Designing and Understanding Adaptive Group Behavior

This paper proposes the concept of basis behaviors as ubiquitous general building blocks for synthesizing arti cial group behavior in multi{agent systems, and for analyzing group behavior in nature. We demonstrate the concept through examples implemented both in simulation and on a group of physical mobile robots. The basis behavior set we propose, consisting of avoidance, safe{wandering, following, aggregation, dispersion, and homing, is constructed from behaviors commonly observed in a variety of species in nature. The proposed behaviors are manifested spatially, but have an e ect on more abstract modes of interaction, including the exchange of information and cooperation. We demonstrate how basis behaviors can be combined into higher{level group behaviors commonly observed across species. The combination mechanisms we propose are useful for synthesizing a variety of new group behaviors, as well as for analyzing naturally occurring ones.