Dear Dr Groß, what topics will be the main focus at ANTS this year?

Swarm intelligence is a subfield of artificial intelligence that emerged from the study of biological swarms such as ants, bees, birds, and fish. These systems are characterized by remarkable adaptability, robustness, and collective performance, while requiring comparatively little energy. Researchers have long sought to reproduce these desirable attributes in artificial systems. At ANTS 2026, numerous studies will be presented that explore the use of robot swarms in a wide range of environments—on land, in water, in the air, and even in space. Such systems can provide resource-efficient solutions to tasks that require cooperation among many robots.

Participants from nearly 30 countries around the world are expected to attend the conference. Which presentations are you particularly looking forward to, and what do you consider to be the highlights?

I am particularly looking forward to the keynote speeches by internationally renowned researchers. They will cover a wide range of fascinating topics, from modular robots that can change shape and flying drones with insect-inspired flapping wings to the mechanisms by which information—and misinformation—spreads through social networks. A common thread running through these talks is the study of how interactions among many individual agents give rise to complex collective behavior, a central theme in swarm intelligence.

The conference motto, “Reaching beyond—swarm intelligence across systems, disciplines, and communities,” emphasizes the interdisciplinary nature of the event. What new perspectives and ideas for future groundbreaking research projects do you hope to gain, including for your Resilient Cyber-Physical Systems research group in the Department of Computer Science at TU Darmstadt?

A particular feature of the conference is the lightning talks, which bring perspectives from disciplines beyond computer science and engineering. Such broad input has always been a driving force in the evolution of swarm intelligence and continues to inspire new research directions. We hope to gain fresh insights into how scalable robotic systems can work closely with humans and address real-world challenges.

In the future, such systems could, for example, support food distribution in crisis situations or alleviate pressures on healthcare services by taking over routine tasks. These topics are also highly relevant to our research, which explores the coordination of large numbers of resource-constrained robots and their collaboration with humans. At the same time, the growing use of artificial intelligence raises not only technical but also ethical and societal questions, making interdisciplinary dialogue more important than ever.

What role does ANTS 2026 play in Germany’s position as a leading hub for swarm intelligence research?

We are delighted that ANTS 2026, which has been held biennially since 1998, will be hosted in Germany for the second time. Our close collaboration with the Robotics Institute Germany (RIG) as a technical co-sponsor underscores the strength of Germany’s robotics and AI research network, with dozens of research groups represented at the conference. Germany has a diverse research landscape with internationally recognized expertise in swarm intelligence, ranging from theoretical foundations to practical applications. Events such as ANTS 2026 provide an important platform for strengthening international collaborations, fostering the next generation of scientists, and attracting talent from around the world to Germany as a research hub.

The questions were asked by Michaela Hütig.