This paper proposes and evaluates swarming mechanisms of patrolling unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that can collectively search a region for intruding UAVs. The main contributions include the development of multi-objective searching strategies and investigation of the required sensor configurations for the patrolling UAVs. Numerical results reveal that it is sometimes better to search through a region with a single swarm rather than multiple swarms deployed over sub-regions. Moreover, a large communication range does not necessarily improve search performances, and the patrolling swarm must have a speed close to the speed of the intruding UAVs to maximize the search performances.

This paper addresses the motion planning and control problem of a system of 1-trailer robots navigating a dynamic environment cluttered with obstacles including a swarm of boids. A set of nonlinear continuous control laws is proposed via the Lyapunov-based Control Scheme for collision, obstacle, and swarm avoidances. Additionally, a leader–follower strategy is utilized to allow the flock to split and rejoin when approaching obstacles. The effectiveness of the control laws is demonstrated through numerical simulations, which show the split and rejoin maneuvers by the flock when avoiding obstacles while the swarm exhibits emergent behaviors.

We present a review of recent activities in swarm robotic research, and analyse existing literature in the field to determine how to get closer to a practical swarm robotic system for real world applications. We begin with a discussion of the importance of swarm robotics by illustrating the wide applicability of robot swarms in various tasks. Then a brief overview of various robotic devices that can be incorporated into swarm robotic systems is presented. We identify and describe the challenges that should be resolved when designing swarm robotic systems for real world applications. Finally, we provide a summary of a series of issues that should be addressed to overcome these challenges, and propose directions for future swarm robotic research based on our extensive analysis of the reviewed literature.

We provide the first comprehensive account of habitat preference, mating, oviposition and developmental stages of Parochlus steinenii. There are eight records from the South Shetland Islands. On King George Island, none out of 40 temporary ponds and 9% out of 44 lakes with variable water levels were inhabited by P. steinenii. By contrast, 94% of 52 lakes with stable water levels were occupied, for 92% of which breeding was confirmed. Lakes were occupied independently of their height above sea level ranging from 5 to 115 m. The midges aggregated at two different microhabitats at the shoreline of lakes. Terrestrial swarms of more than 5000 individuals at open wind sheltered rocks were strongly dominated by males. Their mean density was 40, their maximum 150 ind. cm−2. Aggregations under stones at the water edge showed a female-biased or equal sex ratio; their densities seasonally increased from 0.17 to 2.02 ind. cm−2. Female midges produced one to four egg batches totalling on average 247 eggs/female. Four larval stages can be clearly discriminated by head length. Our data on the habitat preferences and the high reproductive output predict that P. steinenii will rapidly colonize habitats that become available in the course of the regional warming of the Antarctic Peninsula region.