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About

Thomas Dunbar is a robotics and autonomous systems researcher whose work spans swarm robotics, wireless communications, and bio-inspired mobile platforms. His most significant contribution lies at the intersection of multi-robot coordination and network reliability, particularly in developing methods to maintain robust wireless connectivity within robot swarms operating in complex environments. His most cited work, "Maintaining wireless connectivity constraints for swarms in the presence of obstacles" (2006, 67 citations), addressed the critical challenge of preserving line-of-sight radio links among swarm agents navigating obstacle-rich terrain — a foundational problem for practical swarm deployment. Complementing this, his research on artificial potential field controllers provided elegant algorithmic solutions for communication-aware swarm navigation. Beyond swarm systems, Dunbar made notable contributions to terrain-adaptive robotics through his work on the CASE/NPS Beach Whegs robot, a biologically inspired autonomous platform engineered to traverse the demanding and variable terrain of coastal surf-zone environments. This line of research, spanning multiple publications from 2008 to 2010, demonstrated the practical value of abstracting biological locomotion principles for real-world autonomous operations with clear military and civilian relevance. His body of work reflects a consistent focus on bridging theoretical robotics with deployable autonomous systems.