File:Agent-based simulation of a Marine Infantry Squad in an urban environment (IA agentbasedsimula109451872).pdf

This thesis research focused on the design, development and implementation of an agent based simulation of a Marine infantry squad in an urban environment. The goal was to design an autonomous-agent framework that could model a combatantαs decision cycle. A squad entity comprised of these agents was created to explore the idea of team dynamics and the balance between meeting individual goals and team goals. The agents were placed in a two-dimensional, discrete-state, simulation world with a simple model of urban infrastructure. The squad goal was to patrol through the environment using checkpoints. The individual agent goals were to move to a destination and maintain the squad formation. The critical issues of agent movement were collision detection/avoidance, goal managing and forward planning. Distinguishing the agents by their role in the squad allowed a single agent to act as the squad leader. This agent was given the ability to plan a path to accomplish the squadαs overall goal as a series of subgoals, which was successful in getting the majority of the agents to their checkpoints in squad formation. The design of the simulation program facilitates further research in using autonomous agents to model small-units in an urban environment.