Kurt Derr
Papers
2
Total Citations
108
H-Index
2
About
Kurt Derr is a leading researcher in swarm robotics and multi-agent systems, with a focus on enabling autonomous robot teams to operate effectively in noisy, unknown environments. His work centers on applying Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) to coordinate multiple small robots, allowing them to collaboratively explore and locate targets where a single robot would fail. His most-cited paper, "Multi-robot, multi-target Particle Swarm Optimization search in noisy wireless environments" (2009, 80 citations), pioneered the use of PSO for decentralized, multi-target search, demonstrating how swarms can overcome communication and sensing limitations. Derr further advanced the field with his 2012 study on adaptive control parameters for dispersing mobile ad hoc network (MANET) swarms (28 citations), showing how robots can self-organize and maintain connectivity while achieving global goals. His contributions are critical for applications like search-and-rescue, environmental monitoring, and military reconnaissance, where robust, scalable coordination is essential. By integrating swarm intelligence with wireless networking, Derr has provided foundational algorithms that continue to inspire researchers in autonomous systems and distributed robotics.
Research Focus
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Top Papers
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