Automated social coordination of cyber-physical systems with mobile actuator and sensor networks

Using cyber-physical systems to emulate complex social structures is an emerging field, with interesting applications. Such social structures can be used to better understand insect, animal, or even human populations. Additionally, these structures can be used to implement dynamic team work and problem-solving capabilities within autonomous agents. This research explores two separate experiment types in order to implement complex social systems using simple, individual behaviors. First, a situation in which a team of agents works together to locate another agent that is trying to evade capture; second, an agent is presented with a network of mobile defense units that are unaware of its presence- it must intelligently avoid detection and reach its goal using analyzing the distribution of the defense units.