By Kenneth Oboh

Sunday Ayebiowei Amatare, a Nigerian researcher and PhD candidate at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), has received the Best Paper Award at the 18th International Workshop on Networked Robotics and Communication Systems (NetRobiCS) 2025, held alongside IEEE INFOCOM 2025 in London, United Kingdom. The paper, titled “SauRON: Smart Surveillance using Robotic Swarms with Optimized Networks,” was co-authored with Gaurav Singh and Professor Debashri Roy from UTA’s Transformative Wireless Systems and Technology (TWiST) Lab.

The study examines how autonomous robotic swarms can be used for surveillance in dynamic environments. Using multi-agent reinforcement learning, the system allows robots to self-organize to improve area coverage while maintaining reliable communication networks. The research reported a 38% increase in coverage in highly dynamic settings, suggesting possible applications in areas such as search and rescue, environmental monitoring, and industrial security. The framework incorporates Lidar sensing and optimized leader–follower communication to reduce latency and support real-time adaptation.

“This award is a recognition of the potential of smart surveillance to transform how we approach public safety and monitoring in dynamic environments,” Amatare said. “Our framework shows that intelligent robotic swarms can autonomously adapt and provide real-time coverage, paving the way for more efficient and responsive systems.”

Amatare’s academic work includes research in wireless communications, machine learning, and robotics, with publications in venues such as IEEE MILCOM, ICC, DySPAN, and GLOBECOM. At UTA’s TWiST Lab, he contributes to ongoing research projects, mentors undergraduate students, and serves as a reviewer for several IEEE journals and conferences. He has also received various academic awards, grants, and fellowships.

The NetRobiCS Best Paper Award is sponsored by the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) under the Abu Dhabi Government’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC) and is based on peer review of submissions from researchers worldwide.

Amatare’s work reflects ongoing efforts to explore the intersection of artificial intelligence, robotics, and wireless systems, with a focus on developing practical approaches for complex, real-time environments.