Biologically inspired herding of animal groups by robots

King, Andrew J.; Portugal, Steven J.; Strömbom, Daniel; Mann, Richard P.; Carrillo, José Antonio Ortega; Kalise, Dante; Croon, Guido de; Barnett, Heather; Scerri, Paul; Groß, Roderich; Chadwick, David R.; Papadopoulou, Marina

doi:10.1111/2041-210x.14049

Cited by 12 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 91 publications

(114 reference statements)

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“…Furthermore, using a drone in combination with negative stimuli (e.g., chemical repellents, lasers, auditory deterrents, or nonlethal projectiles; Penny et al 2019, Wang et al 2020, Werrell et al 2021) might counter dilution effects within flocks (Krause and Ruxton 2002), if the stimuli directly impacts a greater number of individuals. If birds do not perceive drones as particularly disturbing or threatening, but will move short distances to avoid collision, drones could potentially be used to herd flocks of birds out of a field (Paranjape et al 2018, White 2021, King et al 2023) or move them closer to alternative management tools (e.g., propane cannons, firearms, capture devices, or decoy crops; Klug et al 2023). Alternatively, wildlife managers could use a drone to ferry other deterrents to the problem location.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dispersal of blackbird flocks from sunflower fields: efficacy influenced by flock and field size but not drone platform

Egan

Blackwell

Fernández‐Juricic

et al. 2023

Wildlife Society Bulletin

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Crop depredation by blackbirds (Icteridae) results in substantial economic losses to the United States sunflower industry, and a solution to effectively reduce damage remains elusive. We evaluated the utility of uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS), or drones, as hazing tools to deter foraging blackbirds from commercial sunflower (Helianthus annuus) fields in North Dakota, USA, between September and October 2017. We compared the efficacy of 3 drones: a fixed‐wing predator model mimicking the form of an aerial raptor, a fixed‐wing airplane of similar size, and a multirotor drone. Multirotor drones are relatively easy to fly and are a multifunctional tool for agricultural use; however, they may not be an effective avian deterrent due to a lack of similarity in appearance with natural predators. Free‐ranging blackbird flocks (n = 58) reacted to every drone approach by initiating flight and took flight 1.6 times sooner for the fixed‐wing predator model (flight initiation distance [FID] = 90 m) and 1.8 times sooner for the fixed‐wing airplane (FID = 98 m) compared to the multirotor drone (FID = 55 m). However, the probability of a blackbird flock (n = 53) abandoning a field was greater with smaller field and flock sizes, rather than the specific drone deployed. In an applied setting, the performance of drones as avian hazing devices will likely depend on a combination of factors including platform selection, drone trajectory, duration of use, season, landscape context, and natural history of the pest species.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dispersal of blackbird flocks from sunflower fields: efficacy influenced by flock and field size but not drone platform

Egan

Blackwell

Fernández‐Juricic

et al. 2023

Wildlife Society Bulletin

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“…Critical for advancing this idea is the creation of a mobile deterrent that can both identify and react to animals. Progress in this regard is being made with agricultural animals ( King et al, 2023 ; Li et al, 2022 ; Yaxley, Joiner & Abbass, 2021 ), but we are unaware of any autonomous deterrent systems that incorporates adaptive movement for wildlife management.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrating robotics into wildlife conservation: testing improvements to predator deterrents through movement

Breck,

Schultz,

Prause

et al. 2023

PeerJ

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Background Agricultural and pastoral landscapes can provide important habitat for wildlife conservation, but sharing these landscapes with wildlife can create conflict that is costly and requires managing. Livestock predation is a good example of the challenges involving coexistence with wildlife across shared landscapes. Integrating new technology into agricultural practices could help minimize human-wildlife conflict. In this study, we used concepts from the fields of robotics (i.e., automated movement and adaptiveness) and agricultural practices (i.e., managing livestock risk to predation) to explore how integration of these concepts could aid the development of more effective predator deterrents. Methods We used a colony of captive coyotes as a model system, and simulated predation events with meat baits inside and outside of protected zones. Inside the protected zones we used a remote-controlled vehicle with a state-of-the art, commercially available predator deterrent (i.e., Foxlight) mounted on the top and used this to test three treatments: (1) light only (i.e., without movement or adaptiveness), (2) predetermined movement (i.e., with movement and without adaptiveness), and (3) adaptive movement (i.e., with both movement and adaptiveness). We measured the time it took for coyotes to eat the baits and analyzed the data with a time-to-event survival strategy. Results Survival of baits was consistently higher inside the protected zone, and the three movement treatments incrementally increased survival time over baseline except for the light only treatment in the nonprotected zone. Incorporating predetermined movement essentially doubled the efficacy of the light only treatment both inside and outside the protected zone. Incorporating adaptive movement exponentially increased survival time both inside and outside the protected zone. Our findings provide compelling evidence that incorporating existing robotics capabilities (predetermined and adaptive movement) could greatly enhance protection of agricultural resources and aid in the development of nonlethal tools for managing wildlife. Our findings also demonstrate the importance of marrying agricultural practices (e.g., spatial management of livestock at night) with new technology to improve the efficacy of wildlife deterrents.

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“…of their nearest neighbour) can collectively herd and contain a group of prey. Even for single predators, an investigation of such herding behaviour has led to surprising results (King et al ., 2012, 2023; Strömbom et al ., 2014; Strömbom & King, 2018). Shepherding dogs ( Canis familiaris ) appear to be running behind a flock of sheep ( Ovis aries ) repeatedly from right to left.…”

Section: Behavioural Roles and Simulationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mechanisms of group‐hunting in vertebrates

et al. 2023

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Group‐hunting is ubiquitous across animal taxa and has received considerable attention in the context of its functions. By contrast much less is known about the mechanisms by which grouping predators hunt their prey. This is primarily due to a lack of experimental manipulation alongside logistical difficulties quantifying the behaviour of multiple predators at high spatiotemporal resolution as they search, select, and capture wild prey. However, the use of new remote‐sensing technologies and a broadening of the focal taxa beyond apex predators provides researchers with a great opportunity to discern accurately how multiple predators hunt together and not just whether doing so provides hunters with a per capita benefit. We incorporate many ideas from collective behaviour and locomotion throughout this review to make testable predictions for future researchers and pay particular attention to the role that computer simulation can play in a feedback loop with empirical data collection. Our review of the literature showed that the breadth of predator:prey size ratios among the taxa that can be considered to hunt as a group is very large (<100 to >102). We therefore synthesised the literature with respect to these predator:prey ratios and found that they promoted different hunting mechanisms. Additionally, these different hunting mechanisms are also related to particular stages of the hunt (search, selection, capture) and thus we structure our review in accordance with these two factors (stage of the hunt and predator:prey size ratio). We identify several novel group‐hunting mechanisms which are largely untested, particularly under field conditions, and we also highlight a range of potential study organisms that are amenable to experimental testing of these mechanisms in connection with tracking technology. We believe that a combination of new hypotheses, study systems and methodological approaches should help push the field of group‐hunting in new directions.

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Biologically inspired herding of animal groups by robots

Cited by 12 publications

References 91 publications

Dispersal of blackbird flocks from sunflower fields: efficacy influenced by flock and field size but not drone platform

Dispersal of blackbird flocks from sunflower fields: efficacy influenced by flock and field size but not drone platform

Integrating robotics into wildlife conservation: testing improvements to predator deterrents through movement

Mechanisms of group‐hunting in vertebrates

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