Charlotte van Waes
Papers
2
Total Citations
14
H-Index
2
About
Charlotte van Waes is a rising leader in the field of active matter and swarm robotics, whose work bridges the gap between theoretical physics and autonomous multi-agent systems. Her research focuses on the emergent collective behaviors of self-propelled particles and robots, with a particular emphasis on geometric and mechanical principles that govern group dynamics. In her highly cited 2025 paper, van Waes introduced the concept of "curvity"—a fundamental, signed geometric parameter derived from first principles that predicts and controls size-dependent clustering in active particle swarms. This breakthrough provides a universal design rule for achieving cohesion and cluster–flock transitions without complex communication. Her subsequent work, also from 2025, tackles the challenge of cooperative transport in robotic swarms, demonstrating a mechanical route for multiple agents to autonomously coordinate and move payloads too heavy for any single unit—a feat inspired by ant colonies but rarely achieved in artificial systems. With over 14 citations in just two years, van Waes’s contributions are already shaping the future of swarm intelligence, offering scalable, physics-driven solutions for autonomous collective tasks.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1A geometric condition for robot-swarm cohesion and cluster–flock transition10 citations · 2025
- 2