Ion-exchange enabled synthetic swarm
Source abstract
Abstract
Active matters are out-of-equilibrium systems that convert energy from the environment to mechanical motion. Non-reciprocal interaction between active matters may lead to collective intelligence beyond the capability of individuals. In nature, such emergent behaviours are ubiquitously observed in animal colonies, giving these species remarkable adaptive capability. In artificial systems, however, the emergence of non-trivial collective intelligent dynamics remains undiscovered. Here we show that a simple ion-exchange reaction can couple self-propelled ZnO nanorods and sulfonated polystyrene microbeads together. Chemical communication is established that enhances the reactivity and motion of both nanorods and the microbeads, resulting in the formation of an active swarm of nanorod-microbead complexes. We demonstrate that the swarm is capable of macroscopic phase segregation and intelligent consensus decision-making.
Source: europepmc · Quality: candidate unverified · Source record ↗
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Micro and Nano Robotics · Molecular Communication and Nanonetworks · Modular Robots and Swarm Intelligence
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
References (47)
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