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In this paper, we present a novel development process called SPEARAF (Species to Engineer Architectures for Agent Frameworks) and evaluate its relevance to ease the implementation of Multi-Agent Systems in the context of a multirobot project for crisis management. SPEARAF allows to build component-based architectures for agents and their infrastructure. We show the advantages of using an architecture-based process to realise an application-specific agent framework adapted to the requirements of such a system. SPEARAF gives guidelines to enables the use of architecture-oriented practices for agent implementation.

Adaptation of communication is needed to maintain the connectivity and quality of communication in group-wide collaborative activities. This becomes quite a challenge to handle when mobile entities are part of a wireless environment, in which responsiveness and availability of the communication system are required. In this chapter, these challenges are addressed within the context of the ROSACE project where mobile ground and flying robots have to collaborate either between them selves or with remote artificial and human actors during save and rescue missions in the event of disasters such as forest fires. This chapter presents our first results. The final goal is to propose new concepts, models and architectures that supports cooperative adaptation which is aware of the mission being executed. Thus, the communication system can be adequately adapted in response to predictable or unpredictable evolutions of the activity requirements and to the unpredictable changes in the communication resource constraints.

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