On the effect of swarm collective behavior on human perception: Towards brain-swarm interfaces

摘要

Swarms of autonomous robots consist of a large number of simple and inexpensive units that use local communication and sensing in order to achieve a common goal. They provide improved robustness and efficiency characteristics over single agent solutions due to their interchangeability and inherent redundancy. Human-Swarm Interaction (HSI) is a relatively new field that has captured the attention of many researchers over the last decade. Efforts have mainly focused on the design of human-swarm control interfaces, neglecting significant aspects like the human perception of the swarm behavior. In this work, we attempt to address this issue by examining the perception and representation of collective behaviors of swarms at the brain level of human supervisors. More specifically, the effect of swarm cohesion on the ElectroEncephaloGraphic (EEG) activity of the human supervisor is investigated. We show that brain activity is correlated to swarm cohesion levels, which refers to spreading in the motion of the swarm agents. Moreover, we show that as the cohesion of the swarm becomes lower, the subjects are less able to discern changes in the direction of its motion. This work provides the first evidence of representation of swarm collective behaviors at the brain level, which can lead to the design of a new generation of brain-swarm control and perception interfaces.