The Role of Sensory Cues in Collective Dynamics: A Study of Three-Dimensional Vicsek Models

This study presents a three-dimensional collective motion model that integrates auditory and visual sensing modalities, inspired by organisms like bats that rely on these senses for navigation. Most existing models of collective motion consider vision-based sensing, likely reflecting an inherent human bias towards visual perception. However, many organisms utilize multiple sensory modalities, and this study explores how the integration of these distinct sensory inputs influences group behavior. We investigate a generalized scenario of three-dimensional motion, an area not previously explored for combining sensory information. Through numerical simulations, we investigate the combined impact of auditory and visual sensing on group behavior, contrasting these effects with those observed when relying solely on vision or audition. The results demonstrate that composite sensing allows particles to interact with more neighbors, thereby gaining more information. This interaction allows the formation of a single, large, perfectly aligned group using a narrow sensing region, achievable by taking advantage of the mechanics of both auditory and visual sensing. Our findings demonstrate the importance of integrating multiple sensory modalities in shaping emergent group behavior, with potential applications in both biological studies and the development of robotic swarms.