http://www.planet-noe.org

European Networkof Excellence in

AI Planning

From PLANET to PLANET II

Susanne Biundo

University of Ulm, Germany

Motivation for PLANET

The initial state of PLANET

• High quality standards in European P&S research

• Low awareness of the technology in Europe

• Collaboration mostly on person-to-person bases

• Few pan-European efforts on joint R&D projects

• The US DARPA/Rome Laboratory P&S initiative

General Aims of PLANETBuild a co-ordinated framework to support P&S research,

development, and technology transfer in Europe

• Encourage and support pan-European co-operation between research groups and industry

• Promote technology transfer through the early involvement of industrial partners

• Co-ordinate the training and exchange of researchers and people from industry and administration

• Provide an information infrastructure and a representative source of expertise

Achievements of PLANET (1)PLANET created a common framework and infrastructure to

support pan-European research, development, and technology

transfer

• Increase of mutual awareness between European research groups in academia and industry

• Involvement of industrial partners

• Increase of awareness of the technology outside the field (?)

Various kinds of meetingsExchange

Information infrastructure

Development of the Network

65 nodes in 14 countries

- 16 industrial companies

7 SMEs

- 16 research centres

- 33 universities

10 associated members

- end-user organisations

- consultancy companies

- software vendors

0

10

20

30

Oct 98 Oct 99 Dec 00

RCICU

Achievements of PLANET (2)PLANET concentrated its work on a number of areas of particular

interest

• maintaining responsiveness - new technological developments - needs of network members and community

• maintaining continuity - focused and goal-directed work

Technical Co-ordination Units as the

core operating initiatives

TCUs of PLANET

AerospaceApplicationsAmedeo CestaTim Grant

WorkflowManagementPaul Kearney

Robot PlanningMalik Ghallab

Knowledge EngineeringLee McCluskey

Intelligent ManufacturingRuth Aylett

Dynamic SchedulingSimon DeGivry

Identification of areas according to current needs, opportunities, and critical mass among network members

Achievement s of PLANET (3)

It reflects and identifies• the current state of the technology• recent developments• relations to other fileds and (TCU) areas• problems and deficiencies w.r.t. real application requirements• issues to be addressed in order to achieve an effective and

rapid transfer of the technology• directions for potential exploitations • application-driven improvements of methodologies and

techniques• development plans for focused actions

PLANET produced a comprehensive road map

Network Activities (1)

• Organisation of 20 TCU workshops

• Initiation and organisation of the

International Summer School on AI Planning

• Sponsoring of P&S conferences

• Support of cross-site visits

• Support of open workshops at conferences

• Organisation of general network meetings

Network Activities (2)

Technology Information Days -

An offer to people form industrial companies and authorities

• Overview of the technology

• Demonstration of successful industrial applications of planning and scheduling

• Reports on increased profitability and responsiveness

PLANET II

Develop information society technologies to enable• workers and enterprises to increase their competitiveness in the global market place• improvement of the quality of the individual’s working life• freedom from many constraints on working methods and organisation

Key R&D requirements include• development of novel architectures and solutions for

interoperability, scalability, customisability, dependability• adoption of user centred design principles

PLANET II is more consequently settled within the IST Key Action II

New Methods of Work and Electronic Commerce

General Aims of PLANET IIPLANET II will build upon the achievements of PLANET

• continue many of PLANET’s activities in– research and development

– technology transfer

– training and exchange

– providing an information infrastructure

• take up additional initiatives

• contribute to the KA II work programme– e-work systems: new work place designs, ...

– knowledge management: sharing and delivery of knowledge, ...

– organisation: team-work, workflow, new services, ...

Work packages

Research and Development Co-ordinationMalik Ghallab, Lee McCluskey

1

Training and ExchangeSam Steel, Susanne Biundo

4

Technology Transfer and CommunicationRuth Aylett, Tim Grant, Brian Drabble

2 Technical Co-ordination UnitsAmedeo Cesta, Alfredo Milani

3

Information Infrastructureand ManagementSusanne Biundo, Bernd Schattenberg

5

WP5: Infrastructure and Management

• edition of the newsletter, production of promotion material

• construction and maintenance of a P&S bibliography

• extension and maintenance of the PLANET Website

• moderation of the mailinglist

• external contacts and co-operations

• network administration and co-ordination

• organisation of the internal evaluation

• co-ordination with the European Commission

TCUs of PLANET II

AerospaceApplicationsAmedeo CestaTim Grant

WorkflowManagementDaniel Borrajo

Robot PlanningMalik Ghallab

Knowledge EngineeringLee McCluskey

Intelligent ManufacturingRuth Aylett

On-line Planningand SchedulingGerard Verfaillie

Web-based ApplicationsAlfredo Milani

Network Co-ordinator: Susanne Biundo

Management Structure

Network Executive Committee

Ruth Aylett Susanne BiundoDaniel Borrajo Amedeo CestaBrian Drabble Malik GhallabTim Grant Lee McCluskeyAlfredo Milani Sam SteelGerard Verfaille

Network Administrator: Bernd Schattenberg

Budget and Funding Policy

PLANET II received a budget of 250.000 Euro per year

• Budget breakdown for one year

– network meetings and workshops: 120.000 Euro

– cross-site visits, review meetings, etc. : 12.000 Euro

– conferences, open workshops, etc. : 14.000 Euro

– summer school : 33.000 Euro

– special tasks: 26.000 Euro

– management: 26.000 Euro

– administration: 19.000 Euro

• PLANET is required to only partly fund participation in its events

Deliverables No. Name WP PM Type Month

D1 Planning Software 2 1.5 Website 3 Repository online

D2 Software Catalogue, 2 1.5 Website 3 Case Studies online

D3 Newsletter Issue 5 0.5 Magazine 4

D4 Project Presentation 5 - Website 4

D5 Summer School 4 - Report, 6 Proceed. . . . . .

Development of the Network 2

47 nodes in 14 countries

- 7 industrial companies

1 SMEs

- 13 research centres

- 26 universities

(10 associated members

- end-user organisations

- consultancy companies

- software vendors)

0

10

20

30

Oct

1999

Dec

2000

Aug 01

RCICU

Conclusion

• Strengthen our community

include “all” groups

• Identify challenges and drive research

road maps, scientific working programmes

contribute to KA II

• Identify new applications in industrial and administrative sectors

approach other communities

Implementation of PLANET’s ambitious work plan requires help by all members