Modeling the effects of mass and age variation in wolves to explore the effects of heterogeneity in robot team composition

Abstract

No two wolves are the same. Some of the variations between individuals such as variation in mass and age have major implications on their hunting abilities. The predatory success of a wolf pack has been found to depend on its composition of individuals along these dimensions. Building from a system for simulating wolf hunting behavior in earlier work [1], this paper explores the effects of heterogeneity among individuals in a team and the utility of these variations for the team as a whole. The implications for robot team control and organization are presented.