Directed Swarm Assembly due to Mixed Misaligned Perception-Dependent Motility

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates how mixtures of particles with perception-dependent motility and misaligned visual perception can spontaneously self-organize into a cohesive, self-propelling cluster, revealing new pathways for programmable active matter design.

Contribution

It introduces a novel model of mixed perception-dependent motility leading to self-assembled, self-propelling clusters, advancing understanding of active matter self-organization.

Findings

Particles form a stable, self-propelling bean-shaped cluster.

Initial opposite rotations lead to segregation into counter-rotating domains.

Mixtures with misaligned perception and discontinuous motility enable programmable active matter.

Abstract

A mixture of particles with perception-dependent motility and opposite misaligned visual perception shows to spontaneously self-organize into a self-propelling bean-shaped cluster. The two species initially rotate in opposite directions, which together with the steric interactions, makes them segregate into two main counter-rotating domains forming a cohesive and persistently propelling single cluster. Mixtures of particles with misaligned perception and discontinuous motility are therefore a promising pathway for the design of programmable active matter.