S. Omatu et al. (Eds.): Distributed Computing and Artificial Intelligence, AISC 151, pp. 601–608. springerlink.com © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2012 A Maritime Piracy Scenario for the n-Core Polaris Real-Time Locating System Óscar García, Ricardo S. Alonso, Dante I. Tapia, Fabio Guevara, Fernando de la Prieta, and Raúl A. Bravo Abstract. There is a wide range of applications where Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) and Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) can be used to build context-aware sys- tems. On the one hand, WSNs comprise an ideal technology to develop sensing systems, as well as Real-Time Locating Systems (RTLS) aimed at indoor envi- ronments, where existing global navigation satellite systems, such as GPS, do not work correctly. On the other hand, agent technology is an essential piece in the analysis of data from distributed sensors and gives them the ability to work together and analyze complex situations. In this sense, n-Core Polaris is an indoor and outdoor RTLS based on ZigBee WSNs and an innovative set of locating and automation engines. This paper describes the main components of the n-Core Polaris system, as well as a proposed scenario where n-Core Polaris can be used to support boarding and rescue operations in maritime piracy environments. Keywords: Wireless Sensor Networks, Real-Time Locating Systems, Multi-Agent Systems, Maritime Piracy. 1 Introduction Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are used for gathering the information useful to build context-aware environments, whether in home automation, industrial Óscar García ⋅ Ricardo S. Alonso ⋅ Dante I. Tapia ⋅ Fabio Guevara R&D Department, Nebusens, S.L., Scientific Park of the University of Salamanca, Edificio M2, Calle Adaja, s/n, 37185, Villamayor de la Armuña, Salamanca, Spain Fernando de la Prieta ⋅ Raúl A. Bravo Department of Computer Science and Automation, University of Salamanca. Plaza de la Merced, s/n, 37008, Salamanca, Spain e-mail: {oscar.garcia,ricardo.alonso,dante.tapia, fabio.guevara}@nebusens.com, {fer,raulabel}@usal.es