Ben Seleb, QBioS Thesis Proposal

Quantitative Biosciences Thesis Proposal 
Benjamin Seleb 
School of Biological Sciences

The Sled Dog Team as a Tethered Collective 
Friday, April 28, 2023 at 9:00 am 
In-Person Location: IBB 1128 
Zoom Link: https://gatech.zoom.us/j/99877752358?pwd=WWNRTjNMTWE4aWpLcmd2UFIwejFuUT09 
Meeting ID: 998 7775 2358 
Passcode: sleddog 
Open to the Community

Advisor: 
Dr. Saad Bhamla (School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering)

Co-Advisor: 
Dr. Will Ratcliff (School of Biological Sciences)

Committee Members: 
Dr. Young-Hui Chang (School of Biological Sciences) 
Dr. Zeb Rocklin (School of Physics) 
Dr. Heather Huson (Cornell University, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences)

Abstract: 
This thesis proposal delves into the fascinating world of sled dog teams to understand how diverse, networked, and adaptive agents work together to optimally execute their tasks. By combining real-world experiments with complex system modeling, I aim to uncover the biological and physical principles that govern these tethered collectives and shed light on the roles of diversity and complexity in team dynamics. The research involves gathering high-resolution data from sled dog teams in action by employing modern techniques like aerial drone tracking and animal-borne sensors. Drawing inspiration from the growing field of computational ethology, I discuss protocols for analyzing the collected data and extracting insightful behavioral information. Subsequently, I aim to develop a computational model of the tether network constituted by the interconnected lines of the hitch to investigate the underlying physics and explore how factors such as team size, gait, speed, synchrony, and network topology influence a team's pulling performance. In an effort to extract their underlying interaction rules, I propose to create biologically inspired, embodied models for sled dogs and integrate them into the tether network model. These virtual teams will serve as a testbed for examining the impact of team configuration, heterogeneity, and network topology on behavior and control. By studying sled dogs as a tethered collective, this thesis proposal seeks to uncover valuable insights into the principles of cooperation and performance in complex, multi-agent systems.