Introduction

Abstract

The goal of this thesis is to contribute to the field of animal-robot interaction. Using zebrafish as a model of a social animal that is capable of collective decision-making, and by developing miniature robotic tools to integrate shoals of zebrafish, we aim to create mixed societies of living and artificial agents that will provide scientists with a new framework for animal ethological studies. This chapter presents the motivation behind this area of research, followed by a description of the methodology applied. The contributions of the thesis are then presented, followed by a detailed description of the thesis’ organization.