Neuroevolution of decentralized decision-making in $${\boldsymbol{N}}$$ N -bead swimmers leads to scalable and robust collective locomotion
Abstract Many microorganisms swim by performing larger non-reciprocal shape deformations that are initiated locally by molecular motors. However, it remains unclear how decentralized shape control determines the movement of the entire organism. Here, we investigate how efficient locomotion emerges f...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Communications Physics |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-025-02101-5 |
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| _version_ | 1849729057293336576 |
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| author | Benedikt Hartl Michael Levin Andreas Zöttl |
| author_facet | Benedikt Hartl Michael Levin Andreas Zöttl |
| author_sort | Benedikt Hartl |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Many microorganisms swim by performing larger non-reciprocal shape deformations that are initiated locally by molecular motors. However, it remains unclear how decentralized shape control determines the movement of the entire organism. Here, we investigate how efficient locomotion emerges from coordinated yet simple and decentralized decision-making of the body parts using neuroevolution techniques. Our approach allows us to investigate optimal locomotion policies for increasingly large microswimmer bodies, with emerging long-wavelength body shape deformations corresponding to surprisingly efficient swimming gaits. The obtained decentralized policies are robust and tolerant concerning morphological changes or defects and can be applied to artificial microswimmers for cargo transport or drug delivery applications without further optimization “out of the box”. Our work is of relevance to understanding and developing robust navigation strategies of biological and artificial microswimmers and, in a broader context, for understanding emergent levels of individuality and the role of collective intelligence in Artificial Life. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7a3dcdcf27934531adf39483f065caf4 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2399-3650 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Physics |
| spelling | doaj-art-7a3dcdcf27934531adf39483f065caf42025-08-20T03:09:20ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Physics2399-36502025-05-018111410.1038/s42005-025-02101-5Neuroevolution of decentralized decision-making in $${\boldsymbol{N}}$$ N -bead swimmers leads to scalable and robust collective locomotionBenedikt Hartl0Michael Levin1Andreas Zöttl2Institute for Theoretical Physics, TU WienAllen Discovery Center at Tufts UniversityFaculty of Physics, University of ViennaAbstract Many microorganisms swim by performing larger non-reciprocal shape deformations that are initiated locally by molecular motors. However, it remains unclear how decentralized shape control determines the movement of the entire organism. Here, we investigate how efficient locomotion emerges from coordinated yet simple and decentralized decision-making of the body parts using neuroevolution techniques. Our approach allows us to investigate optimal locomotion policies for increasingly large microswimmer bodies, with emerging long-wavelength body shape deformations corresponding to surprisingly efficient swimming gaits. The obtained decentralized policies are robust and tolerant concerning morphological changes or defects and can be applied to artificial microswimmers for cargo transport or drug delivery applications without further optimization “out of the box”. Our work is of relevance to understanding and developing robust navigation strategies of biological and artificial microswimmers and, in a broader context, for understanding emergent levels of individuality and the role of collective intelligence in Artificial Life.https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-025-02101-5 |
| spellingShingle | Benedikt Hartl Michael Levin Andreas Zöttl Neuroevolution of decentralized decision-making in $${\boldsymbol{N}}$$ N -bead swimmers leads to scalable and robust collective locomotion Communications Physics |
| title | Neuroevolution of decentralized decision-making in $${\boldsymbol{N}}$$ N -bead swimmers leads to scalable and robust collective locomotion |
| title_full | Neuroevolution of decentralized decision-making in $${\boldsymbol{N}}$$ N -bead swimmers leads to scalable and robust collective locomotion |
| title_fullStr | Neuroevolution of decentralized decision-making in $${\boldsymbol{N}}$$ N -bead swimmers leads to scalable and robust collective locomotion |
| title_full_unstemmed | Neuroevolution of decentralized decision-making in $${\boldsymbol{N}}$$ N -bead swimmers leads to scalable and robust collective locomotion |
| title_short | Neuroevolution of decentralized decision-making in $${\boldsymbol{N}}$$ N -bead swimmers leads to scalable and robust collective locomotion |
| title_sort | neuroevolution of decentralized decision making in boldsymbol n n bead swimmers leads to scalable and robust collective locomotion |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-025-02101-5 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT benedikthartl neuroevolutionofdecentralizeddecisionmakinginboldsymbolnnbeadswimmersleadstoscalableandrobustcollectivelocomotion AT michaellevin neuroevolutionofdecentralizeddecisionmakinginboldsymbolnnbeadswimmersleadstoscalableandrobustcollectivelocomotion AT andreaszottl neuroevolutionofdecentralizeddecisionmakinginboldsymbolnnbeadswimmersleadstoscalableandrobustcollectivelocomotion |