A Research on a Next Generation Information Processing System

本研究项目的主要活动是推广由Norio Shiratori教授提出的一种新的信息处理范式--柔性计算。这项研究的目的是首先克服目前信息处理的弊端，同时预见随着新世纪的到来将进一步出现的问题，最后创造一个即使不是最好的也可以优雅地解决这些问题的环境。基于柔性计算概念的柔性信息系统环境研究分为三个不同的领域：1.柔性通信网络；2.柔性人机界面；3.软件开发柔性支撑系统。在本研究中，我们给出了柔性计算的基本概念，它具有合理性和共生性两个主要特征。理性意味着它应该是务实、高效和具有成本效益的。共生意味着人和机器的共存，对双方都有利。在此基础上，提出了一种基于多智能体系统的柔性信息系统体系结构。最后，我们将它们应用到视频会议系统中，展示了柔性计算的有效性。

The main activities in this research project is to promote a new information processing paradigm, named Flexible Computing, proposed by Prof.Norio Shiratori. The purpose of this research is first to overcome the drawbacks of present day information processing, simultaneously to foresee the problems that would further sprout with the coming of the new century, and finally to create an environment which could solve those problems in a graceful way, if not optimally. The flexible information system environment research based on the concepts of flexible computing is classified into three different areas as follows : 1.Flexible communications network, 2.flexible human interface and 3.flexible support system for software development. In this research, we have given the basic concept of Flexible computing which has two main characteristics, rationality and symbiosis. Rationality means it should be pragmatic, efficient and cost effective. Symbiosis means the coexistence of man and machine to the advantage of both. Then we have proposed an architecture of the flexible information system based on multi-agent system. Finally, we have applied them to video conference systems and shown the effectiveness of the Flexible computing.