Human-swarm hybrids outperform both humans and swarms solving digital Jigsaw puzzles

Abstract

We compare three approaches to solving digital jigsaw puzzles with wrap-around connections: human-only, swarm-only, and a hybrid approach that requires humans to interact with the swarm in a high-level, scalable manner. Using an iterative improvement strategy, some positive aspects of the human solvers migrate to the swarm-only approach. As the swarm-only approach gets better, humans continue to assist and the hybrid outperforms either of the independent approaches. This strategy for improving swarms is general, and continuously applicable. We show that even after many iterations and significant improvements to the swarm-only approach, support from a human improves the performance of the swarm.