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Abstract Optimizing group performance is one of the principal objectives that underlie human collaboration and prompts humans to share resources with each other. Connectivity between individuals determines how resources can be accessed and shared by the group members, yet, empirical knowledge on the relationship between the topology of the interconnecting network and group performance is scarce. To improve our understanding of this relationship, we created a game in virtual reality where small teams collaborated toward a shared goal. We conducted a series of experiments on 30 groups of three players, who played three rounds of the game, with different network topologies in each round. We hypothesized that higher network connectivity would enhance group performance due to two main factors: individuals’ ability to share resources and their arousal. We found that group performance was positively associated with the overall network connectivity, although registering a plateau effect that might be associated with topological features at the node level. Deeper analysis of the group dynamics revealed that group performance was modulated by the connectivity of high and low performers in the group. Our findings provide insight into the intricacies of group structures, toward the design of effective human teams. 

Abstract With a globally aging population, visual impairment is an increasingly pressing problem for our society. Visual disability drastically reduces quality of life and constitutes a large cost to the health care system. Mobility of the visually impaired is one of the most critical aspects affected by this disability, and yet, it relies on low-tech solutions, such as the white cane. Many avoid solutions entirely. In part, reluctance to use these solutions may be explained by their obtrusiveness, a strong deterrent for the adoption of many new devices. Here, we leverage new advancements in artificial intelligence, sensor systems, and soft electroactive materials toward an electronic travel aid with an obstacle detection and avoidance system for the visually impaired. The travel aid incorporates a stereoscopic camera platform, enabling computer vision, and a wearable haptic device that can stimulate discrete locations on the user’s abdomen to signal the presence of surrounding obstacles. The proposed technology could be integrated into commercial backpacks and support belts, thereby guaranteeing a discreet and unobtrusive solution. 

Invasive alien species threaten biodiversity worldwide and contribute to biotic homogenization, especially in freshwaters, where the ability of native animals to disperse is limited. Robotics may offer a promising tool to address this compelling problem, but whether and how invasive species can be negatively affected by robotic stimuli is an open question. Here, we explore the possibility of modulating behavioural and life-history responses of mosquitofish by varying the degree of biomimicry of a robotic predator, whose appearance and locomotion are inspired by natural mosquitofish predators. Our results support the prediction that real-time interactions at varying swimming speeds evoke a more robust antipredator response in mosquitofish than simpler movement patterns by the robot, especially in individuals with better body conditions that are less prone to take risks. Through an information-theoretic analysis of animal–robot interactions, we offer evidence in favour of a causal link between the motion of the robotic predator and a fish antipredator response. Remarkably, we observe that even a brief exposure to the robotic predator of 15 min per week is sufficient to erode energy reserves and compromise the body condition of mosquitofish, opening the door for future endeavours to control mosquitofish in the wild.