Physarum boats: If plasmodium sailed it would never leave a port

TL;DR

This paper explores how the plasmodium of Physarum polycephalum can propel lightweight objects on water surfaces through oscillations, demonstrating potential for bio-inspired, distributed, and parallel computation and robotics.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method of propelling objects using plasmodium's oscillations, combining experimental and computational analysis of this biological propulsion system.

Findings

Plasmodium can propel objects on water surfaces via oscillations.

Experimental and computational studies reveal control mechanisms for movement.

Potential applications in bio-inspired robotics and computing.

Abstract

Plasmodium of \emph{Physarum polycephalum} is a single huge (visible by naked eye) cell with myriad of nuclei. The plasmodium is a promising substrate for non-classical, nature-inspired, computing devices. It is capable for approximation of shortest path, computation of planar proximity graphs and plane tessellations, primitive memory and decision-making. The unique properties of the plasmodium make it an ideal candidate for a role of amorphous biological robots with massive parallel information processing and distributed inputs and outputs. We show that when adhered to light-weight object resting on a water surface the plasmodium can propel the object by oscillating its protoplasmic pseudopodia. In experimental laboratory conditions and computational experiments we study phenomenology of the plasmodium-floater system, and possible mechanisms of controlling motion of objects propelled by on board plasmodium.