Computer-based sensors and actuators such as global positioning systems, machine vision, and laser-based sensors have\nprogressively been incorporated into mobile robots with the aim of configuring autonomous systems capable of shifting operator\nactivities in agricultural tasks. However, the incorporation of many electronic systems into a robot impairs its reliability and\nincreases its cost. Hardware minimization, as well as software minimization and ease of integration, is essential to obtain feasible\nrobotic systems. A step forward in the application of automatic equipment in agriculture is the use of fleets of robots, in which\na number of specialized robots collaborate to accomplish one or several agricultural tasks. This paper strives to develop a system\narchitecture for both individual robots and robots working in fleets to improve reliability, decrease complexity and costs, and permit\nthe integration of software from different developers. Several solutions are studied, from a fully distributed to a whole integrated\narchitecture in which a central computer runs all processes. This work also studies diverse topologies for controlling fleets of robots\nand advances other prospective topologies. The architecture presented in this paper is being successfully applied in the RHEA fleet,\nwhich comprises three ground mobile units based on a commercial tractor chassis.
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