: http://jasss.soc.surrey.ac.uk/13/2/8.html

• Quera, V., Herrando, S., Beltran, F.S., Salas, L., & Miñano, M. (2007). An index for quantifying flocking behavior. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 105, 977-987.

• Beltran, F.S., Salas, L., & Quera, V. (2006). Spatial behavior in groups: an agent-based approach. Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, 9 (3), 5. Online: http://jasss.soc.surrey.ac.uk/9/3/5.html

• Quera, V., Solanas, A., Salafranca, Ll., Salvador, F., & Herrando, S. (2000). P-SPACE: A program for simulating spatial behavior in small groups. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments and Computers, 31 (1), 191-196.

• Quera, V., Salvador, F., Solanas, A., Salafranca, L., & Herrando, S. (2000). A dynamic model for inter-agent distances. In J.-A. Meyer, A. Berthoz, D. Floreano, H.L. Roitblat, & S.W. Wilson (Eds.), SAB2000 Proceedings Supplement, Sixth International Conference on Simulation of Adaptive Behavior: From Animals to Animats (pp. 304-313). Honolulu, Hawaii: The International Society for Adaptive Behavior. ISBN: 0970467303.