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arXiv · 2505.00442

Decentralised, Self-Organising Drone Swarms using Coupled Oscillators

Kevin Quinn·Cormac Molloy·Harun Šiljak
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Abstract

The problem of robotic synchronisation and coordination is a long-standing one. Combining autonomous, computerised systems with unpredictable real-world conditions can have consequences ranging from poor performance to collisions and damage. This paper proposes using coupled oscillators to create a drone swarm that is decentralised and self organising. This allows for greater flexibility and adaptiveness than a hard-coded swarm, with more resilience and scalability than a centralised system. Our method allows for a variable number of drones to spontaneously form a swarm and react to changing swarm conditions. Additionally, this method includes provisions to prevent communication interference between drones, and signal processing techniques to ensure a smooth and cohesive swarm.

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Kevin Quinn, Cormac Molloy, Harun Šiljak. 2025-05-01. Decentralised, Self-Organising Drone Swarms using Coupled Oscillators. https://doi.org/10.1109/balkancom65827.2025.11185990

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