src/control_backend/agents/bdi/bdi_core_agent/bdi_core_agent.py

@@ -1,16 +1,17 @@
 import asyncio
 import copy
-import json
 import time
 from collections.abc import Iterable
 
 import agentspeak
 import agentspeak.runtime
 import agentspeak.stdlib
+from pydantic import ValidationError
 
 from control_backend.agents.base import BaseAgent
 from control_backend.core.agent_system import InternalMessage
 from control_backend.core.config import settings
+from control_backend.schemas.belief_message import BeliefMessage
 from control_backend.schemas.ri_message import SpeechCommand
 
 
@@ -58,16 +59,19 @@ class BDICoreAgent(BaseAgent):
             maybe_more_work = True
             while maybe_more_work:
                 maybe_more_work = False
+                self.logger.debug("Stepping BDI.")
                 if self.bdi_agent.step():
                     maybe_more_work = True
 
                 if not maybe_more_work:
                     deadline = self.bdi_agent.shortest_deadline()
                     if deadline:
+                        self.logger.debug("Sleeping until %s", deadline)
                         await asyncio.sleep(deadline - time.time())
                         maybe_more_work = True
                     else:
                         self._wake_bdi_loop.clear()
+                        self.logger.debug("No more deadlines. Halting BDI loop.")
 
     async def handle_message(self, msg: InternalMessage):
         """
@@ -80,10 +84,10 @@ class BDICoreAgent(BaseAgent):
                 self.logger.debug("Processing message from belief collector.")
                 try:
                     if msg.thread == "beliefs":
-                        beliefs = json.loads(msg.body)
+                        beliefs = BeliefMessage.model_validate_json(msg.body).beliefs
                         self._add_beliefs(beliefs)
-                except Exception as e:
-                    self.logger.error(f"Error processing belief: {e}")
+                except ValidationError:
+                    self.logger.exception("Error processing belief.")
             case settings.agent_settings.llm_name:
                 content = msg.body
                 self.logger.info("Received LLM response: %s", content)

src/control_backend/agents/bdi/bdi_core_agent/rules.asl

@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-+user_said(NewMessage) <-
-  -user_said(NewMessage);
-  .reply(NewMessage).
++user_said(Message) <-
+  -user_said(Message);
+  .reply(Message).

src/control_backend/agents/bdi/belief_collector_agent.py

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import json
 from control_backend.agents.base import BaseAgent
 from control_backend.core.agent_system import InternalMessage
 from control_backend.core.config import settings
+from control_backend.schemas.belief_message import BeliefMessage
 
 
 class BDIBeliefCollectorAgent(BaseAgent):
@@ -80,7 +81,7 @@ class BDIBeliefCollectorAgent(BaseAgent):
         msg = InternalMessage(
             to=settings.agent_settings.bdi_core_name,
             sender=self.name,
-            body=json.dumps(beliefs),
+            body=BeliefMessage(beliefs=beliefs).model_dump_json(),
             thread="beliefs",
         )
 

src/control_backend/core/agent_system.py

@@ -2,24 +2,17 @@ import asyncio
 import logging
 from abc import ABC, abstractmethod
 from collections.abc import Coroutine
-from dataclasses import dataclass
+
+import zmq
+import zmq.asyncio as azmq
+
+from control_backend.core.config import settings
+from control_backend.schemas.internal_message import InternalMessage
 
 # Central directory to resolve agent names to instances
 _agent_directory: dict[str, "BaseAgent"] = {}
 
 
-@dataclass
-class InternalMessage:
-    """
-    Represents a message to an agent.
-    """
-
-    to: str
-    sender: str
-    body: str
-    thread: str | None = None
-
-
 class AgentDirectory:
     """
     Helper class to keep track of which agents are registered.
@@ -67,10 +60,23 @@ class BaseAgent(ABC):
         """Starts the agent and its loops."""
         self.logger.info(f"Starting agent {self.name}")
         self._running = True
+
+        context = azmq.Context.instance()
+
+        # Setup the internal publishing socket
+        self._internal_pub_socket = context.socket(zmq.PUB)
+        self._internal_pub_socket.connect(settings.zmq_settings.internal_pub_address)
+
+        # Setup the internal receiving socket
+        self._internal_sub_socket = context.socket(zmq.SUB)
+        self._internal_sub_socket.connect(settings.zmq_settings.internal_sub_address)
+        self._internal_sub_socket.subscribe(f"internal/{self.name}")
+
         await self.setup()
 
-        # Start processing inbox
+        # Start processing inbox and ZMQ messages
         await self.add_behavior(self._process_inbox())
+        await self.add_behavior(self._receive_internal_zmq_loop())
 
     async def stop(self):
         """Stops the agent."""
@@ -86,15 +92,38 @@ class BaseAgent(ABC):
         target = AgentDirectory.get(message.to)
         if target:
             await target.inbox.put(message)
+            self.logger.debug(f"Sent message {message.body} to {message.to} via regular inbox.")
         else:
-            self.logger.warning(f"Attempted to send message to unknown agent: {message.to}")
+            # Apparently target agent is on a different process, send via ZMQ
+            topic = f"internal/{message.to}".encode()
+            body = message.model_dump_json().encode()
+            await self._internal_pub_socket.send_multipart([topic, body])
+            self.logger.debug(f"Sent message {message.body} to {message.to} via ZMQ.")
 
