Active Matter as a framework for living systems-inspired Robophysics
This perspective article addresses challenges in robotics for improving swarm efficiency, but it is incremental as it reviews existing research rather than presenting new results.
The paper tackles the fundamental efficiency limitations in bio-inspired robotic collectives, such as locomotion and coordination, by examining how principles from active-matter physics and biology can be integrated into robot swarm modeling and design.
Robophysics investigates the physical principles that govern living-like robots operating in complex, realworld environments. Despite remarkable technological advances, robots continue to face fundamental efficiency limitations. At the level of individual units, locomotion remains a challenge, while at the collective level, robot swarms struggle to achieve shared purpose, coordination, communication, and cost efficiency. This perspective article examines the key challenges faced by bio-inspired robotic collectives and highlights recent research efforts that incorporate principles from active-matter physics and biology into the modeling and design of robot swarms.