Technique for controlling a robotic swarm

A method of controlling a swarm member, the swarm member comprising at least one actuator configured to change a moving state of the swarm member as part of a robotic swarm moving in an area, the method comprising:

• receiving a vector field map, the vector field map comprising velocity vectors indicative of a speed and a direction for navigating the swarm member through the area;
• receiving a deflection field, the deflection field being indicative of a deflection for deflecting the swarm member relative to the vector field map;
• determining a location of the swarm member in the area;
• determining a change of the moving state based on the received vector field map and the received deflection field for the determined location;
• and
• controlling the at least one actuator to achieve the changed moving state.

A swarm controlling entity for controlling a robotic swarm in an area, the area comprising a plurality of radio units for providing radio access to the robotic swarm, the robotic swarm comprising a plurality of swarm members, the swarm controlling entity comprising memory operable to store instructions and processing circuitry operable to execute the instructions, such that the swarm controlling entity is operable to:

• determine a vector field map, the vector field map comprising velocity vectors indicative of a speed and a direction for navigating the swarm members through the area;
• determine a deflection field, the deflection field being indicative of a deflection for deflecting the swarm members relative to the vector field map;
• and
• transmit, through the radio units, the vector field map and the deflection field to at least one of the swarm members for controlling the motion of the at least one of the swarm members in the area.