Swarm Robotics and Human-Swarm Interaction: Scalability, Minimizing Surprise, and Time-Perception - Science Faculty Research Seminar

THE SCIENCE FACULTY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN INVITES YOU TO THE 2025 SEMINAR SERIES

This seminar series is organised by the Science Faculty Research Committee.
Everyone interested is welcome to attend.

Speaker:
Prof. Heiko Hamann
University of Konstanz, Germany

Title:
Swarm Robotics and Human-Swarm Interaction: Scalability, Minimizing
Surprise, and Time-Perception

Abstract:
An essential advantage of swarm robotics (decentralized large-scale multi-robot systems) is the assumed maximal scalability with system size (i.e., number of robots). However, once swarm density (robots per square meter) is increased, the situation turns out to be complex. Another key future aspect of swarm robotics is human-swarm interaction. Key challenges include balancing autonomy with human oversight, designing intuitive interfaces, and ensuring wellbeing of the human controller. We look into the state of the art of Active Inference (predictive modelling to guide decisions and perception actively) for collective behaviour by answering the question: How can swarm members choose actions that minimize future surprise? In the last part of the talk, we look into the very specific effect of robot swarms on the operator's subjective time perception. We analyse physiological data of human (swarm) operators using methods of machine learning.

Speaker Biography:
Since 2022 Heiko Hamann is professor for Cyber-physical Systems at the University of Konstanz, Germany, and member of the "Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour" in Konstanz. Before he was professor at the University of Luebeck and the University of Paderborn (both Germany). His main research interests are swarm robotics, bio-hybrid systems, evolutionary robotics, and modeling of complex systems. He enjoys working in multi-disciplinary teams with ethologists, plant biologists, architects, and psychologists. Heiko Hamann is author of the book "Swarm Robotics: A Formal Approach" (Springer, 2018; 2nd edition in preparation) and is editor-in-chief of the Swarm Intelligence Journal since 2023.