Microscopic Swarms: From Active Matter Physics to Biomedical and Environmental Applications

Microscopic swarms consisting of, e.g., active colloidal particles or microorganisms, display emergent behaviors not seen in equilibrium systems. They represent an emerging field of research that generates both fundamental scientific interest and practical technological value. This review seeks to u...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Micromachines (Basel) 2022-02, Vol.13 (2), p.295
Main Authors: Fu, Yulei, Yu, Hengao, Zhang, Xinli, Malgaretti, Paolo, Kishore, Vimal, Wang, Wendong
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
active matter
Bacteria
Behavior
Biomedical materials
collective behavior
Control methods
Equilibrium
Experiments
Long range order
Microorganisms
microrobots
microscopic swarms
Phase separation
Phase transitions
Physics
Review
Robotics
Standard deviation
Symmetry
Wastewater treatment
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Summary:Microscopic swarms consisting of, e.g., active colloidal particles or microorganisms, display emergent behaviors not seen in equilibrium systems. They represent an emerging field of research that generates both fundamental scientific interest and practical technological value. This review seeks to unite the perspective of fundamental active matter physics and the perspective of practical applications of microscopic swarms. We first summarize experimental and theoretical results related to a few key aspects unique to active matter systems: the existence of long-range order, the prediction and observation of giant number fluctuations and motility-induced phase separation, and the exploration of the relations between information and order in the self-organizing patterns. Then we discuss microscopic swarms, particularly microrobotic swarms, from the perspective of applications. We introduce common methods to control and manipulate microrobotic swarms and summarize their potential applications in fields such as targeted delivery, in vivo imaging, biofilm removal, and wastewater treatment. We aim at bridging the gap between the community of active matter physics and the community of micromachines or microrobotics, and in doing so, we seek to inspire fruitful collaborations between the two communities.
ISSN:2072-666X
2072-666X
DOI:10.3390/mi13020295