Rigid Graph Control Architectures for Autonomous Formations

Abstract

For millions of years, nature has presented examples of collective behavior in groups of insects, birds, and fish. This behavior has arisen to permit sophisticated functions of the group that cannot be achieved by individual members [1], [2]. Collective behavior serves needs such as foraging for food, defense against predators, aggression against prey, and mating. Fish and birds particularly, as part of their group behavior, often display formation- type behavior. In this type of behavior, the relative positions of the fish or birds are preserved, and the formation moves as a cohesive whole. From time to time, a formation may split, rearrange itself in a minor way, perhaps to remove a burden on one or more members of the formation, or rearrange itself in a major way, perhaps for obstacle avoidance, predator avoidance, or merging with another formation.