Self-organized segregation effect on self-assembling robots

Abstract

Complex systems involving many interacting components being out of equilibrium often organize into patterns. Understanding the underlying principles that govern such systems might lead to a deeper insight into living systems and the development of new applications in robotics. In this contribution, we investigate water-based self-assembling modules, exhibiting a segregation effect under some particular conditions. The system consists of vibrating (active) and non vibrating (passive) circular modules floating on the surface of the water. The segregation happens as a result of a depletionlike force, which is of purely entropic nature and is based on the characteristics of the modules (active or passive). We focus especially on the dynamics of the process with respect to the energy and the entropy. Some applications of the designed system are also discussed.