Towards Agrirobot Digital Twins: Agri-RO5—A Multi-Agent Architecture for Dynamic Fleet Simulation ^†

In this paper, we propose a multi-agent-based architecture for a Unity3D simulation of dynamic agrirobot-fleet-coordination methods. The architecture is based on a Robot Operating System (ROS) and Agrobots-SIM package that extends the existing package Patrolling SIM made for multi-robot patrolling. The Agrobots-SIM package accommodates dynamic multi-robot task allocation and vehicle routing considering limited robot battery autonomy. Moreover, it accommodates the dynamic assignment of implements to robots for the execution of heterogeneous tasks. The system coordinates task assignment and vehicle routing in real time and responds to unforeseen contingencies during simulation considering dynamic updates of the data related to the environment, tasks, implements, and robots. Except for the ROS and Agrobots-SIM package, other crucial components of the architecture include SPADE3 middleware for developing and executing multi-agent decision making and the FIVE framework that allows us to seamlessly define the environment and incorporate the Agrobots-SIM algorithms to be validated into SPADE agents inhabiting such an environment. We compare the proposed simulation architecture with the conventional approach to 3D multi-robot simulation in Gazebo. The functioning of the simulation architecture is demonstrated in several use-case experiments. Even though resource consumption and community support are still an open challenge in Unity3D, the proposed Agri-RO5 architecture gives better results in terms of simulation realism and scalability.