Bio-inspired swarm of underwater robots: a review.

Journal: Bioinspiration & biomimetics
Published Date: Jun 19, 2025

Abstract

With the in-depth integration of research across multiple disciplines, such as biomimetics, robotics, and sensing technology, significant advancements have been made in swarm robotics technology, which has been applied in areas including drone swarms, mobile robot swarms, and underwater robot swarms. However, due to the limitations of underwater communication technologies, underwater robot swarms have lagged behind aerial and ground swarms in their development. This paper primarily explores the applications and advancements of swarm intelligence (SI) in multiple underwater robot swarms. Inspired by the behavior of animal swarms, researchers have translated this concept into the design and control strategies of underwater robot swarms. This approach draws on the self-organization, robustness, and adaptability inherent in collective behaviors, significantly enhancing the performance of underwater robot swarms. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the current research status of bio-inspired swarming of multiple underwater robots, including the design and classification of swarm underwater robots, SI algorithms and their applications in multiple underwater robots, and communication mechanisms for underwater robots. Furthermore, this paper highlights critical technical challenges that need to be addressed in research, along with proposed solutions, and discusses the vast application prospects of bio-inspired underwater swarming in military and civilian fields, providing clear directions for future research.

Authors

  • Qiang Zhao
    Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics and Information Displays (KLOEID) & Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biosensors, Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM), Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, 9 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China.
  • Tengfei Yang
    Marine Engineering College, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian, People's Republic of China.
  • Guoqiang Tang
    Marine Engineering College, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian, People's Republic of China.
  • Yan Yang
    Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
  • Fangyang Dong
    Marine Engineering College, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian, People's Republic of China.
  • Ziyue Xi
    Marine Engineering College, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian, People's Republic of China.
  • Yongjiu Zou
    Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
  • Minyi Xu
    State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Film and Integrated Devices, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China.
  • Shuai Li
    School of Molecular Biosciences, Center for Reproductive Biology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University.
  • Chen Wang
    Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
  • Guangming Xie

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