Swarm splitting and multiple targets seeking in multi-agent dynamic systems

This paper presents an approach to swarm split control of a system of multi-agents with limited sensing capabilities. The control scheme utilizes the competition between the inter-agent repulsive and attractive interactions and can split one cohesive swarm into several clustered subswarms along the direction perpendicular to the common heading direction of agents. The cohesion and collision avoidance of agents are ensured by long-range attractive and short-range repulsive interactions between agents. The split of swarm is achieved via a Gaussian-like repulsive interaction between agents, whose magnitude affects the number of subswarm clusters and can be designed to control the swarm splitting/rejoining maneuver, and whose maximum location mainly affects the relative distance between clustered subswarms. The split control law is also applied to double targets seeking task in a swarm of 100 agents, and simulations are worked out. These results are of interest in understanding and utilizing the splitting dynamics in swarms of agents with local coupling interactions.