Final answer:
In designing a mobile architecture with a Raspberry Pi, the Raspberry Pi itself can be utilized as an access point. Microcontrollers and Arduino require additional hardware for networking, and while a laptop can act as an access point, it is not a component in the same context.
Step-by-step explanation:
The component that can be used as an access point in designing a mobile architecture with Raspberry Pi is the Raspberry Pi itself. As a versatile single-board computer, the Raspberry Pi can serve various functions, one of which is operating as a wireless access point to manage network traffic. The other options provided, such as a microcontroller or an Arduino, do not inherently have the networking capabilities to act as an access point without additional hardware. A laptop could theoretically serve as an access point, but it is not a component of the mobile architecture design in the same way a Raspberry Pi is.