Multi-Agent Simulation Suite (MASS)

Category Cross-Omics>Agent-Based Modeling/Simulation/Tools

Abstract The Multi-Agent Simulation Suite (MASS) consists of four (4) major components offering solutions for different aspects of modeling.

Each of the components is developed with the intention of providing professional tools for users without heavy programming skills.

Unlike most other modeling tools the manufacturer's software offers user-friendly interfaces and handy wizards for writing models, creating visualizations or analyzing simulation data.

1) The Functional Agent-Based Language for Simulations (FABLES) is a programming language and its integrated development environment (IDE) developed by AITIA, was specially designed for creating agent- based simulations.

It requires minimal programming skills, as its formalism is similar to the mathematical formalism used in publications on the subject.

FABLES has a whole range of functions intended to make the use of the language much easier like the language assistant, syntax highlighting, bracket matching and the context sensitive help.

An observation wizard is also provided with the language, which makes it easy to create visualizations from the simulations. With the above- described IDE this constitutes what is called ‘Integrated Modeling Environment’.

FABLES features/capabilities --

2) The Participatory Extension (PET) is a web-based environment for creating, administrating, and participating in agent-based and participatory simulations.

The use of PET relies on mechanisms and practices users do every day while browsing web-pages on the internet.

The Participatory Extension is more than a module that enables participatory simulations. It's an application that incorporates MASS components into one www interface compatible with any of the major web browsers.

It enables the users to administrate, run and participate in simulations in a way that they are familiar with, applying the mechanisms and practices they use every day while browsing web-pages and using other web-based applications.

As PET is designed for multiple users; it has a user management system that enables defining various user groups and permission levels thus allowing one to differentiate between users who can create models, start or just take part in simulations.

One of the main goals of PET is the ability to be a reliable and adequate tool in training and education and it also incorporates specific features such as questionnaire and other educational material management to do so.

PET features/capabilities --

3) The Model Exploration Module (MEME) is a tool that enables orchestrating experiments, managing results and has support for their analysis.

It allows the user to run simulations in batches with various parameter settings, and to store, manage and analyze data thus produced.

MEME stands for the Model Exploration Module of MASS. Models are generally used for studying, or exploring the behavior of certain real phenomena in different circumstances.

This is done by observing various factors of the model during (or at the end of) unattended, usually long and/or a large number of simulations or the batch running of experiments.

These observations produce huge amounts of raw data that need to be managed and analyzed.

MEME is a tool for dealing with the above described experiments and the data produced.

It allows the user to store and organize the raw data in databases and to merge and split them apart.

It has an easy to use, automated wizard to create distillated (processed) view tables and to visualize these tables on numerous types of graphs and charts.

MEME stores the view tables and chart configurations in separate files allowing the user to edit, change or develop them if needed, leaving the original data intact.

MEME is able to run MASS/Repast (see G6G Abstract Number 20434) simulations directly and collect their results internally.

MEME is being developed to be able to interoperate with other existing statistical software like R and MATLAB in the future.

These capabilities further simplify the modeling work and allow the users to focus on the models themselves.

MEME features/capabilities --

4) The Charting Package (CP), a rich set of dynamic charts and visualizations to display simulation output, accompanied by easy-to-use wizards that bring the definition of any chart to only a few ‘mouse clicks’ away.

CP also comes with a graphical editor to pick from a rich set of descriptive statistics to specify the data to be charted.

System Requirements

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Manufacturer

Manufacturer Web Site MASS

Price Contact manufacturer.

G6G Abstract Number 20443

G6G Manufacturer Number 104071