  Utilizing a paradigmatic model for the motion of interacting self-propelled
particles, we demonstrate that local accelerations at the level of individual
particles can drive transitions between different collective dynamics, leading
to a control process. We find that the ability to trigger such transitions is
hierarchically distributed among the particles and can form distinctive spatial
patterns within the collective. Chaotic dynamics occur during the transitions,
which can be attributed to fractal basin boundaries mediating the control
process. The particle hierarchies described in this study offer decentralized
capabilities for controlling artificial swarms.
