Mark Read

About

Mark Read is a leading researcher in swarm robotics, with a particular focus on underwater autonomous systems and bio-inspired collective behavior. His work centers on developing decentralized coordination algorithms that enable groups of robots to act as intelligent, self-aware swarms. Read's most impactful contribution is the EU-funded CoCoRo project, which pioneered heterogeneous underwater swarms for environmental monitoring and search missions. His 2011 paper on CoCoRo, with over 100 citations, introduced biologically derived collective cognition mechanisms that allow autonomous underwater vehicles to self-organize without central control. A second highly cited work (54 citations) demonstrated how Lévy flight patterns—inspired by animal foraging—can be combined with Firefly optimization to dramatically improve target detection in underwater search scenarios. Read has also advanced simulation methodologies for profiling swarm performance and developed novel statistical approaches for analyzing dynamic agent-based systems. His research bridges theoretical biology and practical robotics, offering scalable solutions for real-world challenges in ocean exploration and environmental monitoring.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   CoCoRo -- The Self-Aware Underwater Swarm

   102 citations · 2011
2. 2
   Collective-adaptive Lévy flight for underwater multi-robot exploration

   54 citations · 2013
3. 3
   Profiling Underwater Swarm Robotic Shoaling Performance Using Simulation

   18 citations · 2014
4. 4
   Statistical analysis of spatially homogeneous dynamic agent-based processes using functional time series analysis

   5 citations · 2016

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links