     async def _process_inbox(self):
         """Default loop: equivalent to a CyclicBehaviour receiving messages."""
         while self._running:
             msg = await self.inbox.get()
+            self.logger.debug(f"Received message from {msg.sender}.")
             await self.handle_message(msg)
 
+    async def _receive_internal_zmq_loop(self):
+        """
+        Listens for internal messages sent from agents on another process via ZMQ
+        and puts them into the normal inbox.
+        """
+        while self._running:
+            try:
+                _, body = await self._internal_sub_socket.recv_multipart()
+
+                msg = InternalMessage.model_validate_json(body)
+
+                await self.inbox.put(msg)
+            except asyncio.CancelledError:
+                break
+            except Exception:
+                self.logger.exception("Could not process ZMQ message.")
+
     async def handle_message(self, msg: InternalMessage):
         """Override this to handle incoming messages."""
         raise NotImplementedError

src/control_backend/schemas/belief_message.py

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+from pydantic import BaseModel
+
+
+class BeliefMessage(BaseModel):
+    beliefs: dict[str, list[str]]

src/control_backend/schemas/internal_message.py

@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+from pydantic import BaseModel
+
+
+class InternalMessage(BaseModel):
+    """
+    Represents a message to an agent.
+    """
+
+    to: str
+    sender: str
+    body: str
+    thread: str | None = None

test/unit/agents/bdi/test_bdi_core_agent.py

@@ -1,10 +1,13 @@
+import json
 from unittest.mock import AsyncMock, MagicMock, mock_open, patch
 
+import agentspeak
 import pytest
 
 from control_backend.agents.bdi.bdi_core_agent.bdi_core_agent import BDICoreAgent
 from control_backend.core.agent_system import InternalMessage
 from control_backend.core.config import settings
+from control_backend.schemas.belief_message import BeliefMessage
 
 
 @pytest.fixture
@@ -40,23 +43,43 @@ async def test_setup_no_asl(mock_agentspeak_env, agent):
 
 
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
-async def test_handle_belief_collector_message(agent):
+async def test_handle_belief_collector_message(agent, mock_settings):
     """Test that incoming beliefs are added to the BDI agent"""
-    # Simulate message from belief collector
-    import json
-
     beliefs = {"user_said": ["Hello"]}
     msg = InternalMessage(
         to="bdi_agent",
-        sender=settings.agent_settings.bdi_belief_collector_name,
-        body=json.dumps(beliefs),
+        sender=mock_settings.agent_settings.bdi_belief_collector_name,
+        body=BeliefMessage(beliefs=beliefs).model_dump_json(),
         thread="beliefs",
     )
 
     await agent.handle_message(msg)
 
     # Expect bdi_agent.call to be triggered to add belief
-    assert agent.bdi_agent.call.called
+    args = agent.bdi_agent.call.call_args.args
+    assert args[0] == agentspeak.Trigger.addition
+    assert args[1] == agentspeak.GoalType.belief
+    assert args[2] == agentspeak.Literal("user_said", (agentspeak.Literal("Hello"),))
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_incorrect_belief_collector_message(agent, mock_settings):
+    """Test that incorrect message format triggers an exception."""
+    msg = InternalMessage(
+        to="bdi_agent",
+        sender=mock_settings.agent_settings.bdi_belief_collector_name,
+        body=json.dumps({"bad_format": "bad_format"}),
+        thread="beliefs",
+    )
+
+    await agent.handle_message(msg)
+
+    agent.bdi_agent.call.assert_not_called()  # did not set belief
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test():
+    pass
 
 
 @pytest.mark.asyncio

test/unit/agents/bdi/test_belief_collector.py

@@ -84,4 +84,4 @@ async def test_send_beliefs_to_bdi(agent):
     sent: InternalMessage = agent.send.call_args.args[0]
     assert sent.to == settings.agent_settings.bdi_core_name
     assert sent.thread == "beliefs"
-    assert json.loads(sent.body) == beliefs
+    assert json.loads(sent.body)["beliefs"] == beliefs

test/unit/core/test_agent_system.py

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 import asyncio
 import logging
+from unittest.mock import AsyncMock
 
 import pytest
 
@@ -39,7 +40,7 @@ async def test_agent_lifecycle():
 
     # Wait for task to finish
     await asyncio.sleep(0.02)
-    assert len(agent._tasks) == 1  # _process_inbox is still running
+    assert len(agent._tasks) == 2  # message handling tasks are running
 
     await agent.stop()
     assert agent._running is False
@@ -51,14 +52,15 @@ async def test_agent_lifecycle():
 
 
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
-async def test_send_unknown_agent(caplog):
+async def test_send_unknown_agent():
     agent = ConcreteTestAgent("sender")
-    msg = InternalMessage(to="unknown_sender", sender="sender", body="boo")
+    msg = InternalMessage(to="unknown_receiver", sender="sender", body="boo")
+
+    agent._internal_pub_socket = AsyncMock()
 
-    with caplog.at_level(logging.WARNING):
     await agent.send(msg)
 
-    assert "Attempted to send message to unknown agent: unknown_sender" in caplog.text
+    agent._internal_pub_socket.send_multipart.assert_called()
 
 
 @pytest.mark.asyncio