Synchronization and swarming are two phenomena of self-organization in nature that are also relevant to engineering. In multi-robot systems, for example, temporal coordination is needed for tasks such as cooperative sensing and wireless communication; at the same time, mobile robots must be coordinated in the spatial domain to perform collaborative tasks. Recent research aims to develop a unified theory for synchronization and swarm behavior that accounts for their interplay. Entities that exhibit both phenomena are called “swarmalators.”

This keynote explores the use of swarmalators in robotics and related fields. The presentation first introduces the concept of self-organized synchronization, including its prevalence in natural systems, modeling with pulse-coupled oscillators, and its transfer to wireless systems. We then explain the coupling of synchronization with swarming and discuss the challenges of applying the swarmalator theory to technology. To demonstrate practical feasibility, we present prototypes of engineered swarmalator systems using mobile robots and drones. The talk concludes with emerging topics, providing insight into research directions in the field.