For my dissertation, I implemented a discrete-event simulation substrate to support empirical research in real-time planning. This substrate, called MESS, extends ordinary discrete-event simulators with the ability to have multiple computational streams, which is how agents think. Furthermore, the duration of these computational streams is controlled by an explicit database, thereby giving the researcher a great deal of control over the simulation.
My future research will continue to be in empirical AI. My interests span real-time computing, scheduling, planning (and replanning), and embedded agents. Simulation is also central to my research. It is an indispensable tool in empirical AI, because it allows experimentation in domains that are either too difficult, expensive or dangerous to use directly or would lack the necessary experimental control.
I have a more extensive research statement if you are interested. I am, slowly, developing a page of related work in empirical planning; mostly this is descriptions of other AI simulators and pointers to their WWW pages, FTP sites, or mailing lists. You can also get copies of my papers and a brief description of MESS.
My former research lab is the Experimental Knowledge Systems Laboratory. You can find out more about work related to mine at the EKSL home page: EKSL Home Page.