ArticleNature communications2023
Coherent movement of error-prone individuals through mechanical coupling.
Article in Nature communications, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- A mechanical route for cooperative transport in autonomous robotic swarms.Nature communications · 2025Article
- Topology-guided polar ordering of collective cell migration.Science advances · 2024Article
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
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Abstract
We investigate how reliable movement can emerge in aggregates of highly error-prone individuals. The individuals-robotic modules-move stochastically using vibration motors. By coupling them via elastic links, soft-bodied aggregates can be created. We present distributed algorithms that enable the aggregates to move and deform reliably. The concept and algorithms are validated through formal analysis of the elastic couplings and experiments with aggregates comprising up to 49 physical modules-among the biggest soft-bodied aggregates to date made of autonomous modules. The experiments show that aggregates with elastic couplings can shrink and stretch their bodies, move with a precision that increases with the number of modules, and outperform aggregates with no, or rigid, couplings. Our findings demonstrate that mechanical couplings can play a vital role in reaching coherent motion among individuals with exceedingly limited and error-prone abilities, and may pave the way for low-power, stretchable robots for high-resolution monitoring and manipulation.
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