Educational use of VRML and Java in agent-based AI and computer graphics

This paper describes a VRML2 and Java-based software environment used in a course on interactive computer graphics and agent-oriented Artificial Intel ligence (AI) held at MultiMedia Laboratory of the University of Bielefeld i n the summer term 1998. A virtual environment was developed that can be pop ulated with multiple, autonomous and communicative agents. Agents have limi ted perception of their environment and pursue goals like picking up object s. Environment simulation, agent control, and visualization are distributed using a client/server approach. Implementing their own agents, students we re able to become familiar with key concepts of agent-oriented AI, such as autonomy, sociability, reactiveness, and proactiveness. (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.