A researcher lands a drone in a grass land area
A researcher lands a drone that can be used to capture video for collective movement analyses of gelada monkeys in the highlands of central Ethiopia using an analysis pipeline developed at the CASCB/University of Konstanz. © Jeffrey Kerby

The behaviour of collectives is striking and captivating. Which mechanisms drive the seemingly choreographed movements of human crowds, flocking birds or schooling fish? Why is such behaviour widespread in nature and which underlying principles transcend the specifics of each system? We aim to provide fundamental insights and knowledge about collective behaviour within and across disciplines to develop new design principles for human-engineered systems.