title: Using collision cones to assess biological deconfliction methods.
abstract: Biological systems consistently outperform autonomous systems governed by engineered algorithms in their ability to reactively avoid collisions. To better understand this discrepancy, a collision avoidance algorithm was applied to frames of digitized video trajectory data from bats, swallows and fish (Myotis velifer, Petrochelidon pyrrhonota and Danio aequipinnatus). Information available from visual cues, specifically relative position and velocity, was provided to the algorithm which used this information to define collision cones that allowed the algorithm to find a safe velocity requiring minimal deviation from the original velocity. The subset of obstacles provided to the algorithm was determined by the animal's sensing range in terms of metric and topological distance. The algorithmic calculated velocities showed good agreement with observed biological velocities, indicating that the algorithm was an informative basis for comparison with the three species and could potentially be improved for engineered applications with further study.
authors.affiliation: William E. Boeing Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA nbrace@uw.edu.
authors.forename: Natalie L
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7105-5445
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Brace
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Tyson L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Hedrick
authors.affiliation: Department of Computer Science, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Diane H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Theriault
authors.affiliation: Department of Computer Science, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Nathan W
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Fuller
authors.affiliation: Department of Computer Science, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Computer Science, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Margrit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Betke
authors.affiliation: School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Julia K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Parrish
authors.affiliation: School of Oceanography, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Grünbaum
authors.affiliation: William E. Boeing Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Kristi A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Morgansen
keywords: animal behaviour; collision avoidance algorithm; collision cones; multi-species comparison; nonlinear control; velocity obstacles