STRATEGIES FOR ACTIVE CAMOUFLAGE OF MOTION

In this paper we consider whether an animal or an agent (a 'shadower') can actively camouflage its movements whilst tracking another animal or agent (a 'shadowee'). It is shown that, under certain conditions, t he shadower can conceal its motion if it moves along a trajectory such that it emulates the optic flow produced by a stationary object, as v iewed by the moving shadowee. Algorithms for determining trajectories which enable the shadower to camouflage its motion whilst tracking a s hadowee, or whilst moving toward a stationary or moving target, are de veloped and tested. The proposed strategies work regardless of whether the shadower is viewed against a homogeneous or a structured backgrou nd. It is of interest to investigate the relevance of active motion ca mouflage in contexts such as 'shadowing' behaviour in hoverflies, capt ure of prey by predators and military manoeuvres.