Blockchain for Distributed Consistency: A Cliquebased Framework for Multi-agent Systems

Abstract

Multi-agent systems (MAS) promote developments in various applications such as rescue, tracking, and health care. Through the cooperation of multiple agents, the system can emerge beyond the ability of individual intelligence. However, considering the flexibility and mobility of agents, accountability and trusted interactions among agents have become mandatory aspects. One of the challenges in developing multi-agent systems is the design of appropriate coordination strategies. In this paper, we leverage the features of Ethereum architecture and propose a novel Clique-based distributed multi-agent system. The advantages of our system include secure, self-governing, and tamper-proof properties. We implement our system framework and test custom smart contracts based on a private blockchain in Ethereum. The experimental results show that the resource consumption of our proposed scheme is reasonable and feasible.