Individuals physically interacting in a group rapidly coordinate their movement by estimating the collective goal
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Takagi, Atsushi
Hiroshima, Masaya
Nozaki, Daichi
Burdet, Etienne
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
How can a human collective coordinate, for example to move a banquet table, wheneach person is influenced by the inertia of others who may be inferior at the task? We hypothesizedthat large groups cannot coordinate through touch alone, accruing to a zero-sum scenario whereindividuals inferior at the task hinder superior ones. We tested this hypothesis by examining howdyads, triads and tetrads, whose right hands were physically coupled together, followed a commonmoving target. Surprisingly, superior individuals followed the target accurately even when coupledto an inferior group, and the interaction benefits increased with the group size. A computationalmodel shows that these benefits arose as each individual uses their respective interaction force toinfer the collective’s target and enhance their movement planning, which permitted coordination inseconds independent of the collective’s size. By estimating the collective’s movement goal, itsindividuals make physical interaction beneficial, swift and scalable.
Date Issued
2019-02-12
Date Acceptance
2019-01-29
Citation
eLife, 2019, 8
ISSN
2050-084X
Publisher
eLife Sciences Publications Ltd
Journal / Book Title
eLife
Volume
8
Copyright Statement
Copyright ©2019 Takagi et al. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License,whichpermits unrestricted use andredistribution provided that theoriginal author and source arecredited.
Sponsor
Commission of the European Communities
Engineering & Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC)
Identifier
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000458486100001&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=1ba7043ffcc86c417c072aa74d649202
Grant Number
644727
EP/N032772/1
Subjects
Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Biology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine - Other Topics
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
ARTN e41328