Open Source Agent Systems Written In Java

Now here's a list with a more research oriented flavor. It turns out, ever since Java was released it has become the prefered platform for exploring intelligent agent technology. Surprisingly, many of the projects in this list have been undergoing development for over 5 years!

1. Aglets - One of the first agent technologies built using Java. Primarily designed to explore mobile agents.
2. Cougaar - Cougaar is a Java-based architecture for the construction of large-scale distributed agent-based applications. It is a product of two consecutive, multi-year DARPA research programs into large-scale agent systems spanning eight years of effort. The first program conclusively demonstrated the feasibility of using advanced agent-based technology to conduct rapid, large scale, distributed logistics planning and replanning. The second program is developing information technologies to enhance the survivability of these distributed agent-based systems operating in extremely chaotic environments. The resultant architecture, Cougaar, provides developers with a framework to implement large-scale distributed agent applications with minimal consideration for the underlying architecture and infrastructure. Keyphrases large scale and survivability!
3. JADE - JADE (Java Agent DEvelopment Framework) is a software framework fully implemented in Java language. It simplifies the implementation of multi-agent systems through a middle-ware that claims to comply with the FIPA specifications and through a set of tools that supports the debugging and deployment phase. The agent platform can be distributed across machines (which not even need to share the same OS) and the configuration can be controlled via a remote GUI. The configuration can be even changed at run-time by moving agents from one machine to another one, as and when required.
4. Bee-gent - Bonding and Encapsulation Enhancement aGENT. Bee-gent is a new type of development framework in that it is a 100% pure agent system. As opposed to other systems which make only some use of agents, Bee-gent completely "Agentifies" the communication that takes place between software applications. The applications become agents, and all messages are carried by agents. Thus, Bee-gent allows developers to build flexible open distributed systems that make optimal use of existing applications. In simple terms, create wrappers for those legacy applications.
5. BOND - Bond is a Java based, FIPA compliant agent framework. Multi-plane state machine agent model. Component-based architecture (strategies and planes). Python based agent description language (Blueprint). Strong emphasis on introspection, visual modelling and software verification. Dynamic agent behavior (agent assembly, mobility, surgery, trimming, and lazy loading of strategies).
6. TuCSon - TuCSoN exploits a notion of local tuple-based interaction space, called tuple centre, which is a tuple space enhanced with the notion of behaviour specification. By programming its behaviour in response to communication events, a tuple centre can embody coordination laws. Several issues critical to Internet applications, such as heterogeneity and dynamicity of the Internet nodes, can then be charged upon tuple centres, and transparently to agents, which can then be designed independently of the different node architectures, according to a straightforward interaction protocol.
7. FIPA-OS - Agent research began explicitly with the formation of the Agent Technology Group in 1996 in what was then called Bell Northern Research, and subsequently Nortel Technology, and finally (after the acquisition of Bay Networks in 1998), Nortel Networks. Since the release of FIPA-OS there have been over 50,000 downloads and over 30 contributors including Sonera Corporation, The MITRE Corporation, Nortel Networks and many others. Quick take, lot's of corporate contributions.
8. Grasshopper - With the second generation of the Grasshopper Agent Platform - which has been officially released in spring 2000 - a new age of software agent technology and adaptive communication and information application development has begun. The IKV++ Technolgies AG is distributing the new Grasshopper platform at this website free of charge for non commercial use. IKV is developing advanced software solutions in context of next generation integrated telecommunication environments (voice data convergence), third generation mobile telecommunication systems (UMTS), and particularly mobile commerce based on Grasshopper 2.
9. Zeus - ZEUS toolkit provides a library of software components and tools that facilitate the rapid design, development and deployment of agent systems. Composed of an agent component library, agent building tools and visualization tools. Developed at British Telecom.