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As autonomous systems grow in number and complexity, researchers at ��ɫ��Ƶ are tackling a critical question: How can a single human operator manage an entire swarm of robots? Professors , , and are designing smart-swarm technologies to help military planners coordinate unmanned aerial and ground vehicles within Human-Machine Integrated Formations. 

The urgency of this work comes from rapidly evolving real-world conditions. Drone incursions are increasing in both frequency and affordability, explained Nowzari, adding, “It still requires a centralized and expensive response from the Air Force just to take down a $200 drone.” 

Swarm robotics offers an alternative. By deploying many low-cost systems, the team aims to shift the economics of defense. “To take out a $200 drone, we want to do it in less than $2,000,” Nowzari explained. 

But this introduces a new bottleneck: human attention. “If you have one pilot per robot, you’ve defeated the purpose,” he said. The goal is for “one or two people to manage, coordinate, monitor, and control hundreds of robots.” 

The team’s goal is to enable military planners to assemble, adapt, and deploy swarm-control and coordination systems using mo dular,building-block components, reducing complexity while improving mission effectiveness. 

They are building a Smart Swarm system with three components: a Swarm Decision Guidance Assistant, Swarm Operations Assistant, and Adversarial Risk Assistant. Together, these tools help operators interpret data, assign tasks, and respond to changing conditions without being overwhelmed. 

This human-centered philosophy extends to the interface itself. The team is developing tools such as tablet-based dashboards where operators can issue commands and monitor activity. Deciding what information to display is a major research question. 

“If we show them everything, it’s overwhelming,” Nowzari said. “They can’t do anything with it.” The is top of mind for American military leaders taking lessons from Ukraine, he added. 

To explore these questions, the project incorporates an unexpected element: a video game. Built by undergraduate researcher Gagan Manjunatha, the simulator translates swarm behavior into an interactive, accessible format. In the game, called , players design simple algorithms to control fleets of spaceships defending a target, mirroring real-world swarm coordination. 

Using intuitive, block-based coding, players can program their ships, experimenting with strategies in real time. The system then collects this data and runs large-scale simulations. “We’ll collect simulations and run many trials and see who has the best algorithm for defending a point,” explained Manjunatha. 

The game is designed to be accessible to a wide audience while generating valuable insights into how humans design and adapt swarm behaviors. Supported by a $966,836 award from the U.S. Department of the Army, the research will continue through 2028.