Toshiba Integrates IOTA in Latest Patent for Self-Supervised Multi-Agent Systems

• Unlike traditional blockchain, IOTA’s Tangle facilitates parallel processing, minimizes fees, and eliminates intermediaries.
• Toshiba’s approach uses cryptographic verification and decentralized decision-making within a DAG framework to mitigate risks.

Toshiba has submitted a new patent, US2025038975A1, that describes a self-supervised multi-agent cooperation system that uses IOTA’s Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) technology. The new patent, released recently, describes how multi-agent systems (MAS) can utilize DAG-based distributed ledger technology (DLT). It’ll increase trust, security, and efficiency between heterogeneous robotic agents.

Toshiba Adopts IOTA’s Technology

As per the patent document, multi-agent systems are becoming progressively self-sufficient, and various robots of differing functions have to cooperate effectively. The robots, however, are made by various manufacturers, making it difficult to be interoperable and secure. The patent outlines the method that makes robots transparent and able to accomplish their tasks accurately, even with possible security threats such as faulty units or unauthorized intrusions.

Toshiba’s approach integrates a DAG structure, specifically IOTA’s Tangle, to verify and track task completion, as reported earlier. The patent describes, “each robot of the plurality of autonomous robots is configured to, once the DAG has been initialized, only submit completion information to the auditor for appending to previously submitted completion information that has been physically and cryptographically verified by the robot.” This guarantees that all the robotic agents in the system are functioning within a structure where their activity is independently verified and securely documented.

Unlike classic blockchain-based frameworks, which mostly use Proof of Work (PoW) models, DAG-based architectures such as IOTA facilitate parallel and stream processing, minimize fees, and remove intermediaries. The patent’s adoption of IOTA reflects the increased movement away from the traditional blockchain models because they are inefficient.

IOTA’s literature explains why DAG was the essential selection: “DAG was and still is the only choice for IOTA to achieve its objective of Digital Autonomy for Everyone.” The Tangle enables robots in the MAS to log and validate transactions without the need for sequential dependence, maintaining a high-speed and scalable network.

In DAG-based systems, transactions may not be executed in rigid sequence, resulting in parallel verification and efficient utilization of network resources. “The Tangle removes many bottlenecks that hinder blockchains from being used on a meaningful scale,” IOTA’s blog writes. Toshiba’s patent utilizes these benefits to make its multi-agent system more efficient and robust.

How Is IOTA A Secure, Decentralized Robotic Network?

Security is a fundamental issue in MAS, where robots from various manufacturers have to collaborate without centralized control. The patent resolves this by using cryptographic verification under a DAG structure, providing tamper-proof tracking of robotic operations. This minimizes the risk of malicious behavior, operational failure, and unauthorized intervention.

Moreover, the integration of IOTA empowers all robots in the system to contribute to network verification. As IOTA’s blog clarifies,

“All users contribute to consensus, whether by issuing blocks that create the approvals used to propagate opinions, by delegating their voting power to validators, or by issuing validation blocks that determine the final version of the ledger.” Within a MAS framework, this guarantees decentralized decision-making and trustworthiness.

Toshiba’s embracement of IOTA’s Tangle mirrors the increasing industry trend toward DAG-based networks for decentralized robotics. This indeed affirms trustworthiness, efficiency, and cooperation in next-generation multi-agent systems.