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Run with the Brownian Hare, Hunt with the Deterministic Hounds
Davide Bernardi1, Benjamin Lindner2
1Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Fossato di Mortara 19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
Physical Review Letters
|February 11, 2022
Summary
Researchers analyzed capture time and energy for deterministic hounds chasing a diffusing prey. Optimal hound numbers and speeds exist, depending on prey diffusion and hound power, informing microswimmer and robot design.
Area of Science:
- Physics
- Robotics
- Applied Mathematics
Background:
- Understanding predator-prey dynamics is crucial in various fields.
- Modeling animal movement and energy expenditure offers insights into biological and engineered systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analytically determine the mean capture time and energy consumption of multiple deterministic hounds pursuing a randomly diffusing prey.
- To investigate the influence of prey diffusion coefficient and the number of hounds on capture dynamics.
Main Methods:
- Development of an analytical model for a pack of deterministic hounds.
- Mathematical analysis of capture time and energy expenditure as functions of prey diffusion and hound parameters.
Main Results:
- Mean capture time can increase, decrease, or reach a minimum with increasing prey diffusion, depending on the number of hounds.
- Optimal hound speed and number were identified, contingent on individual chaser power consumption.
Conclusions:
- The analytical model provides a tractable framework for studying chase dynamics.
- Findings have implications for the design and optimization of autonomous robots and smart microswimmers.
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