Control architecture for multi-robot system

1. A multiple robot control architecture, comprising:

a plurality of robotic agricultural machines including a first robotic agricultural machine and a second robotic agricultural machine, each said robotic agricultural machine including:

a plurality of actuator controllers;

at least one controller configured to implement a plurality of finite state machines within an individual robot control architecture (IRCA), a corresponding one of said finite state machines being unique to each of said plurality of actuator controllers, each of the finite state machines operating in parallel relative to each other, with one state in each finite state machine always being active; and

a global information module (GIM) communicatively coupled to said IRCA, said GIM of said first robotic agricultural machine and said GIM of said second robotic agricultural machine are configured to cooperate to cause said first robotic agricultural machine and said second agricultural machine to perform at least one agricultural task, said GIM including a finite state machine with three parallel finite states.

2. The multiple robot control architecture of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of robotic agricultural machines are configured to coordinate their actions with a plurality of levels of cooperation including a modest level of cooperation and an absolute level of cooperation.

3. The multiple robot control architecture of claim 2 , wherein said modest level of cooperation includes an assignment of a leader role to said first robotic agricultural machine to thereby define a leader robot and an assignment of a follower role to said second robotic agricultural machine to thereby define a follower robot.

4. The multiple robot control architecture of claim 3 , wherein said leader robot is configured to communicate to said follower robot a characteristic of an agricultural product, said follower robot being configured to interact with said agricultural product without further communication with said leader robot relative to said agricultural product.

5. The multiple robot control architecture of claim 4 , wherein said leader robot is configured to communicate to said follower robot a characteristic of an other agricultural product, said follower robot being configured to interact with said other agricultural product without further communication with said leader robot relative to said other agricultural product.

6. The multiple robot control architecture of claim 2 , wherein said absolute level of cooperation includes an assignment of a leader role to said first robotic agricultural machine to thereby define a leader robot and an assignment of a follower role to said second robotic agricultural machine to thereby define a first follower robot.

7. The multiple robot control architecture of claim 6 , wherein said leader robot is configured to communicate to said first follower robot a characteristic of said leader robot, said first follower robot being configured to interact with said leader robot relative to an agricultural product.

8. The multiple robot control architecture of claim 7 , wherein at least one of said leader robot and said first follower robot communicate with each other relative to the agricultural product and dependent thereon said leader robot and said first follower robot transition from said absolute level of cooperation to said modest level of cooperation or to a level of no cooperation.

9. The multiple robot control architecture of claim 7 , wherein said plurality of robotic agricultural machines includes a third robotic agricultural machine, said third robotic agricultural machine being assigned a follower role to thereby define a second follower robot, said leader robot and said second follower robot communicate with each other relative to a characteristic of said leader robot and a characteristic of said first follower robot.

10. The multiple robot control architecture of claim 9 , wherein said first follower robot disengages from said leader robot, said second follower robot and said leader robot being configured to communicate a characteristic of said leader robot, said second follower robot being configured to interact with said leader robot relative to an agricultural product.

11. A method of controlling a multiple robot architecture including a plurality of robotic agricultural machines which include a first robotic agricultural machine and a second robotic agricultural machine, the method comprising the steps of:

implementing a plurality of finite state machines within an individual robot control architecture (IRCA) in each of said plurality of robotic agricultural machines), a corresponding one of said finite state machines being unique to each of a plurality of actuator controllers, each of the finite state machines operating in parallel relative to each other, with one state in each finite state machine always being active; and

communicatively coupling a global information module (GIM) in each of said plurality of robotic agricultural machines to said IRCA, said GIM of said first robotic agricultural machine and said GIM of said second robotic agricultural machine are configured to cooperate to cause said first robotic agricultural machine and said second agricultural machine to perform at least one agricultural task, said GIM including a finite state machine with three parallel finite states.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein said plurality of robotic agricultural machines are configured to coordinate their actions with a plurality of levels of cooperation including a modest level of cooperation and an absolute level of cooperation.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein said modest level of cooperation includes an assignment of a leader role to said first robotic agricultural machine to thereby define a leader robot and an assignment of a follower role to said second robotic agricultural machine to thereby define a follower robot.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein said leader robot is configured to communicate to said follower robot a characteristic of an agricultural product, said follower robot being configured to interact with said agricultural product without further communication with said leader robot relative to said agricultural product.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein said leader robot is configured to communicate to said follower robot a characteristic of an other agricultural product, said follower robot being configured to interact with said other agricultural product without further communication with said leader robot relative to said other agricultural product.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein said absolute level of cooperation includes an assignment of a leader role to said first robotic agricultural machine to thereby define a leader robot and an assignment of a follower role to said second robotic agricultural machine to thereby define a first follower robot.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein said leader robot is configured to communicate to said first follower robot a characteristic of said leader robot, said first follower robot being configured to interact with said leader robot relative to an agricultural product.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein at least one of said leader robot and said first follower robot communicate with each other relative to the agricultural product and dependent thereon said leader robot and said first follower robot transition from said absolute level of cooperation to said modest level of cooperation or to a level of no cooperation.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein said plurality of robotic agricultural machines includes a third robotic agricultural machine, said third robotic agricultural machine being assigned a follower role to thereby define a second follower robot, said leader robot and said second follower robot communicate with each other relative to a characteristic of said leader robot and a characteristic of said first follower robot.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein said first follower robot disengages from said leader robot, said second follower robot and said leader robot being configured to communicate a characteristic of said leader robot, said second follower robot being configured to interact with said leader robot relative to an agricultural product.