Collective dynamics and model verification: Connecting kinetic modeling to data

Bat swarms and the role of active sensing: models and experimental framework

Nicole Abaid

Virginia Tech
[SLIDES]

Animal groups, such as fish schools and bird flocks, are capable of executing complex collective behaviors from decisions based on local information and without a centralized leader. Among these groups, bat swarms stand out as a unique example, since the echolocation they use for navigation and hunting is an active form of sensing and thus can be intercepted by their peers. In this talk, we will explore incorporating active sensing inspired by bat echolocation into an agent-based model of collective behavior. This phenomenon will also be adapted into a network-based model of consensus and synchronization. An experimental framework for validating these results and preliminary data from field studies will be presented.