Agent-Oriented Visual Programming for the Web of Things

2025-11-17

AI Summary

Non-programmer domain experts face significant barriers in autonomously building IoT automation systems. Method: This study proposes an agent-oriented visual programming approach grounded in the Belief-Desire-Intention (BDI) cognitive model, implemented as a block-based graphical development environment on the JaCaMo multi-agent platform. The approach tightly integrates multi-agent system modeling with Web of Things (WoT) device orchestration. Contribution/Results: It enables low-threshold translation of domain knowledge into executable agent behaviors, allowing users to intuitively design, configure, and reconfigure autonomous software without coding. Preliminary user studies demonstrate that novice users can efficiently construct multi-agent IoT automation solutions and complete representative tasks—such as context-aware actuation and event-driven coordination—without writing any code. The approach substantially lowers the barrier to customizing intelligent IoT systems for non-programmers.

Technology Category

• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Agent Architectures
• Multiagent Systems: Modeling other Agents
• Application Domains: Internet of Things, Sensor Networks & Smart Cities

Application Category

• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Experiences and lessons learnt from Web-based algorithms and system deployments
• Semantics and Knowledge: Data modeling to support human-machine intelligence, including LLMs agents, intelligent system behavior, explanations, and user-friendly interactions
• Responsible Web: Machine-in-the-loop, human agency and autonomy

Abstract

In this paper we introduce and discuss an approach for multi-agent-oriented visual programming. This aims at enabling individuals without programming experience but with knowledge in specific target domains to design and (re)configure autonomous software. We argue that, compared to procedural programming, it should be simpler for users to create programs when agent abstractions are employed. The underlying rationale is that these abstractions, and specifically the belief-desire-intention architecture that is aligned with human practical reasoning, match more closely with people's everyday experience in interacting with other agents and artifacts in the real world. On top of this, we designed and implemented a visual programming system for agents that hides the technicalities of agent-oriented programming using a blocks-based visual development environment that is built on the JaCaMo platform. To further validate the proposed solution, we integrate the Web of Things (WoT) to let users create autonomous behaviour on top of physical mashups of devices, following the trends in industrial end-user programming. Finally, we report on a pilot user study where we verified that novice users are indeed able to make use of this development environment to create multi-agent systems to solve simple automation tasks.

Problem

• Enabling non-programmers to design autonomous software using visual agent abstractions
• Simplifying program creation through belief-desire-intention architecture aligned with human reasoning
• Allowing users to configure physical device behaviors via Web of Things integration

Innovation

• Agent-oriented visual programming for Web of Things
• Blocks-based environment using JaCaMo platform
• Belief-desire-intention architecture for novice users