Biologically inspired herding of animal groups by robots
Abstract A single sheepdog can bring together and manoeuvre hundreds of sheep from one location to another. Engineers and ecologists are fascinated by this sheepdog herding because of the potential it provides for ‘bio‐herding’: a biologically inspired herding of animal groups by robots. Although ma...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Methods in Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.14049 |
| _version_ | 1797766989428555776 |
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| author | Andrew J. King Steven J. Portugal Daniel Strömbom Richard P. Mann José A. Carrillo Dante Kalise Guido deCroon Heather Barnett Paul Scerri Roderich Groß David R. Chadwick Marina Papadopoulou |
| author_facet | Andrew J. King Steven J. Portugal Daniel Strömbom Richard P. Mann José A. Carrillo Dante Kalise Guido deCroon Heather Barnett Paul Scerri Roderich Groß David R. Chadwick Marina Papadopoulou |
| author_sort | Andrew J. King |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract A single sheepdog can bring together and manoeuvre hundreds of sheep from one location to another. Engineers and ecologists are fascinated by this sheepdog herding because of the potential it provides for ‘bio‐herding’: a biologically inspired herding of animal groups by robots. Although many herding algorithms have been proposed, most are studied via simulation. There are a variety of ecological problems where management of wild animal groups is currently impossible, dangerous and/or costly for humans to manage directly, and which may benefit from bio‐herding solutions. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) now deliver significant benefits to the economy and society. Here, we suggest the use of UAVs for bio‐herding. Given their mobility and speed, UAVs can be used in a wide range of environments and interact with animal groups at sea, over the land and in the air. We present a potential roadmap for achieving bio‐herding using a pair of UAVs. In our framework, one UAV performs ‘surveillance’ of animal groups, informing the movement of a second UAV that herds them. We highlight the promise and flexibility of a paired UAV approach while emphasising its practical and ethical challenges. We start by describing the types of experiments and data required to understand individual and collective responses to UAVs. Next, we describe how to develop appropriate herding algorithms. Finally, we describe the integration of bio‐herding algorithms into software and hardware architecture. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T20:32:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6343048d017146be822561b01fb2dfba |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2041-210X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T20:32:14Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Methods in Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-6343048d017146be822561b01fb2dfba2023-08-01T19:00:34ZengWileyMethods in Ecology and Evolution2041-210X2023-02-0114247848610.1111/2041-210X.14049Biologically inspired herding of animal groups by robotsAndrew J. King0Steven J. Portugal1Daniel Strömbom2Richard P. Mann3José A. Carrillo4Dante Kalise5Guido deCroon6Heather Barnett7Paul Scerri8Roderich Groß9David R. Chadwick10Marina Papadopoulou11Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering Swansea University Swansea UKDepartment of Biological Sciences, School of Life and Environmental Sciences Royal Holloway University of London Egham UKDepartment of Biology Lafayette College Easton Pennsylvania USADepartment of Statistics, School of Mathematics University of Leeds Leeds UKMathematical Institute University of Oxford Oxford UKDepartment of Mathematics Imperial College London London UKFaculty of Aerospace Engineering Delft University of Technology Delft The NetherlandsCentral Saint Martins University of the Arts London London UKPerceptronics Solutions Los Angeles California USADepartment of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering The University of Sheffield Sheffield UKEnvironment Centre Wales, School of Natural Sciences Bangor University Bangor UKDepartment of Biosciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering Swansea University Swansea UKAbstract A single sheepdog can bring together and manoeuvre hundreds of sheep from one location to another. Engineers and ecologists are fascinated by this sheepdog herding because of the potential it provides for ‘bio‐herding’: a biologically inspired herding of animal groups by robots. Although many herding algorithms have been proposed, most are studied via simulation. There are a variety of ecological problems where management of wild animal groups is currently impossible, dangerous and/or costly for humans to manage directly, and which may benefit from bio‐herding solutions. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) now deliver significant benefits to the economy and society. Here, we suggest the use of UAVs for bio‐herding. Given their mobility and speed, UAVs can be used in a wide range of environments and interact with animal groups at sea, over the land and in the air. We present a potential roadmap for achieving bio‐herding using a pair of UAVs. In our framework, one UAV performs ‘surveillance’ of animal groups, informing the movement of a second UAV that herds them. We highlight the promise and flexibility of a paired UAV approach while emphasising its practical and ethical challenges. We start by describing the types of experiments and data required to understand individual and collective responses to UAVs. Next, we describe how to develop appropriate herding algorithms. Finally, we describe the integration of bio‐herding algorithms into software and hardware architecture.https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.14049bio‐inspiredbiomimeticherdinghuman–wildlife conflictssheepdogsurveillance |
| spellingShingle | Andrew J. King Steven J. Portugal Daniel Strömbom Richard P. Mann José A. Carrillo Dante Kalise Guido deCroon Heather Barnett Paul Scerri Roderich Groß David R. Chadwick Marina Papadopoulou Biologically inspired herding of animal groups by robots Methods in Ecology and Evolution bio‐inspired biomimetic herding human–wildlife conflicts sheepdog surveillance |
| title | Biologically inspired herding of animal groups by robots |
| title_full | Biologically inspired herding of animal groups by robots |
| title_fullStr | Biologically inspired herding of animal groups by robots |
| title_full_unstemmed | Biologically inspired herding of animal groups by robots |
| title_short | Biologically inspired herding of animal groups by robots |
| title_sort | biologically inspired herding of animal groups by robots |
| topic | bio‐inspired biomimetic herding human–wildlife conflicts sheepdog surveillance |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.14049 |
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